Industrial motherboards are designed for use in harsh environments and are typically more robust and feature-rich than consumer-grade motherboards. One key consideration when selecting an industrial motherboard is the type of expansion slot available for adding peripheral components. There are two main types of expansion slots available: PCI and PCIe.
PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) slots were the standard for expansion slots on motherboards in the 1990s and early 2000s. They have a 32-bit data bus and a maximum data transfer rate of 133 MB/s. PCI slots are still available on some industrial motherboards, but they are becoming less common as PCIe becomes more prevalent.
PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect Express) slots are the newer standard for expansion slots on modern motherboards. They offer much higher data transfer rates than PCI, achieved through the use of serial data transmission instead of parallel transmission used in PCI. PCIe slots are available in several different configurations, including x1, x4, x8, and x16, with x16 being the fastest.
One of the primary advantages of PCIe over PCI is its much higher data transfer rate. A PCIe x1 slot can transfer data at up to 250 MB/s, while a PCIe x16 slot can transfer data at up to 16 GB/s. This makes PCIe ideal for high-speed components such as graphics cards and solid-state drives (SSDs).
Another advantage of PCIe is its flexibility. Unlike PCI, which is limited to a 32-bit data bus, PCIe can be configured with up to 32 lanes, allowing for much higher bandwidth and the ability to support multiple devices simultaneously.
When selecting an industrial motherboard, it is important to consider the types of components you will be using and choose a motherboard with the appropriate expansion slots to support them. For example, if you will be using high-speed graphics cards or SSDs, a motherboard with PCIe slots may be the best choice. On the other hand, if you will be using older or less demanding components, a motherboard with PCI slots may be adequate.
While both PCI and PCIe expansion slots are available on industrial motherboards, PCIe is the newer and more versatile standard that offers higher data transfer rates and greater flexibility. Choosing the right expansion slots for your industrial motherboard can help ensure that your system is able to handle the demands of your applications and provide reliable performance in harsh environments.
