What is the M.2 interface? The M.2 interface is a new interface specification that was newly launched by Intel to replace MSATA. Simply put, it is a new host interface solution. Compared with the traditional MSATA interface, the M.2 interface is far superior to MSATA in terms of both specification size and transmission performance. However, many people do not know much about this new M.2 interface. Here, I will explain the M.2 interface to you.

(PRUnderground) June 11th, 2024

What is the M.2 interface?

The M.2 interface is a new interface specification that was newly launched by Intel to replace MSATA. Simply put, it is a new host interface solution. Compared with the traditional MSATA interface, the M.2 interface is far superior to MSATA in terms of both specification size and transmission performance. However, many people do not know much about this new M.2 interface. Here, I will explain the M.2 interface to you.

M.2 Interface specifications

First, let’s take a look at the M.2 interface rules: The naming of the M.2 interface mainly follows three principles. The first is the adapter size (length + width); the second is the maximum Z-axis height from the top to the bottom of the adapter; the third is the position of the mechanical connection key. Because there are many naming model series, they are not listed here one by one. A picture is attached for your reference.

Advantages of M.2

Secondly, let’s talk about the advantages of M.2 compared to MSATA.

First, let’s look at the speed. The M.2 interface mainly has two interface interfaces, B and M. The B interface supports SATA or PCI-E x2 channels, with a maximum read speed of 700MB/S; the M interface supports PCIe x4 channels, with a theoretical bandwidth of 4GB/s, which is 5 times that of the B interface. This shows that the M.2 interface is popular in the market. Secondly, we compare it in terms of volume. Although the MSATA interface is small enough, compared with the M.2 interface, the volume of a single-sided MSATA interface is often much smaller than the overall volume of the M.2 interface.

The difference between the B key and the M key

Let’s make a detailed distinction between the M.2 interface. In addition to the difference in channel speed, the main difference in structural performance is the difference in the position of the notch. The position of the M key interface is on the right, and the position of the B key interface is on the left. Customers can choose the M.2 interface that suits them according to their needs. In the distinction of PCIe bus interfaces, there is actually another interface form, which is the M.2 (B+M) key interface. This interface form can be used in the B key slot, the M key slot, and the B+M slot.

1. M.2 Interface:

The M.2 interface, also known as the Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF), is a compact and versatile connector used for various components in laptops, desktops, and other devices.

It supports different types of modules, including Wi-Fi cards, SSDs, Bluetooth modules, and network cards.

M.2 slots can have different key configurations (B key, M key, or both) to accommodate specific modules.

2. M.2 B Key:

The B key configuration has 5 pins on one side and 6 pins on the other.

It primarily supports SATA-based SSDs, Wi-Fi cards, and Bluetooth modules.

B key slots are typically found in laptops and ultrabooks.

3. M Key:

The M key configuration has 5 pins on both sides.

It supports PCIe-based NVMe SSDs and some Wi-Fi cards.

M key slots are commonly used for high-speed storage solutions.

Remember that the specific functionality of an M.2 slot depends on its key configuration. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask!

M2/Mini PCle Networking

Dual Ports M.2 M+B key 2.5G Ethernet Card

Dual Ports M.2 M+B key Gigabit Network Card

Single Port M.2 M+B key 10G Ethernet Card

Single Port M.2 M+B key 5G Ethernet Card

Single Port M.2 M+B key 2.5G Ethernet Card

Single Port M.2 A+E key Gigabit Ethernet Card

Single Port M.2 M+B key Gigabit Network Card

Single Port M.2 M+B key Gigabit Ethernet Cards

Mini PCIe to Dual 2.5G Ethernet Card

Features

Integrated 10/100/1000M transceiver

Supports Giga Lite (500M) mode Auto-Negotiation with Next Page capability

Supports PCI Express 1.1

Supports pair swap/polarity/skew correction

Crossover Detection & Auto-Correction

Supports 1-Lane 2.5Gbps PCI Express Bus

Supports hardware ECC (Error Correction Code) function

Supports hardware CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) function

Transmit/Receive on-chip buffer support

Supports PCI MSI (Message Signaled Interrupt) and MSI-X

Fully compliant with IEEE802.3, 802.3u and 802.3ab

Supports IEEE 802.1P layer 2 Priority Encoding

Supports 802.1Q VLAN tagging

Supports IEEE 802.3az-2010(EEE)

Supports Full Duplex flow control (IEEE.802.3x)

Supports jumbo frame to 9K bytes

Supports quad-core Receive-Side Scaling(RSS)

Supports Protocol Offload(ARP&NS)

Supports ECMA-393 ProxZzzy

The standard for sleeping hosts

System Requirements 

Windows ME,98SE, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8 and 10 32-/64-bit

Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012and 2016 32 -/64-bit

Linux, MAC OS and DOS

About Shenzhen STC Electronic Co., Ltd

STC-CABLE is an industry-leading manufacturer of high-performance cabling and connectivity solutions. Founded in 2008, STC provides end-to-end connectivity solutions serving a variety of markets–including corporate, digital signage, education, healthcare, home theater, and hospitality.

As a professional cable assembly factory, STC brings a complete portfolio of products and solutions including USB 2.0 Cables, USB 3.0 Cables, USB C Cables, Drive Cables, Network Cables & Adapters, Audio & Video Cables, Serial & Parallel Cables, Audio-Video Products, Computer power Cables internal and so on.

Leo Zhang
Sales Manager
leo@stccable.com
Tel: (86) 0755 2321 4701
(86) 134 2285 3610
www.stc-cable.com
STC Electronic (Hong Kong) Co., Limited
Shenzhen STC Electronic Co., LTD

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