High-Efficiency PCI Express to Serial ATA 2 Port W-3132E with SiI3132 Controller

PCI Express to Serial ATA 2 Port W-3132E Overview

The PCI Express to Serial ATA 2 Port W-3132E is based on the Silicon Image SiI3132, a two-port PCI Express to Serial ATA controller designed to provide multiple Serial ATA connections while minimizing host overhead and host-to-device latency.

The SiI3132 supports a 1-lane 2.5 Gb/s PCI Express interface and a Serial ATA Generation 2 transfer rate of 3.0 Gb/s, or 300 MB/s. With two independent Serial ATA channels, the W-3132E provides a practical interface solution for systems requiring additional SATA connectivity through PCI Express.

Its architecture supports independent link, transport, data FIFO, command fetch, scatter/gather and command execution functions for the two SATA channels. These capabilities make the controller suitable for transaction-oriented designs as well as embedded and PC implementations where efficient host communication is important.

Key Technical Specifications

PCI Express Interface Features

The SiI3132 controller is designed around a single-lane 2.5 Gb/s PCI Express interface. Its internal application interface is multiplexed to two ports, allowing the controller to manage both SATA channels through a unified architecture.

All registers appear in a unified memory space and can also be accessed through I/O space. Full-chip command completion status can be accessed with a single PCI Express access, helping reduce unnecessary host interaction.

The controller is optimized for transaction-oriented designs with minimal host overhead. It supports two command issuance mechanisms, full 64-bit functionality and architecture intended to reduce dependency on bridge behavior.

Advanced Serial ATA Features

The W-3132E incorporates integrated Serial ATA link and PHY logic and supports two independent Serial ATA channels. Each channel has independent link, transport and data FIFO functionality, together with independent command fetching, scatter/gather processing and command execution.

Important Serial ATA controller functions include:

• Serial ATA Generation 2 transfer rates up to 3.0 Gb/s

• Legacy Command Queuing, or LCQ

• Native Command Queuing, or NCQ

• Non-zero offset NCQ

• Out-of-order data delivery NCQ

• FIS-based switching with Port Multipliers

• 31 commands and scatter/gather tables per port on-chip

• Protocol override on a per-command basis

• Staggered spin-up control

• Output swing control

• Integrated SATA Link and PHY logic

The controller uses a plesiochronous single-PLL architecture, with one PLL serving two ports. Hard-coded state machines are used without the need for code space or downloads.

Controller Architecture and Expansion Support

For system-level integration, the SiI3132 supports up to 4 Mbit of external Flash for BIOS expansion. It also includes a master/slave I2C interface and supports external Flash or serial EEPROM for programmable subsystem vendor ID and subsystem product ID information.

The controller is fabricated using a 0.18 µm CMOS process with a 1.8 V core and 3.3 V I/O architecture. It is specified in an 88-pin QFN package measuring 10 × 10 mm with a 0.4 mm lead pitch and supports JTAG boundary scan.

System Compatibility

The source specification lists support for the following operating systems:

Linux, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

For B2B integration projects, system builders and purchasing teams should confirm driver availability and compatibility with the exact operating system, motherboard configuration and deployment environment before ordering.

Why Consider the W-3132E for SATA Connectivity?

The PCI Express to Serial ATA 2 Port W-3132E combines a PCI Express host interface with two independent SATA channels in a controller architecture focused on efficient command handling and reduced host overhead.

Its support for SATA Generation 2, NCQ, LCQ, FIS-based switching, independent channel processing and staggered spin-up provides a comprehensive feature set for compatible PC and embedded applications requiring additional Serial ATA connectivity.

The controller is based on specifications referencing Serial ATA / High Speed Serialized AT Attachment Revision 1.0 and PCI Express Base Specification Revision 1.0a.

B2B Product Inquiry

For system integration, replacement projects, industrial sourcing or other B2B requirements involving the PCI Express to Serial ATA 2 Port W-3132E, please provide your required quantity, target operating system, host system configuration and application requirements when submitting an inquiry.

Providing these details allows compatibility requirements and current commercial availability to be evaluated more efficiently before procurement.