August 2008Q: Which PCB design considerations are most important when designing a PCI Express add-in card with an FPGA device?
A: The two Lattice FPGA families that support PCI Express implementation include the LatticeECP2M and LatticeSC/M families. PCI Express add-in card implementation on both device families has been proven using Lattice evaluation boards. In order to fully comply with PCI Express requirements, the PCI Express Card Electromechanical Specification must be followed and there are specific requirements for the SERDES analog power supply, input and output buffer supplies and termination.
The LatticeECP2M PCI Express x4 Evaluation Board (Revision B) User's Guide and LatticeSC PCI Express x4 Evaluation Board User’s Guide include schematics for the two boards. These documents are a good starting point for understanding the SERDES and FPGA fabric power supply requirements and the termination design for an add-in card.
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