SCSI
SCSI Basics Standard for communication between subsystem of peripheral devices and system bus Bus can contain/be used by up to 7 or 15 devices Bus requires controller embedded on motherboard or host adapter inserted into an expansion slot Faster, more expensive, more difficult to install than similar IDE devices
The SCSI Subsystem Enables two devices on SCSI bus to pass data between them without going through CPU Requires SCSI controller and unique SCSI IDs assigned to each device, including host adapter
SCSI Host Adapter
IDE versus SCSI Bus Communication
Host Adapters Manage all devices on SCSI bus Support internal and external SCSI devices Form a single daisy chain with devices
Variations in SCSI Bus width Signaling methods used on SCSI cables Connectors used with SCSI cables Termination SCSI-1, SCSI-2, and SCSI-3
Bus Width Narrow SCSI Wide SCSI 8-bit data path Uses a cable with a 50-pin connector (A cable) Wide SCSI 16-bit data path Uses a cable with a 68-pin connector (P cable)
Signaling Methods Used on SCSI Cables Single-ended (SE) Differential Send signal on pair of twisted wires – one carries voltage, one is a ground Less expensive than differential Shorter maximum cable length; data integrity is not as great Send signal on pair of twisted wires – both carry voltage; signal calculated to be the difference between the two Better signal accuracy and greater reliability HVD and LVD
Signaling Methods Used on SCSI Cables (continued)
SCSI Cables
Connectors Used with SCSI Cables Not affected by signaling method used Types vary in shape and pin density; can be connected with adapters Two main types: 50-pin (A cable) 68-pin (P cable)
SCSI Connectors
Multiple Connectors on the SCSI Bus
Termination Prevents echo effect from electrical noise and reflected data at end of SCSI daisy chain Required at each end of a SCSI chain
External SCSI Terminator
Major Versions of SCSI SCSI-1 (Regular SCSI) 50 pin cable 8-bit data bus 7 possible devices 5MHz sync and async operations SCSI-2 (Fast SCSI) 50 pin cable High density. Fast SCSI(10MHz) 16-bit data bus 15 possible devices Mandatory parity checking
Major Versions of SCSI (continued) SCSI-3 (Ultra SCSI) Supports both parallel and serial data transmission Supports FireWire connections Data transfer of 320 MB/sec Includes SPI standard
SCIS Standards
SCIS Standards (continued)
SCIS Standard Cable Specs
Considerations When Choosing Between IDE and SCSI Drives IDE supports only four internal devices Supports internal and external devices; allows additional ones Separate IRQ required for each device Only one IRQ required for entire chain Generally backward-compatible Only one IDE drive on an IDE channel can be busy at a time Two or more devices can operate simultaneously
SCSI Hard Drives Connectors