PCD stands for "Peripheral Component Interconnect Express" or simply "PCIe" (short for PCI Express). It refers to a high-speed serial computer expansion bus standard that allows for the connection of various peripheral devices to a computer's motherboard. PCD offers increased bandwidth and improved performance compared to its predecessor, the conventional PCI bus.
PCD is commonly used in modern computers to enable high-speed data transfer between the motherboard and peripherals, such as graphics cards, network cards, sound cards, storage devices, and other expansion cards. It operates by combining multiple parallel data lanes, providing a high-speed point-to-point serial connection between the peripheral devices and the CPU.
One notable advantage of PCD is its scalability, allowing for the expansion and upgrade of computer systems. Different versions of PCD, such as PCD 1.0, PCD 2.0, and PCD 3.0, have been developed over the years, offering increased speed and compatibility with new peripherals.
The bandwidth of PCD is expressed in terms of the number of lanes and the generation version (e.g., PCD x4 Gen 3). Each lane can transfer data at a specified speed, typically 2.5 Gigabits per second (Gbps) per lane in the earlier versions, and up to 16 Gbps per lane in the latest versions.
In summary, PCD is a high-speed bus standard that allows for the connection of peripheral devices to a computer's motherboard, providing fast and efficient data transfer capabilities.
