[asterisk-users] Question about PCI Slots for DIGIUMs Boards

[Al Baker]

Thank you for all your time om your most detailed response.
It is extremely helpful.

The vendor's web page is 
http://www.penguincomputing.com/index.php?option=com_content&id=170&Itemid=209&task=view&sysid=10007609


*PCI EXPANSION SLOTS*
    Number of Slots 	5
    Slot Speed 	PCI Express: two x8 slots, two x8 low profile slots; 
PCI-X: 64-bit/100MHz


or if that doesn't display

> *PCI EXPANSION SLOTS*
>     Number of Slots 	5
>     Slot Speed 	PCI Express: two x8 slots, two x8 low profile slots; 
> PCI-X: 64-bit/100MHz
>

or
PCI EXPANSION SLOTS
    Number of Slots     5
    Slot Speed     PCI Express: two x8 slots, two x8 low profile slots; 
PCI-X: 64-bit/100MHz




Nick Seraphin wrote:
> On Sat, 29 Mar 2008, Al Baker wrote:
>
>   
>> Detailed specs for the "types" of PCI slots on the system were posted 
>> each and every time I posted int the line
>>     
>
> Actually, your description wasn't 100% clear at all.
>
>   
>> _PCI Express_*: _two x8 slots*_, _two x8 low profile slots*_; *_PCI-X: 
>> 64-bit/100MHz_* "
>>     
>
> 1)  This description seems to IMPLY that there are 5 slots total.  Do you
> know if this is in fact correct?  It implies there are 2 PCI-E x8 slots, 2
> PCI-E x8 low profile slots, and 1 PCI-X slot.  I wouldn't rely on that
> however without talking to the vendor.
>
> 2) The first "PCI Express:" heading would normally imply that the slots
> listed afterwards are ALL PCI Express slots, however PCI-X is not PCI
> Express, so the vendor's description is confusing and misleading.
>
> 3) All these damn *'s you keep inserting, are those all done by you, or
> are some of them from the web page description?  Most of the time when
> something has a * by it that means it's conditional on a footnote that
> appears at the bottom of the section or page.  Are there footnotes we need
> to know about to clarify this?
>
> 4) Is this a rackmount server or a tower case?  If rackmount, is it a 1u
> server or a 2u server or a 4u server?  Just because the motherboard has 5
> slots doesn't mean the case it is installed in will support 5 cards.  A 1u
> case rarely supports more than 1 or 2 cards, and always requires a riser
> card.  A 2u server rarely supports more than 2 cards unless they are
> low-profile.  A 4u server might allow 5 cards, IF the case is designed
> with 5 slot openings in the back.
>
> 5) Are all the card slots open and available to you at time of shipping?
> Many options a customer orders with a server, such as a RAID controller or
> additional network ports will fill one or more of the available slots.
> You need to be sure all the slots you need are available to you when you
> get the server.
>
> As for types of cards.  As others have already said, PCI-X is not
> PCI-Express and they are not interchangeable.
>
> A PCI-Express card slot can accomodate any PCI-Express card with the same
> number of lanes or less.  So an x8 slot (8 lanes) will support an x1, x2,
> x4, or x8 card, but not an x16 card.  I believe the Digium PCI Express
> cards are only x1 (one lane) so they should fit in any PCI Express slot,
> but you should check with Digium's web site to be 100% sure the card you
> are buying is a x1 card.
>
> Unless you specifically buy a low-pofile card, a normal PCI or PCI Express
> Card will NOT fit in a low-profile slot.  So assuming Digium's cards are
> full height, you only have 3 possible options.  The 2 PCI Express full
> height slots, and the 1 PCI-X slot, assuming all those slots are open and
> will be available with the case you're using.
>
> I would NOT base my purchasing decision on that vague description given by
> the vendor that you have listed in your messages.  I would contact the
> vendor and clarify the total number of slots, types of slots, whether they
> are open or not, and whether the case will support them all.
>
> Many vendors will use a motherboard with 3-5 slots on the board, in a 1u
> rackmount case that only supports 1 physical card.
>
> One final word of warning...  don't try to stick too many cards in one box
> without double checking with someone who can tell you if it will handle
> that capacity or not.  There were a lot of problems with early Digium
> 4-port T1 cards where you couldn't use more than 1 or 2 cards at a time
> because of the interrupts.  The newer cards, especially PCI Express, may
> not have that problem anymore... but I would double check before
> proceeding with more than 2 cards in one box.
>
> Can anyone out there clarify (for me as well) whether you can put, say, 4
> or 5 4-port T1 cards in a single box now and have it work ok?  Assuming
> enough RAM and a fast enough CPU of course.
>
> -- Nick
>
>
>
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