Identifying M.2 Slot Compatibility with M.2 Coral TPU: BIOS Settings
M.2 slots are widely used in modern computers to provide high-speed connections for various devices such as solid-state drives (SSDs), network interface cards (NICs), and artificial intelligence (AI) accelerators like the Google Coral Tensor Processing Unit (TPU). However, not all M.2 slots support the same types of devices or form factors. This article will help you identify the compatibility of your M.2 slot with the M.2 Coral TPU and provide recommendations on firmware/BIOS settings to enable or disable the TPU.
M.2 Form Factors and Keying
M.2 devices come in different lengths, typically 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110, where the first two digits represent the width (22mm) and the last two or three digits represent the length. Additionally, M.2 devices have a keying system that determines the type of device and the interface it uses. The M.2 Coral TPU uses the B and M keying system, which supports PCIe x4, USB, and I2C interfaces.
Identifying M.2 Slot Compatibility
To identify the compatibility of your M.2 slot with the M.2 Coral TPU, you can use the following Unix command:
lspci -nn | grep -i m.2This command will display a list of M.2 devices and their corresponding PCIe device IDs. Look for an entry with the subsystem ID 1b4b:9c12, which corresponds to the M.2 Coral TPU. If you find this entry, your system has a compatible M.2 slot for the M.2 Coral TPU.
Firmware/BIOS Settings for M.2 Coral TPU
To enable or disable the M.2 Coral TPU in your system's firmware/BIOS, follow these steps:
- Restart your computer and press the key to enter the firmware/BIOS setup (usually F1, F2, F10, or DEL).
- Navigate to the "Advanced" or "Devices" settings menu.
- Look for an option related to M.2 devices or PCIe devices.
- Enable or disable the M.2 slot where you plan to install the M.2 Coral TPU, depending on your requirements.
- Save and exit the firmware/BIOS setup.
Identifying the compatibility of your M.2 slot with the M.2 Coral TPU involves using a Unix command to list the M.2 devices in your system and looking for the corresponding device ID. Once you have confirmed compatibility, you can enable or disable the M.2 slot in your firmware/BIOS settings as needed. By following these steps, you can ensure that your system is properly configured to support the M.2 Coral TPU.