New I/O Standard Bids To Replace Mini PCI Express

DeviceGuru writes "LinuxDevices reports that a group of companies today unveiled — and demonstrated products based on — a tiny new PCI Express expansion standard. Although it's somewhat larger than the PCI Express Mini Card, the tiny new 43mm x 65mm FeaturePak card's high density 230-pin edgecard connector provides twice the number of PCI Express and USB 2.0 channels to the host computer, plus 100 lines dedicated to general purpose I/O, of which 34 signal pairs are implemented with enhanced isolation for use in applications such as gigabit Ethernet or high-precision analog I/O. While FeaturePaks will certainly be used in all sorts of embedded devices (medical instruments, test equipment, etc.), the tiny cards could also be used for developing configurable consumer devices, for example to add an embedded firewall/router or security processor to laptop or notebook computers, or for modular functionality in TV set-top-boxes and Internet edge devices." The president of Diamond Systems, which invented the new card, said "Following the FeaturePak initiative's initial launch, we intend to turn the FeaturePak specification, trademark, and logo over to a suitable standards organization so it can become an industry-wide, open-architecture, embedded standard" (but to use the logo you have to join the organization).

FeatureCpak

[shivamib]

<quote>FeaturePak specification, trademark, and logo over to a suitable standards organization so it can become an industry-wide, open-architecture, embedded standard" <b>(but to use the logo you have to join the organization).</b></quote>

Specifically, the terms and conditions you are asked to agree to in the MOU are:

      1. Recipient acknowledges Diamond Systems Corporation as present owner of the FeaturePak trademark and logo.
      2. Recipient may only associate the FeaturePak logo with products that conform to the FeaturePak specification.
      3. Recipient may only use the FeaturePak logo in accordance with the logo use guidelines.
      4. Recipient may not use a name, trademark, or logo similar to FeaturePak's name, trademark, or logo for any substantially similar purpose.
      5. *Resistance is futile*

Re:Good luck with that

[Gouru]

I think EISA is here to stay just because of its use in the desktop market. It is fast becoming the only standard for desktop components (there are now motherboards with no ISA). Ok, well the benefit of having a compact standard the same as the desktop standard is obvious. All the chips work the same, you don't need a new chip design or a bridge chip for the different standards. You just put the stuff in a different package and go.

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Insert pre-emptive Hitler comment here.