Communication streaming architecture

What is Communication Streaming Architecture?
Communication Streaming Architecture (CSA) is a communication interface developed by Intel that connects the Memory Controller Hub (MCH) on the chipset with the network controller. The device is a customized connection that does not use the PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus on the I / O controller hub. The CSA offloads network traffic from the PCI bus and reduces bottlenecks by freeing bandwidth for other I / O processes.

The CSA was only used for the Intel chipset manufactured in 2003. It was discontinued a year later and replaced by the PCI Express.

By bypassing the PCI bus, the CSA dramatically reduces the number of bottlenecks, which can be a problem for PCI architectures. A bottleneck occurs when the transmission of data is delayed, impaired, or completely stopped. The CSA reduces bottlenecks by offloading network traffic from the PCI bus, which frees the bandwidth for further I / O operations. In addition, other devices such as USB or optical drives such as DVD-ROM connected to the I / O controller hub (ICH) can use the shared bandwidth.

The CSA had two key advantages:

Lower latency: Read / write memory processes had fewer delays because data was sent directly from the network interface to memory (RAM).

Data Crossing Reduction: The number of crossings is halved due to the direct path of the CSA, reducing additional latency in network transmission.

Because of its consistently high transfer rates, the CSA was often used with Gigabit Ethernet and was generally preferred over PCI cards. However, the PCI Express offered much higher data transfer rates, which made CSA superfluous.