IC-Mart Your Trusted Source for PCI Interface Chips

(from leading manufacturers)

A PCI Interface IC is an integrated circuit. It manages, converts, extends, or optimizes PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) or PCIe (PCI Express) bus signals.

Simply put, imagine the CPU as a city’s heart and the motherboard traces as highways. PCI interface ICs are the traffic lights, overpasses, toll booths, traffic cops, and translators. They ensure data travels between the CPU and peripherals (like GPUs, SSDs, network cards, and industrial boards) at blazing speeds without errors.

Globally Renowned PCI Interface IC Manufacturers

1. Texas Instruments (TI)

• XIO2001
  • Category: Bridge (PCIe to PCI)
  • Application: The industry’s most classic PCIe x1 to legacy parallel PCI bridge. Widely used on industrial PC motherboards to add legacy PCI slots.
• HD3SS3412 / TS2PCIE412
  • Category: Mux/Demux Switch
  • Application: High-speed differential physical switch. Supports up to 8 GHz bandwidth. Used on motherboards to dynamically route PCIe lanes based on plugged-in devices.
• DS160PT801
  • Category: PCIe 4.0 Retimer
  • Application: An 8-channel smart DSP signal retimer. Used to fix signal attenuation and jitter for PCIe 4.0 (16 Gbps) over long traces.
• DS320PR1601
  • Category: PCIe 5.0 Redriver
  • Application: A 16-channel ultra-high-speed linear redriver. Amplifies PCIe 5.0 (32 Gbps) signals. Ensures signal integrity from server motherboards to expansion cards.

2. Diodes Incorporated (Including former Pericom)

• PI7C9X111SL / PI7C9X112SL
  • Category: Bridge (PCIe to PCI)
  • Application: The industry’s most popular low-power PCIe to legacy parallel PCI bridge. A standard choice for industrial and data acquisition cards.
• PI7C8150 / PI7C8152
  • Category: Bridge (PCI to PCI)
  • Application: Expansion bridge between legacy 32-bit/64-bit parallel PCI buses. Fans out more PCI slots in older systems.
• PI7C9X3G1632
  • Category: PCIe Gen3 Packet Switch
  • Application: High-performance PCIe 3.0 switch (32 lanes / 16 ports). Mainly used for lane distribution in edge servers and embedded systems.

3. Broadcom (Including former PLX Technology)

• PEX8724 / PEX8748
  • Category: PCIe Gen3 Packet Switch
  • Application: Highly classic PCIe 3.0 switches. Widely used in enterprise storage arrays (JBOD) and early multi-GPU compute boards.
• PEX88048
  • Category: PCIe Gen4 Packet Switch
  • Application: PCIe 4.0 switch. Widely used in high-performance NVMe SSD expansion enclosures and mid-range AI accelerator arrays.
• PEX89144 / PEX89072
  • Category: PCIe Gen5 Fabric Switch (Managed)
  • Application: Supports the latest PCIe 5.0 speeds (32 GT/s) with up to 144 lanes. Built for modern AI/ML supercomputing servers. Acts as a high-bandwidth, ultra-low-latency traffic hub between GPU clusters, CXL resource pools, and the CPU.

4. Microchip Technology

• PCI11010
  • Category: PCIe Composite Bridge
  • Application: Directly converts PCIe backbone links into Ethernet, USB, and other common peripheral interfaces. Streamlines system hardware design.
• PCI12000C
  • Category: PCIe to I/O Expansion Switch
  • Application: Uses a PCIe upstream bus to natively expand into industrial SPI, UART, and GPIO downstream. Allows the host controller to easily manage sensors and legacy industrial devices.

5. Renesas Electronics (Including former IDT)

• Tsi384
  • Category: Bridge (PCIe to PCI/PCIX)
  • Application: High-performance PCIe to PCI/PCI-X bridge. Supports high-bandwidth PCI-X industrial standards. Common in power grid and telecom backbone equipment.
• Tsi350A
  • Category: Bridge (PCI to PCI)
  • Application: Industry-standard legacy parallel PCI expansion bridge.
• 89H32H8G2
  • Category: PCIe Packet Switch
  • Application: A 32-lane, 8-port PCIe switch. Often used for board-to-board interconnects inside telecom base stations.

