Connecting external PCI via Thunderbolt 3
Connecting external PCI via Thunderbolt 3
Hi everyone, I thought this might be a straightforward question, but I couldn't find any trustworthy details about it. I came up with an unusual idea: building an external chassis that includes a PCI slot. It’s not a typo—this refers to the classic PCI or PCI-X standard, not the newer PCIe. Even though it may seem outdated now, let's treat this as a completely theoretical scenario. My thought is that if you could design an external PCI Express chassis and connect it via a Thunderbolt port to your laptop or PC, would that have been feasible with older PCI technology? I’ve read somewhere that PCI and PCIe aren’t compatible not just because of physical differences in the slots, but also due to distinct protocols and complex systems I’m not familiar with. So, putting together an actual PCI/PCI-X external case with a Thunderbolt connection might be extremely challenging. I did some research and found an adapter here: https://www.startech.com/en-us/cards-adapters/pex1pci1. Would someone with experience in older hardware confirm if this could actually work? I’m just imagining it now—what do you think? Thanks!
Why? I haven’t handled a PCI card in likely five years, and I’m confident most PCI cards (without PCIe versions) haven’t received updates for current operating systems. Do you have any background in product development? PCB design is no small task, particularly with high-speed parallel signaling. With sufficient R&D, anything seems achievable. Of course, the conversion silicon is available in some form for the Startech adapter. The issue lies (as mentioned earlier) that there isn’t a large enough market or demand for it. Standard PCIe Thunderbolt enclosures are hardly common now; identifying those who strictly prefer PCI cards is nearly nonexistent.