Intel Communication Streaming Architecture
Encyclopedia
Intel's Communication Streaming Architecture (CSA) was a mechanism used in the Intel Hub Architecture
to increase the bandwidth available between a network card and the CPU. It consists of connecting directly the network controller to the Memory Controller Hub (northbridge
), instead of to the I/O Controller Hub
(southbridge) through the PCI bus, which was the common practice until that point.
The technology was only used in Intel chipsets released in 2003, and was largely seen as a stop-gap measure to allow Gigabit Ethernet
chips to run at full-speed until the arrival of a faster expansion bus (it was also used to connect the Wireless networking chips in Intel's Centrino
mobile platform). To Intel's credit though, CSA-connected Ethernet chips did show consistently higher transfer rates than comparable PCI cards.
The following year, PCI Express
replaced CSA as the method of connecting network chips in Intel's chipsets, and the technology was subsequently discontinued.
Intel Hub Architecture
Intel Hub Architecture is Intel's architecture for the 8xx family of chipsets, starting with the Intel 810. It uses a memory controller hub that is connected to an I/O Controller Hub via a 266 MB/s bus. This connection is sometimes called Direct Media Interface...
to increase the bandwidth available between a network card and the CPU. It consists of connecting directly the network controller to the Memory Controller Hub (northbridge
Northbridge (computing)
The northbridge has historically been one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a PC motherboard, the other being the southbridge. Increasingly these functions have migrated to the CPU chip itself, beginning with memory and graphics controllers. For Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion...
), instead of to the I/O Controller Hub
I/O Controller Hub
I/O Controller Hub , also known as Intel 82801, is an Intel southbridge on motherboards with Intel chipsets . As with any other southbridge, the ICH is used to connect and control peripheral devices.- ICH :...
(southbridge) through the PCI bus, which was the common practice until that point.
The technology was only used in Intel chipsets released in 2003, and was largely seen as a stop-gap measure to allow Gigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet
Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...
chips to run at full-speed until the arrival of a faster expansion bus (it was also used to connect the Wireless networking chips in Intel's Centrino
Centrino
The Centrino brand represents Intel Wi-Fi and WiMAX adapters. It was formerly a platform-marketing initiative from Intel until January 7, 2010....
mobile platform). To Intel's credit though, CSA-connected Ethernet chips did show consistently higher transfer rates than comparable PCI cards.
The following year, PCI Express
PCI Express
PCI Express , officially abbreviated as PCIe, is a computer expansion card standard designed to replace the older PCI, PCI-X, and AGP bus standards...
replaced CSA as the method of connecting network chips in Intel's chipsets, and the technology was subsequently discontinued.