6. Astera Labs

• PT4161LRS (Aries-4)
  • Category: PCIe Gen4 Retimer
  • Application: PCIe 4.0 x16 smart DSP retimer. Restores signals in high-capacity NVMe storage arrays and GPU compute nodes.
• PT5161LRS / PT5161LXS (Aries-5)
  • Category: PCIe Gen5 / CXL Retimer
  • Application: Industry-leading PCIe 5.0 / CXL 2.0 x16 smart retimer. Indispensable in AI servers (like H100/A100 GPU physical links). Specifically solves severe high-frequency differential signal (32 GT/s) loss over PCB traces and cables.

7. ASMedia

• ASM1083
  • Category: Bridge (PCIe to PCI)
  • Application: The most common PCIe to PCI chip on consumer desktop motherboards. Powers the legacy white PCI slot kept on modern motherboards for older hardware.

Mainstream Chinese Domestic Manufacturers and Typical Models

1. High-End Server Level: PCIe Switch ICs

These chips were long monopolized by Broadcom (PLX) and Microchip. They serve as the core traffic hubs for high-bandwidth interconnects between GPUs, CPUs, and NVMe SSDs inside AI servers.

Manufacturer	Typical Model	Core Category & Specs	Application / Global Competitor
Innosilicon	GX9104 / GX9120	PCIe Gen5 Switch World’s first 120-lane PCIe 5.0 switch. Fully independent innovation.	Modern AI servers, GPU cluster interconnects, high-performance data centers. Competes with Broadcom PEX89000 series.
Shudu Tech (Vantone Subsidiary)	Shudu PCIe 5.0 Switch	PCIe Gen5 Switch	High-speed switch backplanes inside high-performance AI servers. Focuses on cost-effective domestic replacement. Competes with Broadcom SS26.
Jingxin Microelectronics (Tianjin)	JXW8848	PCIe Gen4 Switch First fully independent domestic PCIe 4.0 switch. 48 lanes, 12 ports. 768 Gbps total bandwidth. Supports ms-level fault isolation.	Domestic autonomous servers, distributed storage, edge computing. Competes with Broadcom PEX8748.
Huake Micro (Beijing)	STARS 62048	PCIe Gen4 Switch Mainly used in their fully domestic switch expansion boards (e.g., PE-SW-11-G416H4).	High-reliability storage expansion cards for critical industries, NVMe SSD arrays.

2. AI Compute Link Layer: High-Speed PCIe Retimers

In high-frequency PCIe 5.0/6.0 environments, signals degrade rapidly across PCB traces and cables. Retimer chips are mandatory for smart signal restoration.

Manufacturer	Typical Model	Core Category & Specs	Application / Global Competitor
Montage Technology	M88RT51632 M88RT61632	PCIe 5.0 / CXL 2.0 Retimer 16 lanes. Industry-leading ultra-low latency and signal restoration. PCIe 6.x / CXL 3.x Retimer 16 lanes. Supports the latest generation high-speed transmission standards.	A global top-tier player in this field. Widely adopted by mainstream server supply chains worldwide. Competes with Astera Labs (Aries series) and TI.

3. Industrial & Consumer Level: Peripheral Bridge & I/O ICs

These chips convert PCIe/PCI buses to UART, Parallel, USB, SATA, or generic Local Buses. Widely used in industrial PCs, data acquisition cards, and multi-serial servers.

Manufacturer	Typical Model	Core Category & Specs	Application / Global Competitor
WCH (Nanjing Qinheng)	CH382 / CH384 CH367 / CH368L	PCIe to Multi-Serial/Parallel Bridge Single-chip native support for PCIe to 2/4/8 independent serial ports and parallel printer ports. PCIe to Generic Local Bus Supports I/O port mapping, memory mapping, and interrupts.	A domestic interface chip giant with massive market share. Almost fully replaced early Exar, Oxford, or TI chips. Widely used in tax machines, industrial boards, and mini printers.
Jingxin Microelectronics (Tianjin)	PRB0400	PCIe to SRIO Bridge High-performance cross-network interconnect chip compatible with PCIe Gen2 and RapidIO Gen2.	Primarily serves high-reliability, low-latency computing systems. Merges PCIe and SRIO ecosystems. Compatible with domestic CPUs like Phytium and Loongson.

