Moving PCI Express to Mobile (M-PCIe)

By Richard Solomon (Synopsys)

Abstract

Systems utilizing PCI Express in mobile and other power-sensitive application spaces are looking to lower their overall power consumption by incorporating the M-PCIe ECN from PCI-SIG. The recently released M-PCIe ECN adapts the PCI Express protocol for use with the MIPI M-PHY, benefiting applications that require low-power usage such as mobile products. To incorporate PCI Express with the M-PHY, device architects and designers should understand the top issues they'll need to consider. This paper will begin with a quick overview of the specification and its application space, and then go into details such as bandwidth and clocking considerations, PHY interface differences, power management impacts, and the tradeoffs related to choices around link-layer changes. These changes may impact the transaction and application layers of devices moving from PCIe to M-PCIe, and the paper will detail those issues. A basic understanding of PCI Express concepts is helpful but not required.