ATTO Technology ATTO ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Express PCI PSC: Single-Channel Single-Ended Ultra/WIDE ExpressPCI DC:... User manual

ATTO Technology, Inc.
Installation and Operation Manual
ATTO ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters
Express PCI PSC: Single-Channel Single-Ended Ultra/WIDE
ExpressPCI DC: Dual-Channel Single-Ended Ultra/WIDE
© 2003 ATTO Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. All brand or product names are trademarks of their
respective holders. No part of this manual may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the
express written permission of ATTO Technology, Inc.
07/2003 Document Control Number: PRMA-0112-000MD

Contents
1 What is ATTO ExpressPCI? ........................................................1
Features
Operating Environments
Power Requirements
Environmental and Physical Specifications
SCSI Connectors
2 SCSI is a key technology for storage .........................................3
Glossary
3 Installing the ExpressPCI SCSI Host Adapter ...........................5
System requirements
Installation
3.1 Determining cabling and termination ................7
Cable types
Examples
Connectors
Connection considerations
Termination
3.2 Installing and Updating Device Drivers .............11
Windows Server 2003 & Windows 2000/XP
Windows NT Installation
Re-flashing Firmware in Windows
Linux and Sun Solaris Driver Installation
Updating Drivers and Re-flashing Firmware in Mac OS X
Updating Drivers and Re-flashing Firmware in Mac OS 9
4 Maximizing Performance with your ExpressPCI HBA ..............15
Use the latest ATTO driver
Set registry for large block transfers
Set up RAID groups with ATTO ExpressRAID
Increase transfer size
Analyze your I/Os
5 Troubleshooting ...........................................................................17
Appendix A Standards and compliances .....................................i
Appendix B SCSI host adapter selection guide ...........................ii
Appendix C Fibre Channel host adapter guide ............................iii
Appendix D Contact ATTO Technology, Inc. ...............................iv

1 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
1 What is ATTO ExpressPCI?
Compatible with virtually all popular SCSI devices, ATTO ExpressPCI host adapters will increase the
performance of disk-intensive applications such as digital video, prepress, multimedia and real-time.
The ATTO ExpressPCI family of Ultra/WIDE
SCSI host adapters includes:
ExpressPCI PSC
.......... Single-Channel, Single-Ended Ultra/WIDE
ExpressPCI DC
............ Dual-Channel, Single-Ended Ultra/WIDE
Plug and Play for PCI-based computers The
ATTO ExpressPCI SCSI adapter uses plug and
play technology to eliminate configuration
manipulation, including setting termination for
single-ended adapters. Insert the ATTO
ExpressPCI SCSI adapter into your PCI-based
computer and the adapter is configured according
to your system.
ATTO offers a variety of tools if you need to alter
the host adapter’s configuration. Refer to the
ExpressPCI Utilities manual for additional
information on these tools.
Features
❖ Automatic termination
❖ Advanced Data Streaming (ADS  )
Technology
❖ RAID ready
❖ Embedded RISC I/O processor
❖ Flash ROM BIOS for easy field upgrades
❖ PCI 2.1 Compliant
❖ Includes Mac
®
OS and PC Utility software
❖ SCSI InterfaceSCSI-1, SCSI-2, SCSI-3,
UltraSCSI
❖ Extensive device support: up to 105 through
LUNs (Wide and Narrow devices)
❖ Advanced SCSI
❖ Large Command FIFO
❖ Supports disconnect/reconnect
❖ Asynchronous I/O support
❖ Multiple Initiator support
❖ SCSI-3 Tagged Command Queuing
❖ Mac SCSI Manager 4.3 and pre 4.3
compatible driver
Operating Environments
❖ Windows 95/98, Windows NT/2000/XP
❖ Mac

OS 9, Mac OS X
❖ Linux

❖ Sun Solaris

Power Requirements
❖ 0.75 typical / 1.25 max. Amps @ + 5.0 VDC,
0.05 Amps @ +12.0 VDC
Environmental and Physical
Specifications
Operating Temperature 0-50 ° C
Humidity 10-90% Non-condensing
Length 4.92”(PSC)
............... 6.2”(DC)
Height 4.2”
MTBF
150,000 hours
MTTR < 15 minutes
SCSI Connectors
ATTO ExpressPCI PSC HD68 (high density 68-
pin)
ATTO ExpressPCI DC 68-pin VHDCI external
connectors (2), HD 68 internal connectors (2)
Maximum Host PCI Transfer Rate: 133 MB/sec.
Maximum SCSI transfer rates: synchronous data
rate 40 MB/sec. per channel; asynchronous data
rate:12 MB/sec. per channel

