PCIe Faceplate

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boatbum
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 5:42 pm

PCIe Faceplate

Post by boatbum »

Can you verify that the FACE PCIe interface is a single 4 lane PCIe buss and not 4 one lane buses? Your documentation is unclear on this. Also is the plug a standard PCIe 4 lane outlet?

Arwen
Posts: 145
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:43 pm

Re: PCIe Faceplate

Post by Arwen »

I read somewhere in the fit-PC 3 documentation that the FACE PCIe
ports can be used as four, 1 lane OR one, 4 lane width. So it's both,
depending on the FACE module. I would guess other variations would
be possible, (for example, two, 2 lane widths).

Now for the connector, no, from what I read, the fit-PC 3 FACE
connectors are not normal PCIe cards. (Not full height or half
height.) This is due to the fact that the FACE connectors also
passes through USB, SATA and other I/O in addition to the 4 PCIe
lanes.

This link indicates that the fit-PC people will be selling a FACE module
with dual mini-PCIe sockets;

http://www.fit-pc.com/web/fit-pc/face-modules/

I wish that particular FACE module had dual mSATA instead of just dual
mini-PCIe. (mSATA uses the same form factor as a full sized mini-PCIe
but adds in the option to use the slot for a mSATA device instead of a
mini-PCIe device.)
Arwen Evenstar
Rivendale, Middle Earth

gabrielh
Site Admin
Posts: 1260
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:13 pm

Re: PCIe Faceplate

Post by gabrielh »

There is a 4 single lane interfaces
Gabriel Heifets

Fit-PC2/3/IntensePC support.

igor
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2011 1:25 pm

Re: PCIe Faceplate

Post by igor »

I wish that particular FACE module had dual mSATA instead of just dual mini-PCIe. (mSATA uses the same form factor as a full sized mini-PCIe but adds in the option to use the slot for a mSATA device instead of a mini-PCIe device.)
That is an interesting idea that we did not consider yet. Do you have a particular application in mind for such a FACE Module?

Arwen
Posts: 145
Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:43 pm

Re: PCIe Faceplate

Post by Arwen »

igor wrote:
Arwen wrote:I wish that particular FACE module had dual mSATA instead of just dual mini-PCIe. (mSATA uses the same form factor as a full sized mini-PCIe but adds in the option to use the slot for a mSATA device instead of a mini-PCIe device.)
That is an interesting idea that we did not consider yet. Do you have a particular application in mind for such a FACE Module?
Yes and no.

Ideally, a user could for example, have 2, 32GB mSATA modules instead of 1 more expensive 64GB module.

Or perhaps even a very large and cheaper, but slower mSATA module for media, and the OS on a smaller,
faster mSATA module.

Plus, upgrading from a smaller or lower speed mSATA device to a larger or faster mSATA device could be
done inside the fit-PC3.

With the mSATA being a newer, (and better defined), device standard, we may see some unusual implementations.

Anyway, something for you guys to consider for the 2.0 version of the dual mini PCIe FACE module.
Arwen Evenstar
Rivendale, Middle Earth

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