PCI System Architecture

When I opened this book, I had maintained a few PCI drivers, and done off and on hacking at PCI support code, but I didn't fully understand the semantics of PCI. Within a few dozen pages, I had attained infinitely more clue on PCI, and having not even _finished_ the book yet, I can confidently say it's a great great text on PCI, and makes sense of what usually looks like a house of cards with spaghetti strewn over it in code form.

Step by step, this book guides you over all the aspects of the PCI bus: Architecture, transactions, arbitration, PCI commands, interrupts, configuration, etc. The book refers to both 33 and 66 MHz PCI.The book language is clear, the diagrams are good and the division by subjects is well done.At the beginning of every chapter, you can see a summary of the contents of the chapter, as well as a short sentence about the previous and next chapters.NOTE: I am a hardware designer, and I think that hardware issues were well covered in the book. As I have seen from previous reviews, software designers think that there is not enough information in the book for them. Also, as already noted by other reviewers, mechanical aspects are not covered by the book.

If you're looking for an extensive guide to the hardware workings of PCI, this is THE book. I read it, then bought the PCI spec (because I needed mechanical info). After looking through the spec, I realize that PCI System Architecture covers every aspect of conceptual, and almost all detail, information that is in the spec. As far as specs go, the PCI spec is very readable, but this book turns the PCI spec into a "for dummies" book in the sense that it's so easy to follow. Numerous and overlapping examples make it clear what's going on, and by the time you're done reading, you can do this stuff in your sleep. Only things absent were: (1) Mechanical info (though for $50, you really should buy the spec), (2) How to initiate transactions (in software) from an x86 PC, particularly burst transfers.

It is an Excellent Book on PCI, This was the first time I have ever read a BUS Spec. and coming out of college with little experience of the advance system level architecture, this book served a great deal in understanding the PCI from "Concepts to Implementation". Author has been very open on his understanding of the Specification, even on topics/details which are not so clear in the Actual PCI Specification. Its good to have a copy of the PCI Specification as well while reading the book.

This book describes the PCI architecture plain and simply. It completely explains the PCI bus in such a way that I understood it all immediately and I still remember most of the important information and details a year after reading it.