2
Features, benefits

3 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
2 SCSI is a key technology for storage
SCSI is a serial communications technology designed to transfer large amounts of data between a
variety of hardware systems over long distances. It is a key technology for applications that require
shared, high bandwidth access to storage.
SCSI provides a logical point-to point serial
channel for the transfer of data between a buffer at
a source device and a buffer at a destination
device. It moves buffer contents from one port to
another, without regard to the format or meaning
of the data so different upper level protocols are
able to run over SCSI hardware.
The SCSI architecture is structured as a
hierarchical set of protocol layers. Defined within
these layers are rules for signal interfaces, serial
encoding and decoding, error control, frame
format and communications protocols.
Glossary
Some terms used in the SCSI industry are defined below. More information is available through the
ATTO Technology website (www.attotech.com), and the SCSI Consortium
(www.iol.unh.edu/consortium).
Term Definition
ANSI American National Standards Institute
auto negotiation hardware senses and automatically responds depending on configuration
BER Bit Error Rate: a measure of transmission accuracy; the ratio of bits received in
error to bits sent
bit Smallest unit of data a computer can process: a single binary digit with a value
of either 0 or 1
byte an ordered set of 8 bits
CRC CyclicRedundancyCheck:anerror-correctingcodewhichcalculatesanumeric
value for received and transmitted data. If no error has occurred during
transmission, the CRC for both received and transmitted data should be the
same.
host a processor, usually a CPU and memory, which communicates with devices
over an interface
initiator device A component which originates a command
LED Light-emitting diode: a type of diode that emits light when current passes
through it. Visible LEDs are used as indicator lights on all sorts of electronic
devices.
originator an initiating device; a component which originates a command
receiver the ultimate destination of data transmission; a terminal device

4
Glossary
SCSI Small Computer Systems Interface: a processor-independent standard for
system-level interface between a computer and intelligent devices including
hard disks, floppy disks, CD-ROM, printers, scanners, etc.
topology logical layout of the parts of a computer system or network and their
interconnections
transceiver a transmitter/receiver module
transfer rate the rate at which bytes or bits are transferred, as in megabytes or gigabits per
second.
Term Definition

5 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
3 Installing the ExpressPCI SCSI Host Adapter
You will need a basic understanding of SCSI before installing the ATTO ExpressPCI host adapter. Please
refer to Chapter 2 for a list of SCSI-related web sites. For more detailed explanations of cabling,
connectors and termination, see Chapter 3.1.
WARNING Remember to back up your system data
before changing or installing hardware.
WARNING ATTO ExpressPCI host adapters contain
components that are sensitive to electrostatic discharge
(ESD). ESD can cause damage to the ExpressPCI host
adapter. Please follow standard methods to avoid ESD.
System requirements
The ATTO Express PCI host adapter package
contains the host adapter, the ATTO ExpressPCI
Utilities CD and a warranty and registration card.
If any of these items are missing, contact your
ATTO authorized sales representative.
To successfully install and use your ATTO
ExpressPCI SCSI adapter you need:
❖ A computer with an available PCI slot.
❖ SCSI devices
❖ Cable(s) and terminator(s).
Installation
1 Plan your SCSI device connections (see
Chapter 3.1).
2 Shut down the system and all peripherals
before installing the adapter. After turning
off the computer, leave the power cable
plugged into a grounded outlet to discharge
static electricity.
3 Open the computer case.
4Install the ATTO ExpressPCI host adapter in
any open PCI expansion slot. If you have
questions abouthow to install an expansion
card in your system, consult your
computer’s documentation.
5 Replace the computer cover.
6 Connect SCSI devices by inserting a SCSI
cable to the connector on the ATTO
ExpressPCI host adapter. Refer to
Exhibit 3.1-2 when selecting cables.
7 Power up your computer.
8 Set SCSI device termination. (see
Chapter 3.1)
9 Set SCSI IDs. Adapter default is 7.
Each device on the SCSI bus requires a unique
SCSIID.Ifinstallinga singledevice,makesureyou
do not assign it the same SCSI ID as your ATTO
ExpressPCI SCSI adapter. Do not change the
adapter ID if possible. For more information and
ease in changing the ID, consult the ExpressPCI
Utilities Installation and Operation Manual.
10 ATTO ExpressPCI host adapters come
preconfigured to operate properly in a
varietyof commonsystem setups.However,
some systems or setups may benefit by
tuning the adapter for optimal performance.
Use the ATTO ExpressPCI Utilities to
change host adapter settings. Refer to
Chapter 3.2 for more information.
11 If necessary, install drivers for your
operating system from the ATTO
ExpressPCI Utilities CD. Refer to
Chapter 3.2 for more information.

