ATTO Technology UL3D User manual

ATTO Technology, Inc.
Installation and Operation Manual
ATTO ExpressPCI Host Adapters
Dual Channel Ultra3 (UL3D)
Dual Channel Ultra3 66 MHz (UL3D-66)
Single Channel Ultra3 (UL3S)
Single Channel Ultra3 66 MHz (UL3S-66)
© 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.
12/2003 Document Control Number: PRMA-0221-000MD

Contents
1 What is ATTO ExpressPCI? ........................................................ 1
Plug and Play for PCI-based computers
Features
Operating Systems
Dimensions
Power Requirements
Operating Environment
Reliability
SCSI Bus
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
Te r m in a t io n
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 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 Ultra3 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 Ultra3 SCSI
host adapters includes four models:
ExpressPCI UL3S: Single Channel Ultra3, 33
Mhz PCI
ExpressPCI UL3D: Dual Channel Ultra3 SCSI,
33MHz PCI
ExpressPCI UL3S-66: Single Channel Ultra3
SCSI, 66 MHz PCI
ExpressPCI Ul3D-66: Dual Channel Ultra3 SCSI,
66 MHz PCI
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 provides a variety of configuration tools if
you need to alter the host adapter’s configuration.
See the ATTO ExpressPCI Utilities manual for
additional information.
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
❖ 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
❖ Low power requirements
❖ Mac SCSI Manager 4.3 and pre-4.3
compatible driver
Operating Systems
❖ Windows 95/98, Windows NT/2000/XP
❖ Mac
®
OS 9
❖ Mac OS X including Panther
❖ Linux
®
❖ Sun Solaris
®
Dimensions
❖ UL3S
❖ Length: 6.521”
❖ Height: 4.200”
❖ UL3D
❖ Length: 6.521”
❖ Height: 4.450”
Power Requirements
❖ 0.75 typical/2.0 max. Amps @ + 5.0 VDC
❖ 0.05 Amps @ + 12.0 VDC
Operating Environment
❖ Operating Temperature:0-50 ° C:
❖ Humidity:10-90% Non-condensing
❖ Airflow: 100 LFM (min.)
Reliability
❖ MTBF 150,000 hours
❖ MTTR < 15 minutes

2
Introduction
SCSI Bus
❖ SCSI-3 connectors
❖ UL3S/UL3S-66 external: (1) 68-pin
VHDCI
❖ UL3S/UL3S-66 internal: (1) 68-pin
Wide
❖ UL3D/UL3D-66 external: (2) 68-pin
VHDCI
❖ UL3D/UL3D-66 internal: (2) 68-pin
Wide
❖ Maximum Host PCI transfer rate
❖ 32-bit/33MHz: 133 MB/sec.
❖ 32-bit/66 Mhz: 266 MB/sec.
❖ 64-bit/33 Mhz: 266 MB/sec.
❖ 64-bit/66 Mhz: 532 MB/sec.
❖ Maximum SCSI transfer rate:
❖ Synchronous data rate (UL3D/UL3D-66):
60 MB/sec. per channel (Ultra3 mode)
❖ Asynchronous data rate:12 MB/sec. per
channel (all models)
❖ SCSI Interface: SCSI-1, SCSI-2, SCSI-3,
UltraSCSI, Ultra2SCSI, Ultra 160/m SCSI,
Ultra3 SCSI
❖ Electrical Signals:single-ended, low
voltage differential
❖ Extensive device support
❖ UL3D/UL3D-66: Up to 210 devices
when used with LUNs (Wide and
Narrow devices)
❖ UL3S/UL3S-66: Up to 210 devices
when used with LUNs (Wide and
Narrow devices)

3 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 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.
ATTO Express PCI SCSI host adapters carry SCSI protocol over SCSI.
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 Cyclic Redundancy Check: an error-correcting code which calculates a numeric
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
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.