4. Processor Companions: General System Bridges

To help domestic CPUs (like Loongson and Phytium) connect to generic peripherals, domestic CPU makers develop comprehensive companion bridges (Southbridges).

• Manufacturer: Loongson Technology
• Typical Model: LS7A1000 / LS7A2000
• Core Function: Dedicated processor companion bridge. Connects to Loongson CPUs via high-speed PCIe links. Downstream bridges and fans out SATA 3.0, USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet (GMAC), HDMI, and legacy low-speed parallel buses.
• Application: Core infrastructure chip for domestic secure desktop PCs, industrial motherboards, and servers.

---

PCI Interface IC Four Main Roles of PCI Interface ICs

Depending on their location in a circuit layout, these ICs play four main roles:

• Bridge: Handles cross-protocol translation (e.g., converting modern PCIe signals to legacy PCI or USB signals).
• Switch: Handles lane fan-out and routing (e.g., expanding 1 PCIe lane into 4 lanes to serve different devices).
• Retimer/Redriver: Handles signal amplification and restoration. Prevents high-speed signal distortion over long distances.
• I/O Expansion: Transforms bus capabilities into direct control signals for small peripherals (e.g., expanding into serial or parallel ports).

Typical Application Scenarios

PCIe/PCI interface chips are everywhere. You will find them in personal computers, internet backbone servers, and heavy industrial production lines. Here are five typical use cases:

1. AI Servers and High-Performance Computing (The Core Boom)

Modern AI servers (like those running NVIDIA H100s or domestic AI accelerators) demand massive bandwidth. The CPU’s native PCIe lanes are far from enough for dozens of GPUs, NICs, and NVMe SSDs.

• How it’s used: The system uses PCIe Switches to build a high-speed data interconnect network. This enables zero-latency data exchange between GPUs and CPUs. Internal chassis traces are long and prone to interference. Therefore, PCIe Retimers are added to the links to fix high-speed (PCIe 5.0/6.0) signals in real time and prevent system crashes.

2. Industrial Control and Legacy Equipment Retrofitting (Industrial PCs)

Power grids, rail transit, and CNC machining rely heavily on legacy data acquisition and communication boards. These use traditional parallel PCI or Local Bus. They are expensive and highly stable. However, modern industrial PC processors (like new Intel/AMD CPUs) no longer natively support them.

• How it’s used: Industrial PC motherboards or adapter cards integrate a PCIe to PCI bridge chip (like TI’s XIO2001). It translates modern PCIe signals into legacy PCI signals seamlessly. Decade-old industrial boards can plug right into the latest industrial PCs. This perfectly protects legacy assets.

3. Enterprise Data Centers and Distributed Storage (JBOD/NVMe Arrays)

Tech giants and banks mount hundreds of SSDs to build massive databases.

• How it’s used: Using PCIe switches, data centers build hard drive expansion enclosures (JBODs). A PCIe cable from the main server connects to the enclosure’s switch chip. This fans out dozens of M.2 or U.2 interfaces for high-speed NVMe SSDs. It fully supports hot-swapping and hardware-level fault isolation.

4. PC Consumer Motherboards and Gaming Hardware Switching

Standard desktop motherboards (like ASUS or MSI) often feature two large graphics card slots.

• How it’s used: Plug in one GPU, and the motherboard’s PCIe Mux/Demux switch allocates all 16 lanes (x16) to the first slot. Plug in two GPUs or specific cards, and the chip physically cuts some lines to split the lanes into 8+8. It acts exactly like a railway switch, changing tracks automatically based on inserted hardware.

5. Specialized Commercial Terminals (Tax Machines, Multi-Serial Servers, Mini Printers)

Supermarket POS systems, bank counters, and gas station terminals connect to barcode scanners, tax modules, receipt printers, and displays. Many still use legacy RS232 serial (UART) or parallel ports.

• How it’s used: A PCIe to multi-serial/parallel chip (like WCH’s CH382) is soldered directly to these specialized motherboards. Leveraging PCIe’s high bandwidth, a single chip natively expands into 2 to 8 independent hardware serial ports. This radically simplifies internal cabling and hardware structure.

