Physical interface for PCI express(PIPE) electrical information

The PCI Express physical layer interface is a fully defined standard, and part of the larger standard. It matters not at all what your application is. Go here:

Get the spec

Read it

Interestingly, you stated you had found a device with the SSTL2 spec - that's memory :)

Cheers

PeteS

Reading your query again, it seems you are trying to interface to an Intel device (communications controller perhaps).

1. Intel does not own the PCI Express spec (although they probably paid more than anyone else to getting it made).

1. Intel devices that claim to meet a specification generally do. (There are exceptions, but even that is noted in the data sheet).

2. You seem confused about what you are trying to do :)

Cheers

PeteS

The answer to your question is NO.

The PIPE specification is not part of the PCI Express Base Specification. It is not even governed by the PCI-SIG. It is a "suggestion" from Intel for a logical interface between the MAC and the PHY, in the physical layer of a PCI Express component. I think the idea is to suggest that people designing PHY functions use a common interface, to foster portability between PHY vendors/implementations.

As you note, it describes the logical behavior of such an interface and doesn't discuss anything else. At the time it was written, I don't think they were even contemplating external PHY devices like the Philips PX1011a. However, you can imagine that someone wanting to do an external PHY would probably take the PIPE specification as a reasonable starting point for their interface behavior. What electricals to use? Whatever you want, as long as it works and you think your potential customers will be satisfied. Philips used SSTL2, as you point out, which seems to work well with, say, a Spartan3 FPGA from Xilinx.

So, then, if you are using an external PHY, you need to evaluate your options and then select one -- and design to the specifications in the vendor's data sheet.

Eric Crabill Xilinx, Incorporated