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
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
1What is ATTO ExpressPCI?
Compatible with virtu ally all popular SCSI devices , ATTO ExpressPCI host adapters will increase the
performance of disk -intensive applicatio ns s uch 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 elimi nate 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.
Operating Environments
Power Requirements
Environmental and Physical
Specifications
Operating Tempe rature
Asynchrono us I/O support
❖
Multiple Initiator support
❖
SCSI-3 Tagged Command Queuing
❖
Mac SCSI Manage r 4.3 and pre 4.3
compatible driver
❖
Windows 95/98, Windows NT/2000/XP
❖
Mac OS 9, Mac OS X
❖
❖
❖
Linux
Sun Solaris
0.75 typical / 1.25 max. Amps @ + 5.0 VDC,
0.05 Amps @ +12.0 VDC
0-50°C
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
Humidity
Length
...............
Height 4.2”
MTBF
MTTR
10-90% Non-conden sing
4.92” (PSC)
6.2” (DC)
150,000 hours
< 15 minutes
SCSI Connectors
ATTO ExpressPCI PSC
HD68 (high density 68-
pin)
ATTO ExpressPCI DC
68-pin VHDCI ext e rnal
connectors (2), HD 68 internal conn ectors (2)
Maximum Host PCI Transfer Rate:
Maximum SCSI transfer rates:
133 MB/sec.
synchronous data
rate 40 MB/sec. per channel; asynchronous data
rate:12 MB/sec. per channel
SCSI is a serial communications technology des igned to transfer large amounts of dat a between a
variety of hardware systems over long distances. It is a key technology for applications that require
shared, high bandwidth access to stor age.
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
The SCSI architecture is structured as a
hierarchic al set of proto col layers. Def ined within
these layers are rules for signal interfaces, serial
encoding and decoding, error control, frame
format and communications protocols.
of the data so different upper level protocols are
able to run over SCSI hardware.
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).
TermDefinition
ANSIAmerican National Standards Institute
auto negotiationhardware senses and automatically responds depending on configuration
BERBit Error Rate: a me asure o f transmission a ccuracy ; the ratio of bit s rece ived in
error to bits sen t
bitSmallest unit of data a computer can process: a single binary digit with a value
of either 0 or 1
bytean ordered set of 8 bits
CRCCyclic R edundancy Ch eck: an error-correcting code which calcula tes 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.
hosta processor, usually a CPU and memory, which communicates with devices
over an interface
initiator deviceA component which originates a command
LEDLight-emitting diode: a type of diode that emits light when current passes
through it. Visible LED s are used as indicator lights on all sorts of electronic
devices.
originatoran initiating device; a compone nt w hich originates a command
receiverthe ultimate destination of data transmission; a terminal device
SCSISmall Computer Systems Interface: a processor-independent standard for
system-level interface betw een a computer and intelligent devices including
hard disks , floppy disks, CD-ROM, printers, sca n n ers, etc.
topologylogical layout of the parts of a computer system or network and their
interconnections
transceivera transmitter/receiver module
transfer ratethe rate at which bytes or bits are transferred, as in megabytes or gigabits per
second.
Glossary
4
3Installing the ExpressPCI SCSI Host Adapter
Y ou 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 exp lanations of cabling ,
connectors and termina tion, see Chapter 3.1.
WARNING
before changing or inst alling hardware.
WARNING
components t hat are sensitive to electrostatic discharge
(ESD). ESD can cause damage to the ExpressPCI host
adapter. Please follow standard methods to avoid ESD.
Remember to b a c k up your system data
ATTO ExpressPCI host adapters contain
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 SC SI adapter you need:
❖
A computer with an available PCI slot.
❖
SCSI devices
❖
Cable(s) and terminator(s).
Installation
1Plan your SCSI device connections (see
Chapter 3.1).
2Shut down the system and all peripherals
before installing the a dapter. After turning
off the computer, leave the power cable
plugged into a grounded outlet to discharge
static electricity.
3Open the computer case.
