What are PCI devices? PCI video card. What is the difference between PCI Express and PCI

What is a PCI Controller?

PCI is a universal bus for connecting various devices. They are usually found on the motherboard of the computer and with their help various additional boards can be connected to it. Owners stationary computer it will be easier to find PCI slots on your PC. Removing the side case cover, you will see motherboard your PC, and it has some large white connectors. These connectors are called PCI buses. With their help, you can connect a video card to the motherboard, sound card, cards with additional connectors (USB or COM), network card, etc.

The PCI controller itself is part of the motherboard and is responsible for normal work the tires themselves and the devices treated to them. PCI slots can be different versions and are intended for different types boards. If you look closely at the PC motherboard, you will notice that the video card connector is different from the rest. This is done because video cards provide a higher data exchange rate with motherboardand they also consume more electricity. On motherboards, you can also find a small PCI slot, which is intended for network or various other cards that consume less power and do not require a wide data transfer channel.

Installing a PCI device

By choosing additional device for your PC, find out what version of PCI slots your motherboard has. Remember, different versions of these connectors differ in their shape, so the device for one version of the connector will be physically incompatible with the connector of the other version that is on the motherboard.

Finding out if a device is compatible with your motherboard is quite simple:

Download the Everest program, install and run it.
In the left column select "Devices" and in the same place select "PCI devices". The central window of the program will be divided in two, the top will list all devices that are connected to PCI buses. By clicking on the device, in the lower window you can see information about the device and about the bus itself to which it is connected. There you can also find out the PCI bus version.
You can do it easier and find a description of your motherboard on the Internet, and then simply compare it with the characteristics of the device that you want to install. You can find out the model of the motherboard using everest programsby opening the "motherboard" section.

If the selected board is compatible with your motherboard, you can proceed to the direct installation of the device.

Remove the side cover of the PC case.
Select the PCI slot where the device will be installed, or remove the device from the desired slot that you want to replace with a new one.
Just slide the card gently so that it fits fully into the connector. You cannot go wrong here, since it is physically impossible to install the board incorrectly into the connector.
Connect additional connectors (if required) and replace the housing cover.
Start your PC. When the OS boots, you will see a system message that a new device has been connected. Install the drivers necessary for it to work with installation diskthat comes with the device by downloading the driver from the network or using automatic installation driver.

Problems with the PCI controller

Sometimes, after reinstalling the OS, the following problem may arise - the system will not be able to recognize the PCI controller. Opening the device manager, you will find the item "unknown hardware" instead of "PCI controller". The solution to the problem is very simple - download required driver from the manufacturer's website motherboard and install it.

Within the framework of this article, we will consider the most common PCI devices today. What it is, and when to do without it are the key questions of this material. Although this standard is gradually becoming a thing of the past, it will still be relevant for a long time. He, in essence, can be considered the progenitor of the most modern interfaces YUSB and PCI-Express, which replaced it.

Tire characteristics

Before we get an answer to the question: "PCI devices: what are they and where are they used?", Let's consider the characteristics of this bus. This standard began its triumphant march in 1991. The first processor that could fully function with it was the 80486. A little later, the first Pentiums appeared, further revealing its potential. Physically, this abbreviation hides a group of connectors soldered on the motherboard. One of the microcircuits installed on it is responsible for organizing their work. PCI characteristics are as follows:

Bit depth - 32/64 bits.
The operating frequency is 33 or 66 MHz.
Maximum - 500 MB / s (for 64-bit PCI 2.0 version).
The supply voltage is 3.3V (for 32 bit) or 5V (for 64 bit).

Another important nuance, which predetermined the future of this standard. Intel made it "open". That is, each developer could, if desired, develop any expansion board that would work with this standard without problems.

What devices can be installed

PCI expansion slot can be installed various devices... Among them are:

Graphics adapter.
Sound card.
Tuner.
Expansion board.
Network card.

The list is endless. In essence, it is a complete analogue modern tire YUSB, but only with a lower data transfer rate. Even the PCI device driver is installed the same way. Many of the ideas that have been implemented in this legacy bus have been further developed into more modern standards. had a very great influence on the further development of computer technology.

Graphics adapters

A PCI video card was used to display the graphic image. At one time, this allowed to significantly increase productivity computer systems and unleash the full potential of the 80486 processors and the first Pentiums.

