Peripheral Component Interconnect Modem

What Does Peripheral Component Interconnect Modem Mean?

Peripheral component interconnect modem (PCI modem) is any modem that connects to the motherboard of a computer through a peripheral component interconnect bus and is controlled by a device driver.

PCI modems are also called internal modems.

Techopedia Explains Peripheral Component Interconnect Modem

A PCI modems come in two types:

Traditional dial-up modems
Win modems (also called soft modems)

In the 1990s, PCI local bus architecture began replacing industry standard architecture (ISA). Many computers were designed to accommodate both the technologies.

The PCI modems were followed by PCI express (PCI-E) expansion cards that incorporated the modems. The PCI-E cards offer a faster hardware interface than PCI modems.

Related Reading

The History of the Modem

Margaret Rouse

Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.

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