Install the ATTO ExpressPCI host adapter in
4
any open PCI expansion slot. If you have
questions about how to inst all an expansion
card in your system, consult your
computer’s documentation.
5Replace the computer cover.
6Connect 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.
7Power up your computer.
8Set SCSI device termination. (see
Chapter 3.1)
9Set SCSI IDs. Adapter default is 7.
Each device on the SCSI bus requires a unique
SCSI ID. If inst alling a single device , make sure yo u
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 ATT O ExpressPCI Utilities to
change host adapter settings. Refer to
Chapter 3.2 for more information.
11 If necessary, install drivers for your
Cables and devices must be chosen to maximize performance and minimize the electrical noise from the
high-speed data tra ns fers 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 spee ds .
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: we llinsulated SCSI cables ensure error free
communications. Try to keep cable lengths as
short as possible to ensure higher signal quality
and performanc e .
Examples
The SCSI specification limit s total bus cable
length for Single-Ended SCSI in a non-UltraSCSI
Exhibit 3.1-1Various types of SCSI require different bus lengths to support a certain number of devices.
environment to 3 meters (combined length of both
internal and external cable lengths).
In an UltraSCSI workgroup environment with a 7drive 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 se nsitive to SCSI bus noise,
cable distances and th e number of devices connected on
the SCSI bus. C arefully connect your devices when
working with UltraSCSI.
Max. bus lengths, metersMax. device
Single-endedDifferentialLVD
support
Connectors
ATTO ExpressPCI PSC:
one industr y 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-
device connections and two 68-pin “P” (16-bit)
VHDCI (V ery High Density Cabled Interconnect)
cable connectors for external device connections.
NOTE
When installing SCSI d ev ices on the ATTO
ExpressPCI PSC, us e any two SCS I ports on your ATTO
ExpressPCI SCS I adapter, but not all three. Use all four
channels on the ATTO ExpressPCI DC.
If using a combination of Wide 16-bit devices and
Narrow 8-bit devices on the same connector,
Wide devices must be connected first (close s t to
Exhibit 3.1-2Several types of internal and external cable connectors.
the connector), fo llowed by the Narrow devices.
Please refer to the documentation you received
with your SCSI devices to determine if your
device is Wide or Narrow.
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 dependi ng
upon the configuration. Be sure to use the correct
terminator. Single-Ended, Low Voltage
Differential and Differential SCSI buses use
different types of terminators that should not be
mixed.
Cables, termination
Single-Ended ATTO ExpressPCI PSC/DC
incorporates advanced termination circuitry to
automatically configure its own termi nat ion.
Exhibit 3.1-3Two LEDs on the top edge of the ATTO
ExpressPCI PSC/DC provide feedback on its automatic
termination setting.
LED1
(Low Term)
OnOnAll 16 data bits termin ated
OffOffNo termination
OffOnUpper 8 bits terminated
LED 2
(High Term)
ATTO ExpressPCI-PSC
termination
You should not have to manually adjust the
termination of your adapter unless you a narrow
(8 bit) device attached to the external port
AND
a
wide (16 bit) device attache d to the internal port
of your ATTO ExpressPCI PS C/DC OR if you
attached a narrow (8 bit) device to the int ern al
WIDE (16 bit) connector and a WIDE (16 bit)
device to the external por t. You must manually
terminate the adapter using ATTO ExpressPCI
Utilities program with the termination option set
to Upper.
The ATTO ExpressPCI SCSI adapter only
controls its ow n term in atio n. You must te rminat e
the last device of both the internal SCSI chain and
the external SCSI chain.
8
To set up cabling and termination:
1Determine whether your ATTO Express PCI
adapter is a single channel or dual channel
model. One external connector indicates a
single channel host adapter; two extern al
connectors indicate a dual channel host
adapter.
2Determine if SCSI devices will be installed
internally or externally.
Total bus cable length,
varies by host adapter and
type of attached devices. Refer to Exhib it 3.1 -1
for details on maximum cable length.