6
Hardware installation
The ATTO ExpressPCIPSCSCSI adapter
The ATTO ExpressPCIDC SCSI adapter
 
Channel 2: 68-pin
VHDCI Connector
Channel 1: 68-pin
VHDCI Connector
Channel 1:
68
-
pin
Connector
Channel 2: 68-pin
Connector
68-pin Internal 16-bit
“P” Cable Connector
Dedicated 3rd Generation
RISC Based UltraSCSI
Processor
50-pin Internal 8-bit
“A” Cable Connector
68-pin External
16-bit High Density
Cable Connector
PCI 2.1 Compliant
Connector

7 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
3.1 Determining cabling and termination
Cables and devices must be chosen to maximize performance and minimize the electrical noise from the
high-speed data transfers available with the SCSI protocol. Cabling and termination methods become
important considerations for proper performance. SCSI cables and devices are subject to specific length
and number limitations to deal with electrical problems that arise at increased operating speeds.
Cable types
Single-ended and differential SCSI host adapters
use the same cables. Use high-quality cables rated
for the type of SCSI transfers required: well-
insulated SCSI cables ensure error free
communications. Try to keep cable lengths as
short as possible to ensure higher signal quality
and performance.
Examples
The SCSI specification limits total bus cable
length for Single-Ended SCSI in a non-UltraSCSI
environment to 3 meters(combinedlengthofboth
internal and external cable lengths).
In an UltraSCSI workgroup environment with a 7-
drive tower, you are limited to 1.5 meters between
the host and the tower, including the cabling for
the tower. If the 7-drive tower requires 1 meter of
cabling to connect all of its drives, the distance
from the tower to the host must be .5 meters.
NOTE UltraSCSI is very sensitive to SCSI bus noise,
cable distances and the number of devicesconnected on
the SCSI bus. Carefully connect your devices when
working with UltraSCSI.
Exhibit 3.1-1 Various types of SCSI require different bus lengths to support a certain number of devices.
Connectors
ATTO ExpressPCI PSC: one industry standard 68-
pin “P”(16-bit) and one 50-pin (8-bit) cable
connector for internal device connections and one
68-pin “P”(16-bit) cable connector for external
device connections.
ATTO ExpressPCI DC: two industry standard 68-
pin “P”(16-bit) cable connectors for internal
device connections and two 68-pin “P”(16-bit)
VHDCI (Very High Density Cabled Interconnect)
cable connectors for external device connections.
NOTE When installing SCSI devices on the ATTO
ExpressPCI PSC, use any two SCSI ports on your ATTO
ExpressPCI SCSI adapter, but not all three. Use all four
channels on the ATTO ExpressPCI DC.
STA terms Bus speed MB/sec. max. Bus width bits Max. bus lengths, meters Max. device support
Single-ended Differential LVD
Fast SCSI 10 8 3 25 12 8
Fast/WIDE SCSI 20 16 3 25 12 16
UltraSCSI 20 8 1.5 25 12 8
UltraSCSI 20 8 3 n/a n/a 4
Ultra/WIDE SCSI 40 16 n/a 25 12 16
Ultra/WIDE SCSI 40 16 1.5 n/a n/a 8
Ultra/WIDE SCSI 40 16 3 n/a n/a 4
Ultra2 SCSI 80 16 n/a n/a 12 8
Ultra2/WIDE SCSI 80 16 n/a n/a 12 16