ReducedPCI: PCI and I2C
I am only partially familiar with the PCI standards, most knowledge is about the software part, like how to communicate with it (mode1/2), the config space layout and the PCI BIOS specification.
Secondly I had to work a lot with I2C lately, thus getting pretty familiar with it (implemented some drivers, still software part). I can say I like the bus pretty much, however it could utilize some multi-master mode support.
While working with PCI and I2C, I noticed a good opportunity to make life easier with using I2C in PCI. I would use an EEPROM connected through I2C for storing both the config space and some configuration pins which are present in the PCI bus. This would reduce the number of pins in the bus, thus making the possibility open for reducing the size of the physical connector.
However, I am not really familiar with PCI Express, it looks like a very different kind of beast, and I am sure I2C has royalty costs, it is a bit too old aswell (like usual I2C eeproms are 256 bytes only, while even the PCI config space consumes that much).
Actually I am sure this is a yet another not invented here idea and PCI Express has a similar interface implemented. I hope this is the reality.
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