PCI Express™  
Mini Card Electromechanical 
Specification  
Revision 1.1  
 
 
March 28, 2005 
 
PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ELECTROMECHANICAL SPECIFICATION, REV 1.1 
 
Revision 
1.0 
1.1 
Revision History 
Initial release. 
Incorporated approved Errata and ECNs. 
Date 
6/02/03 
3/28/05 
 
PCI-SIG disclaims all warranties and liability for the use of this document and the information 
contained herein and assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document, nor 
does the PCI-SIG make a commitment to update the information contained herein. 
Contact the PCI-SIG office to obtain the latest revision of the specification. 
Questions regarding this specification or membership in PCI-SIG may be forwarded to: 
 
Membership Services 
www.pcisig.com 
E-mail:  
Phone:  
Fax: 
 
 
Technical Support 
techsupp@pcisig.com 
 
administration@pcisig.com 
503-291-2569 
503-297-1090 
DISCLAIMER 
This PCI Express Mini Card Electromechanical Specification is provided "as is" with no 
warranties whatsoever, including any warranty of merchantability, noninfringement, 
fitness for any particular purpose, or any warranty otherwise arising out of any proposal, 
specification, or sample.  PCI-SIG disclaims all liability for infringement of proprietary 
rights, relating to use of information in this specification.  No license, express or implied, 
by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property rights is granted herein. 
 
PCI Express is a trademark of PCI-SIG. 
All other product names are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of their respective 
owners. 
 
 
 
 
 
2 
Copyright © 2003-05 PCI-SIG 
 
PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ELECTROMECHANICAL SPECIFICATION, REV 1.1 
Contents 
1. 
2.3. 
2.4. 
2.3.1. 
2.3.2. 
2.3.3. 
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................7 
1.1.  OVERVIEW ....................................................................................................................... 7 
SPECIFICATION REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 9 
1.2. 
TARGETED APPLICATIONS ............................................................................................... 9 
1.3. 
FEATURES AND BENEFITS .............................................................................................. 10 
1.4. 
2.  MECHANICAL SPECIFICATION ......................................................................................11 
2.1.  OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 11 
2.2.  CARD SPECIFICATIONS................................................................................................... 11 
2.2.1.  Card Form Factor................................................................................................... 12 
2.2.2.  Card PCB Details ................................................................................................... 13 
SYSTEM CONNECTOR SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................... 17 
System Connector.................................................................................................... 17 
System Connector Parametric Specifications......................................................... 21 
I/O Connector Area................................................................................................. 22 
THERMAL GUIDELINES .................................................................................................. 23 
3.  ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS ......................................................................................25 
3.1.  OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 25 
SYSTEM INTERFACE SIGNALS ........................................................................................ 25 
3.2. 
3.2.1.  Power Sources and Grounds .................................................................................. 27 
3.2.2.  PCI Express Interface............................................................................................. 27 
3.2.3.  USB Interface.......................................................................................................... 28 
3.2.4.  Auxiliary Signals..................................................................................................... 28 
3.2.4.1.  Reference Clock................................................................................................ 28 
3.2.4.2.  CLKREQ# Signal ............................................................................................. 28 
3.2.4.3.  PERST# Signal ................................................................................................. 31 
3.2.4.4.  WAKE# Signal ................................................................................................. 32 
3.2.4.5.  SMBus............................................................................................................... 32 
3.2.5.  Communications Specific Signals........................................................................... 32 
3.2.5.1.  Status Indicators................................................................................................ 32 
3.2.5.2.  W_DISABLE# Signal....................................................................................... 33 
3.2.6.  User Identity Module (UIM) Interface.................................................................... 34 
3.2.6.1.  UIM_PWR ........................................................................................................ 34 
3.2.6.2.  UIM_RESET..................................................................................................... 34 
3.2.6.3.  UIM_CLK......................................................................................................... 35 
3.2.6.4.  UIM_VPP ......................................................................................................... 35 
3.2.6.5.  UIM_DATA...................................................................................................... 35 
3.3.  CONNECTOR PIN-OUT DEFINITIONS ............................................................................... 36 
3.3.1.  Grounds................................................................................................................... 37 
3.3.2.  Reserved Pins.......................................................................................................... 37 
ELECTRICAL REQUIREMENTS......................................................................................... 37 
3.4.1.  Digital Interfaces .................................................................................................... 37 
3.4. 
 
3
PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ELECTROMECHANICAL SPECIFICATION, REVISION 1.1 
3.4.2.  Power ...................................................................................................................... 40 
A.  SUPPLEMENTAL GUIDELINES FOR PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD CONNECTOR 
TESTING.......................................................................................................................................41 
A.1.  TEST BOARDS ASSEMBLY.............................................................................................. 41 
A.1.1.  Base Board Assembly.............................................................................................. 42 
A.1.2.  Plug-in Cards Assembly.......................................................................................... 43 
INSERTION LOSS MEASUREMENT................................................................................... 44 
A.2. 
A.3.  RETURN LOSS MEASUREMENT....................................................................................... 44 
A.4.  NEAR END CROSSTALK MEASUREMENT ........................................................................ 44 
I/O CONNECTOR GUIDELINES........................................................................................47 
B.1.  WIRE-LINE MODEMS...................................................................................................... 47 
IEEE 802.3 WIRED ETHERNET ...................................................................................... 47 
B.2. 
B.3. 
IEEE 802.11 WIRELESS ETHERNET............................................................................... 47 
B. 
 
