In the field of technology, PCI is an acronym that comes from the English expression Peripheral Component Interconnect : that is, Peripheral Component Interconnection . It is a bus that allows the connection of the aforementioned peripheral components to the motherboard or motherboard of a computer.
It should be noted that, for computing, a bus is a conductor that is common to various devices and that makes the distribution of information possible. In the case of PCI, it is a standard bus that is present in personal computers ( PC ).
The PCI bus became popular due to its effectiveness with elements that are described as plug and play ( "connect and use" ). Thanks to the interaction between the PCI cards and the machine's BIOS , the configuration is automated and the user does not need to resort to drivers ( software ) or jumpers to adjust the parameters.
PCI, in short, sets a standard for the connectors and the slot (called slot in English) of the motherboard. Its origins date back to the early 1990s .
The version of PCI most used in today's computers has specifications such as a bus width of 32 or 64 bits; a maximum transfer rate between 133 MB/s (32-bit bus) and 266 MB/s (64-bit bus); and a clock of 33.33 MHz. There are, however, variants that modify the protocol , such as Mini PCI , PCI Express and PCI-X , for example.
In addition to everything indicated, we must not forget the existence of what is known as PCI Express (PCI-E). This is a type of bus that is found in the ports of the motherboard of a computer and is made up of a structure where several point-to-point lanes stand out thanks to which the relevant connection is carried out.
Basically we can establish that there are four different types of PCI Express:
-PCI-E X8, which has an approximate size of 56 millimeters, has 49 pins and has 8 lanes.
-PCI-E X1, which is one that has one lane, 18 pins and a size of 25 millimeters.
-PCI-E
-PCI-E X4, which is the one that has a size of 39 millimeters, 4 lanes and 32 pins.
Beyond the technological level, the acronym PCI has other uses. It can refer, in this framework, to the internal calorific power , to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity or to the Italian Communist Party , to mention some possibilities.
Among the manifestations that are considered Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity we find falconry, flamenco, mariachi, yoga, the Barranquilla Carnival or the Mexican Day of the Dead.
In the same way, we cannot ignore that PCI is the acronym for what is known as the Canarian Insertion Benefit. This is an existing aid in the Canary Islands for all those people who find themselves in a serious situation of social inequality and who lack means of subsistence. Situations that make it difficult for them to have an optimal quality of life.