If you combine Wide 16-bit and Narrow 8-bit
devices on the same connector,
connect the
Wide devices first (closest to the connector).
Exhibit 3.1-4Please refer to the documentation for
your SCSI devices to determine they are W i de or Narrow.
Internal
Connection
Wide DeviceWide DeviceNone
not usedWide DeviceFull
Wide Devicenot usedFull
Narrow Devicenot usedFull
not usedNarrow DeviceFull
Narrow DeviceWide DeviceUpper
Wide DeviceNarrow DeviceUpper
Narrow DeviceNarrow DeviceUpper
3Determine which terminator to use
Use an LVD terminator if you are only using LVD
devices.
Although you can use a Single-Ended
External
Connection
Termination
Selection
terminator, all devices will be limited to Ultra
SCSI speeds. Single-Ended devices require a
Single-Ended te rmi nator. If you use an LVD
terminator with Single-Ended devices, the system
may hang or devices may not be seen on the SCSI
bus. Some termination manufacturers pro vide
automatically sensing terminators.
External terminators
last external device in the SCSI chain.
should be attached to the
Don’t use
any other termination on the external SCSI chain.
The last device on an internal SCSI chain should
also be terminated. This can be done in several
ways. Many Single-Ended Ultra SCSI and earlier
devices provide a jumper setting for applying
termination: place a jumper over the pins
designated for termination on the last device on
the internal cable. Check with y our drive
manufacturer if you are not sure which pins to
use.
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, followed by narrow devices.
To terminate the SCSI bus, the cable or adapter
used to convert from a wide (68-pin) connector to
a narrow (50-pin) connector provides partial
termination, allowing upper 8-bits (or byte) of the
wide SCSI bus to be pro perly terminated. A
narrow terminator should 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 at first
appear to work correctly , but occasional I/O errors
will occur without pro per termination.
NOTE
If you use both internal and e xternal connectors
and mix Single-Ended and L VD devices on the same bus,
even if using different connectors, the host adapter ca rd
will operate with Single-Ended signaling at UltraSCSI
speeds.
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 adapte r w ill
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 att ached to
the other connector on the same bus. The host
adapter must supply parti al 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.
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 pow er. Contact
your device manufacturer for more information
on your device’s ability to supply termination
power.
Cables, termination
10
3.2Installing and Updating Devi ce 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 Expr essPCI adapters
installed and you are installing ad ditional adapter(s), you do NOT need to perfor m 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 p roc edure before
attaching any devices to the adapte r. If another driver has
been loaded before the E xpres sP CI driver is load ed a nd
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.
9Windows 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
press Enter and proceed with the rest of the
Windows Installation procedure.
NOTE
When Window s begins copying f iles to yo ur hard
disk, you will again be pro mpted to insert the Expre ssPCI
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.
installation disk and any other vend or-supp lied 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.
12 Restart Wi ndows to complete the ExpressPCI
installation.
To add a driver for your ExpressPCI adapter
to an existing Wind ows installation if you AR E
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 Wi ndows 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 syste m 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.
Install, update drivers
12
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 OEMsupplied installation disks.
6Insert the ExpressPCI installation diskette in
drive A:
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 flo ppy disk by exec uting the
self-extracting file.
3Reboot the PC.
4An ATTO T echnology banner will announce that
the host ad apter w as detect ed. Ente r Control-Z
when prompted to begin the setup utility.
5Select the Upgrade Flash ROM option and
insert the disk into the drive slot.
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 Window s begins copying files to your ha rd
disk, you will be promp ted to insert the ExpressPCI
installation disk and any other vend or-supp lied 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.
6Follow the on-line instructions .
7Remove the disk and reboot the PC.
NOTE
Firmware must be loa ded 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.att otech.com/software/index.html, will
verify driver s a nd fi rmware versions and attempt
to flash. Instructions for using this utility are
provided as part of the d ownload process.
Linux and Sun Solaris Driver Installation
ATTO of fers Linu x and Sun Sola ris drivers whi ch
are compatible with the ExpressPCI host adapters.
