Intel Corp, which invented the PCI bus way back in 1991, has given guarded approval to the proposals by eleven companies to produce a Mini PCI for the new generation of mobile devices (CI No 3,483). Intel said it would give qualified support to the initiative, which has the backing of industry heavyweights such as 3Com Corp, Compaq Computer Corp, Dell Computer Corp, IBM Corp and Toshiba Corp. Intel said it would deliver Mini PCI solutions if a number of issues and mechanical challenges can be resolved by the PCI Special Interest Group. Intel versions of Mini PCI would use the Intel 82559 chip, and it said that any future Mini PCI compliant products that used its chip will offer driver compatibility between a network’s mobile, desktop and server platforms. Intel said it was working with OEMS to see if the proposal – essentially an extension of current PCI electronics, functionality and PC signaling into a new form factor – was feasible. The 850 member PCI Special Interest Group is holding its fifteenth Compliance Workshop in Bellevue, Washington, next week.
