February, 2007
Data Book Notations and Conventions
Data Book Notations and Conventions
Notation / Convention
Description
Indicates that the text is hyperlinked to its description elsewhere in the data
book. Left-click the blue text to learn more about the hyperlinked
information. This format is often used for register names, register bit and
field names, register offsets, chapter and section titles, figures, and tables.
Blue text
When the signal name appears in all CAPS, with the primary port
description listed first, field [15:0] indicates the number of signal balls/pads
assigned to that port. The lowercase “p = positive” or “n = negative” suffix
indicates the differential pair of signal, which are always used together.
PEX_XXXp[15:0]
Unless specified otherwise, Active-Low signals are identified by a “#”
appended to the term (for example, PEX_PERST#).
# = Active-Low signals
Monospace font(program or code samples) is used to identify
code samples or programming references. These code samples are
case-sensitive, unless specified otherwise.
Program/code samples
command_done
Interrupt format.
Command/Status
Register names.
Parity Error Detected
Upper Base Address[31:16]
Register parameter [field] or control function.
Specific Function in 32-bit register bounded by bits [31:16].
k = 1,000 (103) is generally used with frequency response.
K = 1,024 (210) is used for memory size references.
KB = 1,024 bytes.
Number multipliers
M = meg.
= 1,000,000 when referring to frequency (decimal notation)
= 1,048,576 when referring to memory sizes (binary notation)
h = suffix which identifies hex values.
1Fh
Each prefix term is equivalent to a 4-bit binary value (nibble).
Legal prefix terms are 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F.
b = suffix which identifies binary notation (for example, 01b, 010b, 1010b,
and so forth). Not used with single-digit values of 0 or 1.
1010b
0 through 9
byte
Decimal numbers, or single binary numbers.
Eight bits – abbreviated to “B” (for example, 4B = 4 bytes)
Least-Significant Byte.
LSB
lsb
Least-significant bit.
MSB
msb
Most-Significant Byte.
Most-significant bit.
DWord
DWord (32 bits) is the primary register size in these devices.
Do not modify reserved bits and words. Unless specified otherwise,
these bits read as 0 and must be written as 0.
Reserved
ExpressLane PEX 8532AA/BA/BB/BC 8-Port/32-Lane Versatile PCI Express Switch Data Book
Copyright © 2007 by PLX Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved – Version 1.6
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