But time does not stand still. What then became a revolutionary decision is now outdated both morally and physically. Until 1997, these graphics accelerators had no analogues. Therefore, they could be found on every personal computer. And only with the appearance on the motherboard, such adapters gave way to new graphics solutions in terms of performance.

Nowadays PCI video cards are rare. It can only be found on very old personal computers... We can say that this is already an anachronism. Their performance is sufficient only for solving the most simple tasks - typing, working with and viewing pictures. But with more complex applications, problems will surely arise, and in this case it is better not to launch them.

Sound card

A sound card is also a type of PCI device. What it is? The answer to this question is quite simple. Until 1997, there were no integrated audio adapters on motherboards. Therefore, for the organization speaker system just such devices were used. On the one hand, such a board was equipped with a "classic" connector for installation in an expansion slot. Its interface panel was displayed on the back of the system unit.

One bolt was used to secure the inside of the computer. Their sound quality left much to be desired. But it was still a breakthrough that should not be underestimated. It was the installation of such devices that earlier allowed turning any computer into a real multimedia center. It was possible to listen to music on such a computer, watch a movie, and play a game.

Tuners

Another important type of device for this bus is the tuner. This PCI controller allows you to watch TV programs and listen to the radio. To ensure the operability of such a board, it is imperative to connect to it external antenna... Otherwise, the quality of the received signal will be far from ideal.

In addition, bullets were included with the tuner. remote control... This made it possible to turn the computer into real tv... This practice did not become widespread, but still there were cases when it was impossible to do without such know-how. For example, such a decision made it possible for a busy person to keep abreast of events.

Modem

An important attribute of older computers is a modem. With its help it was possible to connect to the Internet earlier. Most of these devices were internal, that is, they were installed in a PCI slot. Now they have been successfully ousted from this segment, although there are still areas where they have no alternative. One of them is the Client-Bank system, which is often found in accounting. With its help, the accountant can monitor the status of the company's accounts and, if necessary, make payments.

Expansion board

Often you can find the following device: "PCI simple communications controller". This phrase hides an expansion board. It allows you to increase the number of ports for connection or hard drives... That is, such a device is installed in the expansion slot of the motherboard, and from the outside it is equipped with YUSB, KOM or LPT connectors. 5 years ago, this allowed a significant increase in the number of connected peripherals... Now the number of ports on the motherboard has grown significantly, and the need to install such controllers has simply disappeared.

Outcome

This material answered the question: "PCI devices - what are they and where are they used?"

As you can see, this is a fairly wide range of devices that allows you to turn your computer into a real entertainment center. At least this statement was true until recently. Now the situation has changed a bit. More and more components are being integrated directly into the processor itself or onto the motherboard. Therefore, there is no need for them. You can also find other PCI bridge devices, for example, a network card that allows you to combine computers into a local computer network... The only device that does not yet have a worthy alternative is a tuner for receiving TV programs and listening to the radio. But already in this segment compact YUSB analogues began to appear. In general, the PCI standard is gradually becoming a thing of the past, but it will still be long time be present in the market.

Within the framework of this article, we will consider the most common PCI devices today. What it is, and when to do without it are the key questions of this material. Although this standard is gradually becoming a thing of the past, it will still be relevant for a long time. It, in essence, can be considered the progenitor of the most modern YUSB and PCI-Express interfaces, which replaced it.

Tire characteristics

Bit depth - 32/64 bits.
The operating frequency is 33 or 66 MHz.
Maximum bandwidth - 500 MB / s (for 64-bit PCI 2.0 version).
The supply voltage is 3.3V (for 32 bit) or 5V (for 64 bit).

Another important nuance that predetermined the future of this standard. Intel made it "open". That is, each developer could, if desired, develop any expansion board that would work with this standard without problems.

What devices can be installed

Various devices can be installed in the PCI expansion slot. Among them are:

Graphics adapter.
Sound card.
Tuner.
Expansion board.
Network card.

The list is endless. In essence, it is a complete analogue of the modern YUSB bus, but only with a lower data transfer rate. Even the PCI device driver is installed the same way. Many of the ideas that have been implemented in this legacy bus have been further developed into more modern standards. The PCI bus has had a very large impact on the further development of computer technology.

Graphics adapters

A PCI video card was used to display the graphic image. At one time, this allowed to significantly increase the performance of computer systems and fully unleash the potential of the 80486 processors and the first Pentiums.

