Jan 12, 2022 11:00:00

Completed specification of communication standard 'PCIe 6.0' boasting maximum transfer speed of 256GB / s

In modern computers, a standard called

PCI Express (PCIe) is used for data transfer such as storage and graphic boards. PCI-SIG, the organization that formulates the specifications of this PCIe, has announced that the specifications of ' PCI Express 6.0 (PCIe 6.0)' have been finalized. The maximum transfer speed of PCIe 6.0 has reached a maximum of 256GB / s, which is double that of PCI Express 5.0 (PCIe 5.0) whose specifications were finalized in 2019.

The Evolution of the PCI Express Specification: On its Sixth Generation, Third Decade and Still Going Strong | PCI-SIG
https://pcisig.com/blog/evolution-pci-express-specification-its-sixth-generation-third-decade-and-still-going-strong

PCI-SIG® Releases PCIe® 6.0 Specification for Record Performance, Empowering Big Data Applications | Business Wire
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220111005020/ja/

PCI-SIG, an organization that formulates PCIe specifications, announced the final draft of PCIe 6.0 in October 2021, following PCIe 5.0, whose specifications were finalized in 2019. Then, on January 11, 2022, we officially announced the specifications of PCIe 6.0. The main specifications of PCIe 6.0 announced this time are as follows.

・ Data transfer speed is 64GT / s, maximum 256GB / s in 16-lane configuration
・ Supports 4-value pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) signal transmission
・ Forward error correction (FEC) and cyclic redundancy check (CRC) reduce the increase in bit error rate associated with PAM4 signal transmission.
-Supports PAM4 modulation with flow control unit (Flit) based encoding, achieving more than double the bandwidth increase
・ The packet layout used in Flit mode has been revamped to simplify processing and provide further functions.
· Maintains backward compatibility with all previous generation PCIe technologies

PCI-SIG has also released a movie that appeals to the PCIe 6.0 specifications.

PCIe 6.0 Specification: Evolving Performance for Data Centric Applications --YouTube


PCIe 6.0 supports PAM4 signal transmission and Flit-based encoding, resulting in a transfer rate of 64 GT / s, which is twice that of PCIe 5.0.

In the computing market in recent years, infrastructure tends to be complicated by various processors and accelerators, but PCIe 6.0 enables low-latency connection using high bandwidth. For this reason, it will meet the demand of markets that require complex infrastructure such as high performance computing, autonomous driving, IoT, and military purposes.

PCIe 6.0 is also backwards compatible, allowing users to embrace the latest technology without compromising economic or learning costs.