PCI Express Mini Card

PCI Express Mini Card (also known as Mini PCI Express) is a replacement for the Mini PCI form factor based on PCI Express. It is developed by the PCI-SIG. The host device supports both PCI Express and USB 2.0 connectivity, and each card uses whichever the designer feels most appropriate to the task.

Form factors

PCI Express Mini Cards are 30 x 56 mm. There is a 52 pin edge connector, consisting of two staggered rows on a 0.8mm pitch.Each row has 8 contacts, a gap equivalent to 4 contacts, then a further 18 contacts. A half-length card is also specified 30 x 31.9 mm. Cards have a thickness of 1.0mm (excluding components).

Electrical Interface

PCI Express Mini Card edge connector provide multiple connections and buses:
* PCI Express with 1 lane
* USB 2.0
* SMBus
* Diagnostics LEDs for wireless network (i.e. WiFi) status
* Subscriber Identity Module card for GSM and WCDMA applications
* Future extension for another PCIe lane
* 1.5 and 3.3 Volt power

Availability

Most newer laptop computers (after 2005) are based on PCI Express and can have more than three slots for Mini Cards

External links

* [http://www.pcisig.com/ PCI-SIG, the industry organization that maintains and develops the various PCI standards]
* [http://www.pcisig.com/specifications/pciexpress/ PCI Express Specifications and White Papers]