PCI card with ML350G4

[Max Habermehl]

Hi there,
we have a PCI card here which should be compatible to PCI-X. The manufacturer says so.
The card can take 3.3 or 5 volts - it should't matter.

My today's question is whether we can use that card without getting trouble.
In other words: Does anybody know whether using this card will have a significant impact on PCI-Bus speed?
Especially as we use a Smart-Array-Controller (641) in another PCI-X slot on the same machine)?

This is for a very small business but I don't like the idea to slow down any system... ;)

Thanks and Best Regards,
Max

[Oleg Koroz]

64-bit/100MHz PCI-X Bus 9
64-bit/100MHz PCI-X Bus 9
64-bit/133MHz PCI-X Bus 6
64-bit/66MHz PCI-X Bus 2
All slots are 3.3 Volt; you can use 5V cards in that server

For 64-bit/133MHz data path cards start population from Slot 5, 4, 3 ... Slot 6 use with slower cards

[Max Habermehl]

Hi,
thank you for your response.

>All slots are 3.3 Volt; you can use 5V cards in that server

>For 64-bit/133MHz data path cards start population from Slot 5, 4, 3 ... Slot 6 use with slower cards

This is exactly what I did - the smart array 641 was put into slot 5 (64/133). Thank you for confirmation on this. :)

But will there be problems like smart array / hdd tranfer will slow down when we use this 33mhz/3.3v card in slot 6?
The cards all run on one physical data bus, don't they?

Thank you,
Max

[Oleg Koroz]

All slots are 3.3 Volt; you can use 5V cards in that server

My appology should be read as
All slots are 3.3 Volt; you CAN'T use 5V cards in that server

[Oleg Koroz]

Degradation on the bus will be if you use slower card 64/66 opposite Slot speed. 64/133
For Example card 64/66 used in Slot 3 will bring down Bus 9 to Speed 64/66 and Card 64/133 Used in slot 4 will operate 64/66

As long you keep split between bus that should work for you

[amhakassa]

Hi Max,

Yes, PCI-X systems will allow the use of both PCI and PCI-X cards on the same bus, however the bus speed will default to the speed of the slowest card. For instance, if you placed a 66 MHz card in the same environment as a 133 MHz card, the bus speed would operate at 66 MHz.

Are PCI-X based systems 5.0 Volt tolerant?

All of the high-speed slots in the PCI-X system are keyed for 3.3 Volts. However, through use of a Universal card, PCI-X add-in cards can become 5.0 Volt tolerant. It is important to note that all PCI connectors have 5.0 Volt power present, even those connectors which are keyed for 3.3 Volts. Currently, PCI-SIG (the special interest group that supports the development of PCI technology) is urging the industry to transition from 5.0 Volt power to 3.3 Volt power.

The bottom line is the bus speed is negotiated to work by the loswes if you mix PCI with PCI-X

Regards
Amha Kassa