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PEX 8516

16 Lane, 4 Port PCI Express Switch, 27 x 27mm PBGA
The ExpressLane™ PEX 8516 is NOT RECOMMENDED FOR NEW DESIGNS. PLEASE USE THE PEX 8518.
The ExpressLane™ PEX 8516 device offers 16 PCI Express lanes, capable of configuring to 4 flexible ports. The switch conforms to the PCI Express Base Specification, rev 1.0a. The 16-lane switch enables users to add scalable, high bandwidth I/Os to a wide variety of applications including servers, communications, storage, blade servers, and embedded systems. The device is hardware configurable and software programmable, allowing users to tailor their port configurations and QoS operating characteristics to suit their application requirements. The PEX 8516 is offered in a 27 x 27mm 312-ball PBGA. The device is available in leaded and lead-free packaging.
Page Index
Related Gen 1 Devices
Related Gen 2 Devices
Supporting Documentation
- PCIe Technical Info & White Papers
- General PLX Product Documentation
- Support Documentation (Quality, FAQs, RoHS...)
Hot Applications
Usage Models
Suitable for host-centric as well as Intelligent I/O applications

THE PEX 8516 IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR NEW DESIGNS. PLEASE USE THE PEX 8518.
PEX 8516 Technical Documentation
| Document/Resources | Everyone Access | Requires Membership | Requires NDA | Description | Version | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product Brief | Download | Product Overview | 1.5 | 01/07 | ||
| Part Numbers Listing | View HTML | Part Number, Listing and Compliance | -- | 09/06 | ||
| Data Book | Download | Detailed Technical Specifications | 1.5 | 07/07 | ||
| Migration Notes | Download | PEX 8516 to Silicon Revision Migration Document | 1.1 | 07/06 | ||
| Design Notes | Download | Schematic Design Checklist | 1.2 | 11/06 | ||
| Download | EEPROM Design Note | 1.3 | 07/07 | |||
| Download | PEX 8516 and 8114 Power Sequencing Design Note | 1.0 | 01/06 | |||
| Download | Performance Optimization Design Note | 1.0 | 01/06 | |||
| Download | Quick Start Design Note | 1.1 | 09/05 | |||
| Errata | Download | Silicon Errata List | 2.4 | 12/07 | ||
| Interoperability | Download | Interoperability Report | 1.0 | 07/06 | ||
| Download | PLX Switches/Bridges RDK Interoperability | 1.0 | 02/06 |
PEX 8516 Development Tools
| Document/Resources | Everyone Access | Requires Membership | Requires NDA | Description | Version | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid Development Kit (RDK) | Download | RDK Product Overview | 1.0 | 04/05 | ||
| Download | RDK Hardware Reference Manual | 1.0 | 06/05 | |||
| Software Development Kit (SDK) | View HTML | Software Development Kit | -- | -- | ||
| RDK EEPROM | Download | EEPROM Images - Transparent Mode | 4.0 | 01/07 | ||
| Download | EEPROM Images - Non-Transparent Mode | 4.0 | 01/07 | |||
| BSDL | Download | Boundary Scan Description Language (BSDL) files | 3.0 | 06/07 | ||
| Download | Boundary Scan Description Language (BSDL) files | 2.0 | 06/07 | |||
| Download | Boundary Scan Description Language (BSDL) files | 2.0 | 06/07 | |||
| HSPICE Model | Download | HSPICE Model | 1.0 | 02/06 | ||
| OrCAD | Download | OrCAD library files | 1.0 | 05/07 |
PEX 8516 Applications
| Application | Description | Document | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Storage | SAN | Fibre Channel SAN Host Bus Adapters - Enables Quad Fibre Channel HBA | ExpressApps#4 (PDF) |
| Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter (HBA) - Increase FC Port Density & Speed | ExpressApps#30 (PDF) |
||
| Communications | Router / Switch | Intelligent Quad Gigabit Ethernet Adapters - Highly Selectable Non-Transparent Port | ExpressApps#8 (PDF) |
| Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) - Expands PCIe Ports and End Points | ExpressApps#25 (PDF) |
||
| PC Peripheral & Consumer Electronics | Graphics / Video | Multi Monitor Systems - Increased Fan-out & Bandwidth | ExpressApps#36 (PDF) |