4 
 
PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ELECTROMECHANICAL SPECIFICATION, REVISION 1.1 
Figures 
FIGURE 1-1:  PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ADD-IN CARD INSTALLED IN A MOBILE PLATFORM........... 8 
FIGURE 1-2:  LOGICAL REPRESENTATION OF THE PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD SPECIFICATION........... 8 
FIGURE 2-1:  CARD FORM FACTOR (MODEM EXAMPLE APPLICATION SHOWN) ............................ 12 
FIGURE 2-2:  CARD TOP AND BOTTOM .......................................................................................... 13 
FIGURE 2-3:  CARD TOP AND BOTTOM DETAILS A AND B............................................................. 14 
FIGURE 2-4:  CARD EDGE .............................................................................................................. 15 
FIGURE 2-5:  CARD COMPONENT KEEP OUT AREAS...................................................................... 16 
FIGURE 2-6:  PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD SYSTEM CONNECTOR....................................................... 17 
FIGURE 2-7:  RECOMMENDED SYSTEM BOARD LAYOUT (SINGLE SOCKET)................................... 18 
FIGURE 2-8:  RECOMMENDED SYSTEM BOARD LAYOUT (DETAIL D) ............................................ 19 
FIGURE 2-9:  RECOMMENDED SYSTEM BOARD LAYOUT (DUAL SOCKET) ..................................... 20 
FIGURE 2-10:  I/O CONNECTOR LOCATION AREAS........................................................................ 23 
FIGURE 2-11:  POWER DENSITY UNIFORM LOADING AT 80 PERCENT COVERAGE ......................... 24 
FIGURE 3-1:  POWER-UP CLKREQ# TIMING ................................................................................ 30 
FIGURE 3-2:  CLKREQ# CLOCK CONTROL TIMINGS .................................................................... 31 
Tables 
TABLE 2-1:  SYSTEM CONNECTOR PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS ...................................................... 21 
TABLE 2-2:  SYSTEM CONNECTOR MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS........................ 21 
TABLE 2-3:  SYSTEM CONNECTOR ELECTRICAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS.......................... 22 
TABLE 2-4:  SYSTEM CONNECTOR ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS.................. 22 
TABLE 3-1:  PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD SYSTEM INTERFACE SIGNALS............................................ 25 
TABLE 3-2:  POWER-UP CLKREQ# TIMINGS................................................................................ 30 
TABLE 3-3:  CLKREQ# CLOCK CONTROL TIMINGS ..................................................................... 31 
TABLE 3-4:  DEFINED LED STATES............................................................................................... 33 
TABLE 3-5:  RECOMMENDED USE FOR LED INDICATORS BY WIRELESS CLASSES......................... 33 
TABLE 3-6:  SYSTEM CONNECTOR PIN-OUT................................................................................... 36 
TABLE 3-7:  SIGNAL INTEGRITY REQUIREMENTS AND TEST PROCEDURES .................................... 38 
TABLE 3-8:  POWER RATINGS........................................................................................................ 40 
 
 
5
PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ELECTROMECHANICAL SPECIFICATION, REVISION 1.1 
 
 
6 
PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ELECTROMECHANICAL SPECIFICATION, REVISION 1.1 
1 
1. 
Introduction 
1.1.  Overview 
This specification defines an implementation for small form factor PCI Express cards.  The 
specification uses a qualified sub-set of the same signal protocol, electrical definitions, and 
configuration definitions as the PCI Express Base Specification, Revision 1.0a.  Where this specification 
does not explicitly define PCI Express characteristics, the PCI Express Base Specification governs.  
The primary differences between a PCI Express add-in card (as defined by the PCI Express Card 
Electromechanical Specification) and a PCI Express Mini Card add-in card is a unique card form factor 
optimized for mobile computing platforms and a card-system interconnection optimized for 
communication applications.  Specifically, PCI Express Mini Card add-in cards are smaller and have 
smaller connectors than standard PCI Express add-in cards.   
Figure 1-1 shows a conceptual drawing of this form factor as it may be installed in a mobile 
platform.  Figure 1-1 does not reflect the actual dimensions and physical characteristics as those 
details are specified elsewhere in this specification.  However, it is representative of the general 
concept of this specification to use a single system connector to support all necessary system 
interfaces by means of a common edge connector.  Communications media interfaces may be 
provided via separate I/O connectors and RF connectors each with independent cables as illustrated 
in Figure 1-1.     
5 
10 
15 
 
7
PCI EXPRESS MINI CARD ELECTROMECHANICAL SPECIFICATION, REVISION 1.1 
Figure 1-1:  PCI Express Mini Card Add-in Card Installed in a Mobile Platform 
PCI Express Mini Card supports two primary system bus interfaces: PCI Express and USB as 
shown in Figure 1-2.   
A-0381 
PCI Express Mini Card
s
e
s
u
B
m
e
 
t
s
y
S
PCI
Express
USB
LEDs
PCI Express Mini Card
Communication-centric
Function
Function-
Specific
Connector
System
Interface
Function
I/O
Interface
Modem
Ethernet
Wireless
A-0339A
 
Figure 1-2:  Logical Representation of the PCI Express Mini Card Specification 
8