PCI Express
®
Base Specification
Revision 3.0
November 10, 2010
2
Revision Revision History DATE
1.0 Initial release. 07/22/2002
1.0a Incorporated Errata C1-C66 and E1-E4.17. 04/15/2003
1.1 Incorporated approved Errata and ECNs. 03/28/2005
2.0 Added 5.0 GT/s data rate and incorporated approved Errata and ECNs. 12/20/2006
2.1 Incorporated Errata for the PCI Express Base Specification, Rev. 2.0
(February 27, 2009), and added the following ECNs:
• Internal Error Reporting ECN (April 24, 2008)
• Multicast ECN (December 14, 2007, approved by PWG May 8, 2008)
• Atomic Operations ECN (January 15, 2008, approved by PWG April 17, 2008)
• Resizable BAR Capability ECN (January 22, 2008, updated and approved by
PWG April 24, 2008)
• Dynamic Power Allocation ECN (May 24, 2008)
• ID-Based Ordering ECN (January 16, 2008, updated 29 May 2008)
• Latency Tolerance Reporting ECN (22 January 2008, updated 14 August 2008)
• Alternative Routing-ID Interpretation (ARI) ECN (August 7, 2006, last updated
June 4, 2007)
• Extended Tag Enable Default ECN (September 5, 2008)
• TLP Processing Hints ECN (September 11, 2008)
• TLP Prefix ECN (December 15, 2008)
03/04/2009
3.0 Added 8.0 GT/s data rate, latest approved Errata, and the following ECNs:
• Optimized Buffer Flush/Fill ECN (8 February 2008, updated 30 April 2009)
• ASPM Optionality ECN (June 19, 2009, approved by the PWG August 20, 2009)
• Incorporated End-End TLP Changes for RCs ECN (26 May 2010) and Protocol
Multiplexing ECN (17 June 2010)
11/10/2010
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®
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update the information contained herein.
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DISCLAIMER
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proposal, specification, or sample. PCI-SIG disclaims all liability for infringement of proprietary rights, relating to
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Copyright © 2002-2010 PCI-SIG
PCI EXPRESS BASE SPECIFICATION, REV. 3.0
3
Contents
OBJECTIVE OF THE SPECIFICATION.................................................................................... 27
DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION ................................................................................................ 27
DOCUMENTATION CONVENTIONS...................................................................................... 28
TERMS AND ACRONYMS........................................................................................................ 29
REFERENCE DOCUMENTS...................................................................................................... 36
1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 37
1.1. A THIRD GENERATION I/O INTERCONNECT ................................................................... 37
1.2. PCI EXPRESS LINK......................................................................................................... 39
1.3. PCI EXPRESS FABRIC TOPOLOGY .................................................................................. 41
1.3.1. Root Complex........................................................................................................ 41
1.3.2. Endpoints .............................................................................................................. 42
1.3.3. Switch.................................................................................................................... 45
1.3.4. Root Complex Event Collector.............................................................................. 46
1.3.5. PCI Express to PCI/PCI-X Bridge........................................................................ 46
1.4. PCI EXPRESS FABRIC TOPOLOGY CONFIGURATION....................................................... 46
1.5. PCI EXPRESS LAYERING OVERVIEW.............................................................................. 47
1.5.1. Transaction Layer................................................................................................. 48
1.5.2. Data Link Layer.................................................................................................... 48
1.5.3. Physical Layer ...................................................................................................... 49
1.5.4. Layer Functions and Services............................................................................... 49
2. TRANSACTION LAYER SPECIFICATION ..................................................................... 53
2.1. T
RANSACTION LAYER OVERVIEW.................................................................................. 53
2.1.1. Address Spaces, Transaction Types, and Usage................................................... 54
2.1.2. Packet Format Overview ...................................................................................... 56
2.2. TRANSACTION LAYER PROTOCOL - PACKET DEFINITION............................................... 58
2.2.1. Common Packet Header Fields ............................................................................ 58
2.2.2. TLPs with Data Payloads - Rules......................................................................... 61
2.2.3. TLP Digest Rules .................................................................................................. 65
2.2.4. Routing and Addressing Rules.............................................................................. 65
2.2.5. First/Last DW Byte Enables Rules........................................................................ 69
2.2.6. Transaction Descriptor......................................................................................... 71
2.2.7. Memory, I/O, and Configuration Request Rules................................................... 77
2.2.8. Message Request Rules......................................................................................... 83
2.2.9. Completion Rules.................................................................................................. 97
2.2.10. TLP Prefix Rules................................................................................................. 100
2.3. H
ANDLING OF RECEIVED TLPS.................................................................................... 104
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2.3.1. Request Handling Rules...................................................................................... 107
2.3.2. Completion Handling Rules................................................................................ 120
2.4. TRANSACTION ORDERING............................................................................................ 122
2.4.1. Transaction Ordering Rules ............................................................................... 122
2.4.2. Update Ordering and Granularity Observed by a Read Transaction................ 126
2.4.3. Update Ordering and Granularity Provided by a Write Transaction................ 127
2.5. VIRTUAL CHANNEL (VC) MECHANISM........................................................................ 128
2.5.1. Virtual Channel Identification (VC ID).............................................................. 130
2.5.2. TC to VC Mapping.............................................................................................. 131
2.5.3. VC and TC Rules................................................................................................. 132
2.6. ORDERING AND RECEIVE BUFFER FLOW CONTROL ..................................................... 133
2.6.1. Flow Control Rules............................................................................................. 134
2.7. DATA INTEGRITY ......................................................................................................... 145
2.7.1. ECRC Rules ........................................................................................................ 145
2.7.2. Error Forwarding............................................................................................... 149
2.8. COMPLETION TIMEOUT MECHANISM ........................................................................... 151
2.9. LINK STATUS DEPENDENCIES ...................................................................................... 151
