Peripheral Component Interconnect

The Peripheral Component Interconnect standard (in practice almost always shortened to PCI) specifies a computer bus for attaching peripheral devices to a computer motherboard. These devices can take the form of:

Related Topics:
Computer bus - Peripheral - Computer - Motherboard

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• integrated circuits fitted on the motherboard itself (called planar devices in the PCI specification); or
• expansion cards that fit in sockets.

The PCI bus occurs commonly in PCs, where it has displaced ISA and VESA Local Bus as the standard expansion bus, but it also appears in many other computer types. The bus will eventually be succeeded by PCI Express and other technologies, which have already started to appear in new computers.

Related Topics:
PCs - ISA - VESA Local Bus - PCI Express

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The PCI specification covers the physical size of the bus (including wire spacing), electrical characteristics, bus timing and protocols. The specification can be purchased from the PCI Special Interest Group (PCISIG).

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