PI7C8958AFHE

Controllers Overview

The PI7C8958 is a PCI Octal UART I/O Bridge manufactured by Diodes Incorporated, housed in a 144-pin LQFP package. It integrates eight high-performance 950-class UARTs, each featuring 128-byte transmit and receive FIFOs. The device supports asynchronous baud rates up to 15 Mbps and provides flexible clock prescalers ranging from 4 to 46. It operates with dual power supplies: 3.3V or 5.0V for the PCI interface and 1.8V to 5.0V for UART I/O. The bridge ensures 32-bit PCI Bus 2.3 target signaling compliance and includes an EEPROM interface for hardware reconfiguration.

Controllers Feature Summary

• Integrates eight fully 16C550 software-compatible UART channels with 128-byte FIFOs per transmitter and receiver.
• Supports automated in-band flow control using programmable Xon/Xoff and out-of-band flow control via CTS#/RTS# and DSR#/DTR#.
• Features universal PCI bus buffering with auto-sensing capability for 3.3V or 5V operation.
• Includes an infrared (IrDA 1.0/1.1) data encoder/decoder and auto RS-485 half-duplex output with polarity selection.

Controllers Applications

• Remote Access Servers
• Multi-port RS-232/RS-422/RS-485 Cards
• Factory Automation and Process Control Systems
• Industrial PC (IPC) and Embedded Systems

Controllers Procurement Notes

Verify the specific ordering suffix against the manufacturer's official documentation to confirm package type and temperature range. Ensure compatibility with the target system's PCI bus voltage requirements and EEPROM configuration needs before procurement.

Controllers Selection Notes

Select this component when multiple serial ports are required on a single PCI bus interface. Consider the 128-byte FIFO depth for high-throughput applications and verify that the host system supports the necessary memory-mapped or I/O mapped register access modes.

Controllers Part Context

This component belongs to the PCI Octal UART family designed for high-density serial communication interfaces. It serves as a bridge between the PCI local bus and standard UART peripherals, consolidating eight independent channels into a single integrated circuit for space-constrained industrial and server applications.

Controllers Replacement Considerations

No public confirmed substitute part numbers are available in the provided documentation.

Controllers FAQ

What is the maximum baud rate supported by the PI7C8958?

The device supports asynchronous baud rates up to 15 Mbps.

How does the PI7C8958 handle flow control?

It supports automated in-band flow control using programmable Xon/Xoff characters and automated out-of-band flow control using CTS#/RTS# and/or DSR#/DTR# signals.

Can the default configuration registers be modified?

Yes, all default configuration registers can be overwritten by EEPROM data to facilitate system initialization and customization.