4
Glossary
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 Ultra3 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 about how to install an expansion
card in your system, consult your
computer’s documentation.
NOTE 64/32-bit Mode: The jumpers J1 and J2, when
installed vertically, ensure ATTO ExpressPCI 64-bit cards
work correctly in 32-bit mode in all 32-bit PCI slots. These
jumpers do not force the ExpressPCI card to operate in
32-bit mode. If placed in a 64-bit mode, the ExpressPCI
card will still function in a 64-bit slot. However, removing
jumpers may cause the ExpressPCI card to function
incorrectly in some 32-bit PCI slots.
Exhibit 3-1 Consequences of enabling and disabling
jumpers J1 and J2 with an ExpressPCI 64-bit card.
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
SCSI ID. If installing a single device, make sure you
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
variety of common system 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.
ExpressPCI
64-bit card
JP1 and JP2
enabled
JP1 and JP2 disabled
32-bit PCI slot Correct 32-bit
operation
May not function in
some motherboards
64-bit PCI slot Correct 64-bit
operation
Correct 64-bit operation

6
Hardware installation
Exhibit 3-2 The ATTO ExpressPCI UL3S/UL3S-66 adapter
Exhibit 3-3 The ATTO ExpressPCI UL3D/UL3D-66 adapter
64
/
32-Bit PCI 2.2
Compliant Connector
68-pin VHDCI
Connector
68-
p
in Connecto
r
Ultra3 SCSI Processor
Channel 2: 68-pin
VHDCI Connector
Channel 1: 68-pin
VHDCI Connector
64/32-Bit PCI 2.2
Compliant Connector
Channel 1: 68-pin
Connector
Channel 2: 68-pin
Connector
Ultra3 SCSI Processor

7 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 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.
ATTO ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI host adapters will
operate with both Low Voltage Differential and
Single-Ended devices.
When connected to Ultra 3 devices, the ATTO
ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI host adapters will
negotiate to Ultra 3 transfer rates of 160 MB/sec.
per channel.
When connected to Single-Ended devices, the
ATTO ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI host adapters will
negotiate to Ultra3 transfer rates of 40 MB/sec.
per channel.
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 (combined length of both
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.
UltraSCSI is very sensitive to SCSI bus noise,
cable distances and the number of devices
connected on the SCSI bus. Carefully connect
your devices when working with UltraSCSI.
Ultra3SCSI and Ultra2 SCSI are less sensitive to
bus noise and offer you the ability to connect a full
load of devices up to 12 meters.
Exhibit 3.1-1 Various types of SCSI require different bus lengths to support a certain number of devices.
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 n/a 8
Fast/WIDE SCSI 20 16 3 25 n/a 16
UltraSCSI 20 8 1.5 25 n/a 8
UltraSCSI 20 8 3 n/a n/a 4
Ultra/WIDE SCSI 40 16 n/a 25 n/a 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
Ultra3/WIDE SCSI 160 16 n/a n/a 12 16

8
Cables and termination
Connectors
ATTO ExpressPCI UL3S/UL3S-66: one industry
standard 68-pin “P” (16-bit) cable connector for
internal device connections and one 68-pin “P”
(16-bit) VHDCI (Very High Density Cabled
Interconnect) cable connector for external device
connections.
ATTO ExpressPCI UL3D/UL3D-66: 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.
Connection considerations
If using a combination of Wide 16-bit devices and
Narrow 8-bit devices on the same connector,
Wide devices must be connected first (closest to
the connector), followed by the Narrow devices.
Please refer to the documentation you received
with your SCSI devices to determine if your
device is Wide or Narrow.
Exhibit 3.1-2 Several types of internal and external
cable connectors.
Termination
The SCSI bus is a chain of SCSI devices. The
devices at both ends of any SCSI chain must be
terminated for the SCSI bus to function correctly.
A SCSI device chain can be configured in three
different ways: internal, external and an
internal/external SCSI device chain.
The ATTO ExpressPCI SCSI adapter is a SCSI
device and may require termination depending
upon the configuration. Be sure to use the correct
terminator. Single-Ended, Low Voltage
Differential and Differential SCSI busses use
different types of terminators that should not be
mixed.
Single-Ended and LVD signaling The
ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI host adapter supports
two types of SCSI signaling: Low Voltage
Differential (LVD) and Single-Ended. Ultra2 and
Ultra3 SCSI require LVD signaling for optimal
performance. UltraSCSI and slower devices use
Single-Ended signaling. Devices on the same
SCSI bus must use the same signaling, either LVD
or Single-Ended.
Terminators SCSI terminators used with Ultra3
SCSI host adapters must match the SCSI bus
signal. When using only LVD devices an LVD
terminator should be used. A Single-Ended
terminator with LVD devices usually works, but
all devices will be limited to Ultra SCSI speeds,
instead of Ultra2 or Ultra3 speeds. Single-Ended
devices require a Single-Ended terminator. If you
use an LVD terminator with Single-Ended
devices, the system may hang or devices will not
be seen on the SCSI bus. Some termination
manufacturers provide terminators which
automatically sense Single-Ended or LVD
termination.
Internal and external termination External
terminators should be attached to the last external
device in the SCSI chain. Be careful not to provide
any other termination on the external SCSI chain.
(Extra termination will cause a loss in signal
quality.) The last device on an internal SCSI chain
should also be terminated. Many Single-Ended
Ultra SCSI and earlier devices provide a jumper
setting for applying termination, in which case the
last device on the internal cable should have a

