Peripheral Component Interchange (PCI) is a technology that connects peripheral devices, such as keyboards and mice, to computers. It was developed in the early 1990s by Intel Corporation and has since become one of the most widely used computer interface standards. PCI allows faster data transfer speeds than other commonly used interfaces like USB or FireWire, making it an ideal choice for connecting high-performance peripherals such as graphics cards or sound cards.
The PCI standard defines physical specifications—such as size and shape—and electrical characteristics—including signal levels and timing parameters required for communication between two devices on a bus. It also specifies how different buses can be connected using bridges to create larger systems with more slots available for expansion cards. This makes it possible to build robust multi-processor systems with multiple video cards or hard drives installed simultaneously without sacrificing performance due to bottlenecks caused by slow data transfer rates across different buses within the system architecture.
PCI is not limited solely to desktop PCs; many laptops now feature at least one internal slot that supports this type of connection. Users can add additional hardware components if desired (e.g., Wi-Fi adapter). The use cases are endless, from gaming rigs equipped with multiple GPUs capable of running modern games at ultra settings down to home theatre PCs explicitly designed to playback media content in 4K resolution – you name it!
In conclusion, Peripheral Component Interchange technology has proven itself over time again & again – providing users everywhere with reliable connectivity solutions while maintaining maximum throughput capabilities regardless of what kind of device they’re trying to connect up to. So next time you need extra power out your machine but don’t want to sacrifice speed, then remember, look no further than good old trusty PCI!