But time does not stand still. What then became a revolutionary decision is now outdated both morally and physically. Until 1997, these graphics accelerators had no analogues. Therefore, they could be found on every personal computer. And only with the advent of the AGP slot on the motherboard, such adapters gave way to new graphics solutions in terms of performance.

Nowadays PCI video cards are rare. It can only be found on very old personal computers. We can say that this is already an anachronism. Their performance is sufficient only for solving the most simple tasks - typing, working with word processor and viewing pictures. But with more complex applications, problems will surely arise, and in this case it is better not to launch them.

Sound card

A sound card is also a type of PCI device. What it is? The answer to this question is quite simple. Until 1997, there were no integrated audio adapters on motherboards. Therefore, just such devices were used to organize the acoustic system. On the one hand, such a board was equipped with a "classic" connector for installation in an expansion slot. Its interface panel was displayed on the back of the system unit.

Tuners

Another important type of device for this bus is the tuner. This PCI controller allows you to watch TV programs and listen to the radio. To ensure the operability of such a board, it is imperative to connect an external antenna to it. Otherwise, the quality of the received signal will be far from ideal.

In addition, a remote control was included with the tuner. This made it possible to turn the computer into a real TV. This practice did not become widespread, but still there were cases when it was impossible to do without such know-how. For example, such a decision made it possible for a busy person to keep abreast of events.

Modem

An important attribute of older computers is a modem. With its help it was possible to connect to the Internet earlier. Most of these devices were internal, that is, installed in a PCI slot. Now they have been successfully replaced from this segment by network cards. Although there are still areas where they have no alternative. One of them is the "Client-Bank" system, which is often found in accounting. With its help, the accountant can monitor the status of the company's accounts and, if necessary, make payments.

Expansion board

Often in Device Manager you will find the following device: "PCI simple communications controller". An expansion board is hidden behind this phrase. It allows you to increase the number of ports for connecting peripherals or hard drives. That is, such a device is installed in the expansion slot of the motherboard, and from the outside it is equipped with YUSB, KOM or LPT connectors. About 5 years ago, this made it possible to significantly increase the number of connected peripherals. Now the number of ports on the motherboard has grown significantly, and the need to install such controllers has simply disappeared.

Outcome

This material answered the question: "PCI devices - what are they and where are they used?"

As you can see, this is a fairly wide range of devices that allows you to turn your computer into a real entertainment center. At least, this statement was true until recently. Now the situation has changed a bit. More and more components are being integrated directly into the processor itself or onto the motherboard. Therefore, there is no need for them. You can also find other PCI bridge devices, for example, a network card that allows computers to be connected to a local area network. The only device that does not yet have a worthy alternative is a tuner for receiving TV programs and listening to the radio. But already in this segment compact YUSB analogues began to appear. In general, the PCI standard is gradually becoming a thing of the past, but it will still be present on the market for a long time.

Greetings, dear readers.

After reinstallation operating system some users (including me) have encountered a situation when it shows in the "Device Manager" that a PCI device driver for Windows 7 is required. And most often this occurs on laptops, although you can also see the problem on a PC. In some cases, you can notice certain negative moments in the operation of the device, manifested by the speed of information processing, "pauses", and sometimes "stops". In this article I will try to tell you how to cope with the disease.

It must be said right away that a PCI device has no specific purpose. This marking indicates the bus through which the component is connected. The equipment itself can have different purposes - a modem, network Card, cardreader and more. Therefore, it will not always be possible to solve the problem immediately.

Installing specific drivers( )

You can find out which driver to look for in several ways. First you need to get into "", and then into "".

In most cases, problems are found in the "" section. If you click on this item, a drop-down list will open, on the left side of which there will be a yellow exclamation mark, and then go the inscription.

So, for example, you need to find a PCI controller driver Simple Communications... This means that no specific interface was found on the computer between the host and Intel's Management Engine firmware.

Another popular issue is the presence of a bug in the Nvidia nforce PCI Management. She points to a problem with the chipset software. To solve you need to go to official site and find the appropriate software. It is important to find exactly the right collateral (must match windows versions, bit capacity and even the release of BIOS). Next, you can simply update the driver or install if it was not there. Sometimes a reboot is required.

Search by ID( )

Sometimes there are situations when you cannot immediately determine which equipment is not working. In addition, marking in " Device manager". What to do in this case?

To find the right one for Windows 7 software, you need to do several movements:

By the way, this method is also suitable for PCI Windows XP devices. It is best to search on trusted sites so as not to accidentally install a virus.