9 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
jumper placed over the pins designated for
supplying termination. Check with your drive
manufacturer if you are not sure which pins to
use.
LVD Ultra2 and Ultra3 SCSI devices are not
capable of supplying their own termination.
Instead, termination must be supplied by an
outside source, usually an internal ribbon cable
which has a SCSI terminator attached to the end.
Connect the non-terminated end of the cable to
the host adapter card and the internal drives to the
subsequent connectors. The terminator should be
at the opposite end of the cable from the host
adapter card.
Mixing Wide and Narrow devices Wide (16-bit)
and Narrow (8-bit) devices can be connected
together on the same connector of the host adapter
card, but Wide devices must be attached first in
the chain, followed by Narrow devices. The cable
or adapter used to convert from a wide (68-pin)
connector to a narrow (50-pin) connector must
provide partial termination to allow the upper 8-
bits (or byte) of the Wide SCSI bus to be properly
terminated. A Narrow terminator should then be
used on the last Narrow device to terminate the
rest of the SCSI bus. A SCSI bus without partial
termination between the Wide and Narrow
devices may appear to work correctly, but
occasional I/O errors will occur without proper
termination.
Using internal and external connectors on
UL3D/UL3D-66
The UL3D/UL3D-66 has two
connectors on each SCSI bus, an internal
connector and an external connector. Devices can
be attached to both connectors on the same bus.
However, the host adapter card will run with
Single-Ended signaling at UltraSCSI speeds if
Single-Ended and LVD devices are on the same
bus, even if using different connectors.
Automatic termination: when both internal and
external connectors are used, the host adapter card
detects the presence of devices and turns off
termination. If devices are removed from one
connector of the card, the host adapter will
automatically detect the change and enable its
own termination.
Software controlled termination: You may have
to override the host adapter’s automatic
termination if only narrow devices are attached to
one connector and wide devices are attached to
the other connector on the same bus. The host
adapter must supply partial termination to the
upper 8-bits (byte), but it will not do so
automatically. Please refer to your ExpressPCI
Utilities manual to set the host adapter’s
termination to Upper Byte.
Termination power: host adapters supply
termination power to the bus at all times and many
SCSI devices are also able to supply termination
power. SCSI signal quality, particularly with long
or marginal quality cables, may be improved if the
device supplies the termination power. Contact
your device manufacturer for more information
on your device’s ability to supply termination
power.

10
Cables and termination

11 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
3.2 Installing and Updating Device Drivers
After installing the ATTO ExpressPCI host adapter, you must configure your system to recognize and use
it by installing drivers for your operating system. If you already have one or more ExpressPCI adapters
installed and you are installing additional adapter(s), you do NOT need to perform any of these
procedures unless you are updating a previously installed driver.
Windows Server 2003 & Windows 2000/XP
To install or upgrade the ExpressPCI driver
1Log on to Windows as the system
administrator.
2Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
3Run Setup.exe
4Click Install
5Follow the instructions to complete the
installation.
To add drivers to an existing Windows
installation if you are NOT replacing the
adapter to which the boot disk drive is
attached.
NOTE Complete this installation procedure before
attaching any devices to the adapter. If another driver has
been loaded before the ExpressPCI driver is loaded and
you are using ATTO striping, you may experience data
corruption.
1Log on to Windows as the system
administrator.
2Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
3Run Setup.exe
4Click Install
5Follow the instructions to complete the
installation.
6Shut down Windows when the Setup window
prompts you to do so.
7Install your ExpressPCI adapter into an
available PCI expansion slot.
8Restart Windows. Windows should detect your
ExpressPCI adapter.
9 Windows Server 2003/XP: Insert the
ExpressPCI Installation disk when
prompted
...............................................................
Windows 2000: The Found New Hardware
Wizard will appear: proceed through the wizard
defaults and insert the ExpressPCI Installation
disk when prompted.
10 When adapter installation is complete, the
Found New Hardware Wizard will appear
showing an ATTO Phantom Device for each
channel. Proceed through the wizard with the
default settings to complete the installation.
To add support to an existing Windows
installation if you ARE replacing the adapter
to which the boot disk drive is attached
1Log on to Windows as the system
administrator.
2Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
3Run Setup.exe
4Click Install
5Follow the instructions to complete the
installation
6Leaving the existing adapter in the system with
the devices attached, shut down Windows
7Attach the desired devices from your previous
adapter to the ExpressPCI adapter and, if
desired, remove the previous adapter.
8Restart Windows.
To install a new copy of Windows onto a SCSI
disk attached to the ExpressPCI adapter.
1Start Windows text mode setup as per the
instructions provided with Windows.
2When the first blue window, Windows Setup,
appears, press F6. The setup program will
display a prompt in the status window on the
bottom left of the monitor. Setup will continue to
load files
3At the new window with instructions to specify
additional mass storage devices, press S.
4Insert the ExpressPCI installation disk in drive
A: and press Enter.
5At the screen from which you would normally
select a driver, a list of ExpressPCI adapters
should appear. Select your adapter and press
Enter.
6Windows Setup will load the files from the disk.
7ATTO ExpressPCI device should now be listed
as detected in the screen which appears.
8Repeat steps 3-7 for any other vendor-supplied
driver installation disks.

