Edge Computing Division Users Forum

Can you verify that the FACE PCIe interface is a single 4 lane PCIe buss and not 4 one lane buses? Your documentation is unclear on this. Also is the plug a standard PCIe 4 lane outlet?

I read somewhere in the fit-PC 3 documentation that the FACE PCIe
ports can be used as four, 1 lane OR one, 4 lane width. So it's both,
depending on the FACE module. I would guess other variations would
be possible, (for example, two, 2 lane widths).

Now for the connector, no, from what I read, the fit-PC 3 FACE
connectors are not normal PCIe cards. (Not full height or half
height.) This is due to the fact that the FACE connectors also
passes through USB, SATA and other I/O in addition to the 4 PCIe
lanes.

This link indicates that the fit-PC people will be selling a FACE module
with dual mini-PCIe sockets;

http://www.fit-pc.com/web/fit-pc/face-modules/

I wish that particular FACE module had dual mSATA instead of just dual
mini-PCIe. (mSATA uses the same form factor as a full sized mini-PCIe
but adds in the option to use the slot for a mSATA device instead of a
mini-PCIe device.)

There is a 4 single lane interfaces

I wish that particular FACE module had dual mSATA instead of just dual mini-PCIe. (mSATA uses the same form factor as a full sized mini-PCIe but adds in the option to use the slot for a mSATA device instead of a mini-PCIe device.)

That is an interesting idea that we did not consider yet. Do you have a particular application in mind for such a FACE Module?

igor wrote:

Arwen wrote:I wish that particular FACE module had dual mSATA instead of just dual mini-PCIe. (mSATA uses the same form factor as a full sized mini-PCIe but adds in the option to use the slot for a mSATA device instead of a mini-PCIe device.)

That is an interesting idea that we did not consider yet. Do you have a particular application in mind for such a FACE Module?

Yes and no.

Ideally, a user could for example, have 2, 32GB mSATA modules instead of 1 more expensive 64GB module.

Or perhaps even a very large and cheaper, but slower mSATA module for media, and the OS on a smaller,
faster mSATA module.

Plus, upgrading from a smaller or lower speed mSATA device to a larger or faster mSATA device could be
done inside the fit-PC3.

With the mSATA being a newer, (and better defined), device standard, we may see some unusual implementations.

Anyway, something for you guys to consider for the 2.0 version of the dual mini PCIe FACE module.