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To: Rick Nekus <solarux@hotmail.com>
In-reply-to: Your message of "Fri, 23 May 2008 07:43:01 -0000."
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Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 08:15:53 +0100
From: Dieter <freebsd@sopwith.solgatos.com>
Cc: freebsd-multimedia@freebsd.org, freebsd-drivers@freebsd.org,
	freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Open Graphics Project is now taking pre-orders 
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> I'm just curious here, but why PCI-X, why not PCI-EXpress ?
> or is this obviously for development reasons.

According to the FAQ,

	While most graphics cards now fit in PCI Express slots,
	PCI is more popular with users of FPGA kits. We have
	identified the parts necessary to support PCI Express,
	so if there is demand, we can build them.  In the mean
	time, we need to sell the PCI version OGD1 to bootstrap
	our efforts.

	PCI-X is backward compatible with your 32-bit 33MHz PCI slots,
	and OGD1 has been tested with several PC motherboards. Note
	that some PC motherboards may position components so that they
	interfere with the "extended" part of the PCI card edge for
	some slots.  OGD1 is 6.875in long and 4.2in wide
	(17.46cm x 10.67cm).  Some small form-factor systems do not
	provide enough room in one or both dimensions.

There is a development advantage to PCI.  PCI is a bus, so it is easy
to sniff the bus if things aren't working.  There has been some
discussion about writing software to turn the OGD1 into a PCI bus
sniffer, for developing other boards.

If you are interested in buying a PCIe version of OGD1, OGP needs to
hear about it.