Mobile Menu

Benefits

  • Continued Support – PCI fully supported alongside modern interconnects.
  • Backward Compatibility – Ensures mixed PCI/PCIe/CXL designs work seamlessly.
  • Faster Development – Debug arbitration and latency before hardware.
  • Flexible Customization – Configure arbitration, FIFO sizes, and burst modes.
  • Improved Utilization – Optimize data transfer between CPU and peripherals.

The PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Bus block in VisualSim models the widely used standard for connecting processors, memory, and peripherals. While PCI is an older protocol, it continues to be relevant in many industrial, embedded, and legacy-compatible systems.

VisualSim ensures full support for PCI bus simulation with features like split-and-retry transactions, configurable arbitration modes, and FIFO buffering, allowing engineers to analyze data flow, contention, and performance bottlenecks before implementation.

By continuing to support PCI alongside newer standards (PCIe, CXL), VisualSim allows engineers to design
mixed-generation systems, ensuring backward compatibility while evaluating performance under modern workloads.

Overview

Supported Standards

Key Parameters

  • Bus_Speed_MHz – PCI bus frequency.
  • Bus_Width_Bytes – Data width.
  • Burst_Size_Bytes – Transaction burst size.
  • FIFO_Buffers_Size – Queue depth for buffering.
  • Sim_Time – Simulation run duration.
  • Mode_Arbiter – Arbitration mode (FCFS, Round-Robin, custom).

Parameter Snapshots

  • Parameter

Simulation Results

  • Latency Reports – Evaluate request/response timing.
  • Throughput Studies – Measure bandwidth under load.
  • FIFO Utilization – Buffer occupancy and overflow prevention.
  • Arbitration Comparisons – Analyze fairness and performance.
  • Stats

Application

  • Legacy System Integration – PCI remains in avionics, defense, and industrial systems.
  • Embedded Platforms – Many MCUs and SoCs maintain PCI for compatibility.
  • Industrial PCs – Widely used in manufacturing and automation.
  • Prototyping & Testing – Simulate PCI systems before hardware prototyping.
  • Hybrid Designs – Co-exist with PCIe and CXL interconnects in modern platforms.

Integrations

  • Works with processors, memory controllers, and peripheral device models.
  • Interfaces with NoC, PCIe, and CXL blocks for hybrid architectures.
  • Connects to system-level buses for holistic SoC simulation.

View Demo

Schedule a consultation with our experts

    Subscribe