12
Install, update drivers
9After all other drivers have been processed,
press Enter and proceed with the rest of the
Windows Installation procedure.
NOTE When Windows begins copying files to your hard
disk, you will again be prompted to insert the ExpressPCI
installation disk and any other vendor-supplied disks you
used during custom installation. This is normal. The first
time you inserted the disks, Windows loaded the drivers
into memory; the second time, Windows copied the driver
to the hard disk.
Windows NT Installation
To install/upgrade the Windows NT driver
1Log on to Windows as the system
administrator.
2Open the SCSI Adapters applet in the Control
Panel
3Click on Drivers tab.
4Click Add...
5Click Have Disk...
6Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
7Enter the path for it under Copy manufacturer’s
files from
8Click OK
9A list of ExpressPCI adapters will be displayed.
Select your adapter and click OK.
10 Windows will install the necessary files and
prompt you to restart Windows.
11 Restart Windows to complete the ExpressPCI
installation.
To add a driver to an existing Windows
installation when you are NOT replacing the
adapter to which the boot disk drive is
attached.
1Install the ExpressPCI adapter into an available
PCI expansion slot.
2Log on to Windows as the system
administrator.
3Open the SCSI Adapters applet in the Control
Panel
4Click on Drivers tab.
5Click Add...
6Click Have Disk...
7Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
8Enter the path for it under Copy manufacturer’s
files from
9Click OK
10 A list of ExpressPCI adapters will be displayed.
Select your adapter and click OK
11 Windows will install the necessary files and
prompt you to restart Windows.
12 Restart Windows to complete the ExpressPCI
installation.
To add a driver for your ExpressPCI adapter
to an existing Windows installation if you ARE
replacing the adapter to which the boot disk
drive is attached
1Insert the adapter into an available PCI
expansion slot, but DO NOT remove the
existing adapter or disconnect devices from it.
2Log on to Windows as the system
administrator.
3Open the SCSI Adapters applet in the Control
Panel
4Click on Drivers tab.
5Click Add...
6Click Have Disk...
7Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
8Enter the path for it under Copy manufacturer’s
files from
9Click OK
10 A list of ExpressPCI adapters will be displayed.
Select your adapter and click OK
11 Windows will install the necessary files and
prompt you to restart Windows.
12 Restart Windows to complete the ExpressPCI
installation.
13 Shut down Windows, attach the desired
devices from your previous adapter to the
ExpressPCI adapter and, if desired, remove the
previous adapter.
14 Restart Windows.
15 If you removed the previous adapter, you will
see messages stating that one or more
services did not start, suggesting that you look
in the system log. To avoid receiving these
messages on subsequent system startup
attempts, use the SCSI Adapters applet in the
Control Panel to remove the driver for the
previous adapter.

