Brainboxes launches new range of PCI Express cards

Brainboxes, a leader in serial and Bluetooth connectivity, today launched its new range of PCI Express serial cards.

The Brainboxes 'PX' PCI Express range will benefit from a complete suite of software included with the cards and an acclaimed lifetime customer support package - elements that have made Brainboxes the serial card supplier of choice for companies around the world. The first PCI Express cards to be launched are the PX-235 and PX-246 (low profile), available in July from Brainboxes distributors worldwide.

The PX-235 and low-profile PX-246 cards both offer a single velocity RS232 port (a 9-pin DB9 connector) to add reliable and high-speed connectivity via any standard PCI Express slot (x1, x2, x4, x8 or x16 lane slots). True megabaud line drivers carry information at 921,600 baud, and 128 byte FIFOs with a user definable trigger level ensure the highest levels of data integrity, reducing the likelihood of dropped packets.

Brainboxes PX cards are all compliant with PCI Express version 1.0a and supplied software includes sample programs and test and terminal software, complete with source code. PX cards incorporate signed drivers for Microsoft Windows 2000, and XP and Server 2003 in x32 bit x64 bit editions.

PCI Express, first introduced by Intel on motherboard in summer 2004, is a 2-way, serial I/O technology that is capable of a 2.5Gb/s data rate in each direction per lane designed to deliver significantly more data than is possible using the long established PCI standard. Initially used in x16 implementations to deliver the massive amount of data required for state-of-the-art graphics performance PCI Express slots are now also being used for general purpose I/O connectivity.

In the last year, of the 200 million personal computers sold worldwide, 30 million incorporated PCIe slots - an indication of the growing requirement for PCI Express cards in the marketplace. Current trends show that PCIe slots will have replaced PCI by late 2009.

Currently PC's will have a mix of both PCIe and PCI slots inside. Brainboxes is early to market with PCIe serial cards so that customers can change over seamlessly with superior quality and reliability as standard and the added advantage of Brainboxes lifetime product and support warranty.

Eamonn Walsh, Chairman and Technical Director of Brainboxes commented, "We are seeing more and more companies incorporating PCI Express slots into PC and server designs." Walsh continued, "Brainboxes' new range of PX serial cards offer reliable and high-speed serial communications, our support and software reassure our customers that reliability or compatibility are never issues they need to worry about".