2.9.1. Transaction Layer Behavior in DL_Down Status............................................... 151
2.9.2. Transaction Layer Behavior in DL_Up Status ................................................... 153
3. DATA LINK LAYER SPECIFICATION.......................................................................... 155
3.1. DATA LINK LAYER OVERVIEW .................................................................................... 155
3.2. DATA LINK CONTROL AND MANAGEMENT STATE MACHINE ...................................... 157
3.2.1. Data Link Control and Management State Machine Rules ................................ 158
3.3. FLOW CONTROL INITIALIZATION PROTOCOL ............................................................... 160
3.3.1. Flow Control Initialization State Machine Rules ............................................... 160
3.4. DATA LINK LAYER PACKETS (DLLPS)........................................................................ 164
3.4.1. Data Link Layer Packet Rules ............................................................................ 164
3.5. DATA INTEGRITY ......................................................................................................... 169
3.5.1. Introduction......................................................................................................... 169
3.5.2. LCRC, Sequence Number, and Retry Management (TLP Transmitter).............. 169
3.5.3. LCRC and Sequence Number (TLP Receiver).................................................... 182
4. PHYSICAL LAYER SPECIFICATION............................................................................ 191
4.1. I
NTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 191
4.2. LOGICAL SUB-BLOCK................................................................................................... 191
4.2.1. Encoding for 2.5 GT/s and 5.0 GT/s Data Rates................................................ 192
4.2.2. Encoding for 8.0 GT/s and Higher Data Rates................................................... 200
4.2.3. Link Equalization Procedure for 8.0 GT/s Data Rate ........................................ 218
4.2.4. Link Initialization and Training.......................................................................... 226
4.2.5. Link Training and Status State Machine (LTSSM) Descriptions........................ 244
4.2.6. Link Training and Status State Rules.................................................................. 247
4.2.7. Clock Tolerance Compensation.......................................................................... 314
4.2.8. Compliance Pattern in 8b/10b Encoding............................................................ 317
4.2.9. Modified Compliance Pattern in 8b/10b Encoding ............................................ 318
4.2.10. Compliance Pattern in 128b/130b Encoding...................................................... 320
4.2.11. Modified Compliance Pattern in 128b/130b Encoding ...................................... 322
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4.3. ELECTRICAL SUB-BLOCK ............................................................................................. 323
4.3.1. Electrical Specification Organization................................................................. 323
4.3.2. Interoperability Criteria for 2.5, 5.0, and 8.0 GT/s Devices .............................. 323
4.3.3. Transmitter Specification.................................................................................... 325
4.3.4. Receiver Specifications....................................................................................... 359
4.3.5. Low Frequency and Miscellaneous Signaling Requirements............................. 382
4.3.6. Channel Specification......................................................................................... 387
4.3.7. Refclk Specifications........................................................................................... 400
4.3.8. Refclk Specifications for 8.0 GT/s....................................................................... 408
5. POWER MANAGEMENT................................................................................................. 413
5.1. OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................... 413
5.1.1. Statement of Requirements.................................................................................. 414
5.2. LINK STATE POWER MANAGEMENT............................................................................. 414
5.3. PCI-PM
SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE MECHANISMS......................................................... 419
5.3.1. Device Power Management States (D-States) of a Function.............................. 419
5.3.2. PM Software Control of the Link Power Management State.............................. 424
5.3.3. Power Management Event Mechanisms............................................................. 429
5.4. N
ATIVE PCI EXPRESS POWER MANAGEMENT MECHANISMS....................................... 436
5.4.1. Active State Power Management (ASPM) .......................................................... 436
5.5. AUXILIARY POWER SUPPORT....................................................................................... 455
5.5.1. Auxiliary Power Enabling................................................................................... 455
5.6. POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM MESSAGES AND DLLPS............................................. 456
6. SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE ............................................................................................. 459
6.1. INTERRUPT AND PME SUPPORT ................................................................................... 459
6.1.1. Rationale for PCI Express Interrupt Model........................................................ 459
6.1.2. PCI Compatible INTx Emulation........................................................................ 460
6.1.3. INTx Emulation Software Model ........................................................................ 460
6.1.4. Message Signaled Interrupt (MSI/MSI-X) Support............................................. 460
6.1.5. PME Support....................................................................................................... 462
6.1.6. Native PME Software Model .............................................................................. 462
6.1.7. Legacy PME Software Model ............................................................................. 463
6.1.8. Operating System Power Management Notification........................................... 463
6.1.9. PME Routing Between PCI Express and PCI Hierarchies ................................ 463
6.2. E
RROR SIGNALING AND LOGGING................................................................................ 464
6.2.1. Scope................................................................................................................... 464
6.2.2. Error Classification............................................................................................ 464
6.2.3. Error Signaling................................................................................................... 466
6.2.4. Error Logging..................................................................................................... 474
6.2.5. Sequence of Device Error Signaling and Logging Operations .......................... 478
6.2.6. Error Message Controls ..................................................................................... 480
6.2.7. Error Listing and Rules ...................................................................................... 481
6.2.8. Virtual PCI Bridge Error Handling.................................................................... 486
6.2.9. Internal Errors.................................................................................................... 488
6.3. VIRTUAL CHANNEL SUPPORT ...................................................................................... 489
6.3.1. Introduction and Scope....................................................................................... 489