13
To install a new copy of Windows NT onto a
SCSI disk attached to your ExpressPCI
adapter.
1Start Windows NT text mode setup as per the
instructions provided with Windows NT.
2Press F6 when the first blue window, Windows
NT Setup, appears. Setup will continue to load
files.
3After loading the setup files, you will be given
several choices. Press Enter to install
Windows.
4From the list of devices detected by Windows,
press S.
5Choose Other to install the ExpressPCI driver
and any other drivers for which you have OEM-
supplied installation disks.
6Insert the ExpressPCI installation diskette in
drive A:
7Press Enter
8Windows should load the driver, detect the
presence of the ExpressPCI adapter, then
return to the screen of step 3. The ExpressPCI
driver should now be included in the list of
devices. Repeat steps 3 - 8 for any other
vendor-supplied driver installation disks.
9After all other drivers have been processed,
press Enter and proceed with the rest of the
Windows Installation procedure.
NOTE When Windows begins copying files to your hard
disk, you will be prompted to insert the ExpressPCI
installation disk and any other vendor-supplied disks you
used during custom installation. This is normal. The first
time you inserted the disks, Windows loaded the drivers
into memory; the second time, Windows copied the driver
to the hard disk.
Re-flashing Firmware in Windows
ATTO typically releases adapter firmware and
drivers simultaneously. We recommend that both
the firmware and drivers be updated to ensure
proper operation.
To re-flash the firmware to the latest version:
1Obtain the latest firmware from the ATTO web site
www.attotech.com.
2Extract the firmware to a floppy disk by executing the
self-extracting file.
3Reboot the PC.
4An ATTO Technology banner will announce that
the host adapter was detected. Enter Control-Z
when prompted to begin the setup utility.
5Select the Upgrade Flash ROM option and
insert the disk into the drive slot.
6Follow the on-line instructions.
7Remove the disk and reboot the PC.
NOTE Firmware must be loaded from a floppy or from
the internal hard drive because the CD-ROM drivers are
not loaded at this point in the system boot process.
To re-flash the firmware to the latest version
for Ultra320 adapters:
The ATTO ExpressPCI Configuration Tool,
available on the ATTO web site,
www.attotech.com/software/index.html, will
verify drivers and firmware versions and attempt
to flash. Instructions for using this utility are
provided as part of the download process.
Linux and Sun Solaris Driver Installation
ATTO offers Linux and Sun Solaris drivers which
are compatible with the ExpressPCI host adapters.
A complete download package, including all
necessary installation instructions, is available on
the ExpressPCI Utilities CD-ROM or directly
from the ATTO Technology web site,
www.attotech.com. Please refer to these
documents for installation instructions.
Updating Drivers and Re-flashing Firmware in Mac OS X
Mac OS X drivers, including installer packages,
can be downloaded directly from the ATTO web
site, www.attotech.com. The driver installers will
automatically unionist existing drivers and
properly install the new drivers on your system.
After installing, the new adapter driver you will
need to update the firmware.

14
Install, update drivers
The ATTO ExpressPCI Configuration Tool,
available on the ATTO web site,
www.attotech.com/software/index.html, will
verify drivers and firmware versions and attempt
to flash. Instructions for using this utility are
provided as part of the download process.
Updating Drivers and Re-flashing Firmware in Mac OS 9
To re-flash the firmware to the latest version:
1Obtain the latest firmware and updater program
from the ATTO web site www.attotech.com and
download to your host.
2Create a folder or drive where you want the
program files to be placed.
3Using a compression utility capable of handling
hqx files, extract the files by clicking Save.
4Open the program file folder and click on the
ExpressPCI Updater program.
5Select the appropriate option and hit Enter.
6A message will inform you which ExpressPCI
cards were updated.
7Type Qto quit.
8Re-boot the Macintosh system.

