(1) Short for
Peripheral Component Interconnect, a
local bus standard developed by
Intel Corporation. Most modern
PCs include a PCI bus in addition to a more general
ISA expansion bus. PCI is also used on
some versions of the Macintosh computer. PCI is a 64-bit bus, though it is usually implemented as a
32-bit bus. It can run at clock speeds of 33 or 66
MHz. At 32 bits and 33 MHz, it yields a
throughput rate of 133
MBps. Although it was developed by Intel, PCI is not tied to any particular family of microprocessors.
Also see PCI-X and PCI Express.
(2) Short for Payment Card Industry.
See related terms PCI compliance (PCI
DSS) and Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI
SSC).