Four Major Categories of PCI Interface ICs

I. Bridge ICs

Core Function: Bidirectional translation and cross-bus communication between different protocols, bus topologies, or technology generations.

1. PCIe to Legacy Parallel Bus (PCIe to PCI / PCI-X / Local Bus)

• Purpose: Connects modern processors (PCIe only) to legacy PCI expansion cards, industrial control cards, or local processor buses.
• Typical Models:
  • XIO2001 (Texas Instruments) — Classic PCIe x1 to legacy parallel PCI bridge.
  • PI7C9X111SL / PI7C9X112SL (Diodes Inc.) — Widely used low-power PCIe-to-PCI bridge.
  • ASM1083 (ASMedia) — Common on desktop motherboards for PCI slot expansion.
  • Tsi384 (Renesas/formerly IDT) — High-performance PCIe to PCI/PCI-X bridge.
• Main Manufacturers: Texas Instruments, Diodes Incorporated, ASMedia, Renesas Electronics.

2. Legacy Bus to Dedicated/Industrial Bus (PCI to PCI / VME / DSP / PowerPC)

• Purpose: Expands PCI slots in older systems, or bridges to VME buses, DSPs, or PowerPC architectures.
• Typical Models:
  • PI7C8150 / PI7C8152 (Diodes Inc.) — Legacy 32-bit/64-bit PCI-to-PCI expansion bridge.
  • Tsi350A (Renesas) — Industry-standard legacy PCI-to-PCI bridge.
• Main Manufacturers: Diodes Incorporated, Renesas.

3. PCIe to General Peripheral Interfaces (PCIe to USB 2.0 / Composite)

• Purpose: Bridges a PCIe backbone directly to peripheral control interfaces like USB.
• Typical Models:
  • PCI11010 (Microchip) — PCIe composite bridge integrating network and peripheral interfaces.
• Main Manufacturers: Microchip Technology.

II. Switch & Mux ICs

Core Function: Handles lane expansion, packet routing (fan-out), or signal link switching within a single protocol (mainly PCIe).

1. PCIe Packet Switches

• Purpose: Acts like a network switch. Expands limited CPU PCIe lanes to multiple devices (like multiple GPUs or M.2 NVMe SSDs).
• Typical Models:
  • PI7C9X3G1632 (Diodes Inc.) — High-performance PCIe Gen3 packet switch (32 lanes / 16 ports).
  • PEX8724 / PEX8748 (Broadcom/formerly PLX) — Famous PCIe switch chips for data centers.
  • 89H32H8G2 (Renesas) — 32-lane, 8-port high-performance system interconnect switch.
• Main Manufacturers: Broadcom, Diodes Incorporated, Renesas, Microchip.

2. PCIe Signal Mux/Demux Switches

• Purpose: Physical layer signal switching. Dynamically allocates PCIe lanes to Slot A or Slot B based on inserted devices.
• Typical Models:
  • HD3SS3412 / TS2PCIE412 (Texas Instruments) — 4-lane high-speed differential PCIe Mux (supports 8 GHz).
• Main Manufacturers: Texas Instruments, Diodes Incorporated, NXP.

III. I/O Expansion & Network Composite ICs

Core Function: Connects to the PCIe backbone on one end and extends low-speed control signals (SPI, UART, GPIO) or network physical layers on the other.

• Purpose: Enables host systems to directly control external industrial sensors, serial devices, or network communications via a single PCIe link.
• Typical Models:
  • PCI12000C (Microchip) — PCIe-based I/O expansion switch. Natively supports SPI and UART.
• Main Manufacturers: Microchip Technology.

IV. Signal Conditioning & Physical Layer ICs (PCIe Redrivers / Retimers)

(Note: Grouped here due to their role in servicing high-speed PCIe signals in standard component indexes)

Core Function: Solves attenuation and jitter issues for ultra-high-frequency PCIe 4.0/5.0/6.0 signals over long PCB traces or cables via signal amplification and restoration.

• Typical Models:
  • DS160PT801 (Texas Instruments) — PCIe 4.0 (16-Gbps) 8-channel Retimer.
  • DS320PR1601 (Texas Instruments) — PCIe 5.0 (32-Gbps) 16-channel Linear Redriver.
• Main Manufacturers: Texas Instruments, Diodes Incorporated, Astera Labs.