15 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
4 Maximizing Performance with ExpressPCI HBA
If you are getting less performance than you expect, there are several things you can do such as making
sure you are using the latest ATTO driver, setting the registry entry for large block transfers, using ATTO
ExpressRAID for setting up RAID groups, increasing transfer size, and analyzing your system’s I/Os.
While the factory settings on your ExpressPCI
host adapter should provide excellent
performance for a wide range of applications, you
may improve performance by modifying some of
the system factors which affect your ExpressPCI
host adapter.
For example, the ATTO driver can transfer well
over a megabyte with one SCSI command.
NOTE You must use an ATTO driver when using ATTO
ExpressRAID software.
Use the latest ATTO driver
Determine which drive is currently in use, then
install the latest ATTO driver found at
www.attotech.com.
Windows NT
1OpenMy Computer
2OpenControl Panel
3OpenSCSI Adapters
4ExaminetheDriver tab for your SCSI
adapter. If the driver is not express.sys,
install the express.sys driver.
5 Either remove the previously-installed
driver or disable it using the Devices applet.
If the system has a built in Symbios or LSI
adapter, do not disable the driver for that
adapter.
Windows 2000 and XP
1 Using the Device Manager, select SCSI &
RAID Controllers
2ExaminetheDriver tab for your SCSI
adapter. If the driver is not express.sys,
install the express.sys driver.
3 Either remove the previously-installed
driver or disable it using the Devices applet.
If the system has a built in Symbios or LSI
adapter, do not disable the driver for that
adapter.
Set registry for large block transfers
If your application requires large block transfers,
set the registry entry correctly for the
MaximumSGList keyword. Several files supplied
with the device driver download package can set
this value to any one of the following sizes: 64Kb,
128KB, 256Kb, 512KB, 1MB and NT default
(64KB). The files are ASCII text files and can be
viewed with any suitable editor. The files also
explain the registry setting and how to change the
setting.
The ExpressPCI adapter can have a maximum
transfer size from 64KB to 1MB. If the registry
value is set to a number higher than 0xff, the
driver will reduce the setting to 0xff. The driver
installation process will set the default value to
0xff.
Set up RAID groups with ATTO
ExpressRAID
Instead of using the RAID functionality built into
Windows OS, use the ATTO ExpressRAID
software for the most efficient performance.
ATTO ExpressRAID requires one less level of
driver through which commands must pass and
fewer commands are required to pass through the
driver hierarchy.
Other advantages of ATTO ExpressRAID
striping:
❖ You can boot your system off striped drives
❖ Stripe sets created with ExpressRAID are
recognizable by DOS and Windows
❖ You can stripe removable-media drives with
ExpressRAID.
If you have purchased the striping option,
additional information about ExpressRAID is

16
Maximize performance
available in the file Stripe.txt on the CD which has
been included with your ATTO ExpressPCI
adapters.
Increase transfer size
If you are writing to an application that uses a lot
of sequential disk I/O to a contiguous area on
disk, you should use as large a transfer size as
possible to reduce overhead on the system, on the
SCSI bus and within disk drives.
Analyze your I/Os
For large sequential data transfers, use Direct I/O
by selecting
FILE_FLAG_WRITE_THROUGH
and
FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING flags with
your
CreateFile call to avoid the overhead of
copying data from one area of memory to another,
to reduce the number of SCSI commands which
must be executed and to leave system pages
available for other data.
If your application requires a small number of
I/Os and the transfers are rather small, however,
you may get better performance by letting the
system cache your data in the system pages.
You might want to use over-lapped I/O using the
FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED option with the
CreateFile call. Overlapped I/O allows the
application to send many commands to the device
at once.
The ATTO Disk Benchmark program, included
with the ExpressPCI Utilities on the CD shipped
with your ExpressPCI adapter, shows the effect of
using the above I/O modes.
❖ If you turn off Direct I/O and set the file size
to a value significantly less than the amount
of memory in your computer, you will get
some artificially high transfer rates because
very little I/O is actually being performed by
the SCSI device: all the activity is involved in
transferring data between the application and
the system pages.
❖ As you increase the file size to a value more
than the amount of memory in your computer,
you will see marked performance
degradation.
❖ If you turn on Direct I/O, you can see the
effect of removing the system pages from the
overhead picture.
❖ If you use overlapped I/O, you will see
performance improvements in the low to
medium transfer sizes.
❖ However, depending on the amount of
memory in your computer, you may not be
able to use queue depths greater than 4 or 5.

17 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
5 Troubleshooting
This chapter contains solutions for the most common problems you might encounter. If you need
additional assistance, please refer to the ATTO Technology web site (www.attotech.com) or contact an
ATTO Technology authorized representative.
9 Check each cable connection on every device.
Verify all cables are in proper working condition.
Loose or broken cables are often the cause of
errors or problems.
9 Check that your SCSI devices are plugged
into an AC outlet and are turned on before you add
power to your computer.
9 Verity that all devices and busses are properly
terminated. See Chapter 3.1 for more
information.
9 Verify that all devices attached to the ATTO
ExpressPCI SCSI adapter have unique SCSI IDs.
ATTO ExpressPCI SCSI adapters have a default
SCSI ID of 7.
9 If the same device shows up at several
different SCSI IDs, either its SCSI ID is set the
same as the ATTO ExpressPCI SCSI ID, or the
cable is defective.
9 If a device doesn’t appear and cables and
termination are set properly, try lengthening the
SCSI Reset Delay using the ExpressPCI Utilities
found on the CD that came with your host adapter.
9 PC users should make sure that SCSI adapter
firmware and Windows drivers are at the same
revision level. Unless indicated otherwise, the
latest drivers and firmware can be downloaded
from the ATTO Technology website
(www.attotech.com)