A complete download package, incl uding 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 .
The ATTO ExpressPCI Configuration Tool,
available on the ATTO web site,
www.att otech.com/software/index.html, will
verify driver s a nd fi rmware versions and attempt
to flash. Instructions for using this utility are
provided as part of the d ownload 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 ATT O 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 Q to quit.
8Re-boot the Macintosh system.
Install, update drivers
14
4Maximizing Performance with your 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 ATT O driver , setting the registry entry for large block transfers, using ATTO
ExpressRAID for setting up RAI D 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 A TT O
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
1Open My Computer
2Open Control Panel
3Open SCSI Adapters
4Examine the Driver tab for your SCSI
adapter. If the driver is not express.sys,
install the express.sys driver.
5Either 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
1Using the Device Manager, select SCSI &
RAID Controllers
2Examine the Driver tab for your SCSI
adapter. If the driver is not express.sys,
install the express.sys driver.
3Either 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 corr ectly 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 edit or. 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 wi th Ex p ress R AID are
recognizable by DOS an d Windows
❖
You can stripe removable-media drives with
ExpressRAID.
If you have purchas ed the striping option,
additional informatio n about ExpressRAID is
on the CD whic h 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 driv es.
Analyze your I/Os
For large sequential data transfers, use Direct I/O
by selecting
and
FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING
CreateFile
your
FILE_FLAG_WRITE_THROUGH
flags with
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 us e ov e r-lapped I/O using the
FILE_FLAG_OVERLAPPED
CreateFile
call. Overlapped I/O allows the
option with the
application to send many commands to the device
at once.
The ATTO Disk Benchmark program, inclu ded
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 Dire ct I/O a nd s et th e 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 removi ng the sy stem 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 amoun t of
memory in your computer, you may not be
able to use queue depths greater than 4 or 5.
Maximize performance
16
5Troubleshooting
This chapter contains solutions for the m os t common problems you might encoun ter. 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 I Ds.
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 otherw ise, the
latest drivers and firmware can be downl oaded
from the ATTO Technology website
(www.attotech.com)
The equipment described in this manual gen erates and uses radio frequency energy. The Technical
Specification sheet for a particular ATTO ExpressPCI host bus adapter list certifications for that model.
FCC standards : ra dio and television interference
WARNING
Class B digital device, pursuant to Pa rt 15 of the FCC Rules . These limits are design ed
to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a res idential installation.
This equipment gene rate s, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instruction manu al, may cause interference to radio com munications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interfere nce to radio or television
reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct the
interference by one or mo re of the following measures:
❖
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
❖
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver
❖
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected
❖
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help
Canadian standards
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
This equ ipment has been tested and found to comply with the li mits for a
Cet appareil numér ique de la classe B est conforme à la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
European standards
Declaration of Conformity
This following statement applies to the ATTO Express PCI host bus adapter.
This device has been tested in the basic operating configuration and found to be compliant
with the following European Union standards:
Application of Council Directive: 89/336/EEC
Standard(s) to which conformity is declared: EN55024:199 8
This Declaration wil l only be valid when this product is used in conjunction with other CE approved
devices and when the entire system is tested to th e applicable CE standards and found to be compliant.
Usage restrictions
The use of optical instruments with this product will increase eye hazard.
The multimode transceiver (A TTO Express PCI FC 3300 only) is a Class 1 laser product complying with
IEC 825-1 and FDA-21 CFR 1040.11. To meet laser safety requirements, the transceiver shall be
operated within the maximum ratings. The laser is non-OFC compliant as it is a Class 1 device.
The optical ports of the modules must be termi nated with an optical connector or wi th a dust plug.
CAUTION
“manufacturing” and will require, under law, recertification of the modified product with the U.S. Food and D rug
Administration (ref. 21 CFR 1040.10(i)).
Failure to adhere to the above restrictions could result in a modification that is considered an act of
i ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
Appendix BSCSI host adapter selection guide
ATTO Technology offers a number of SCSI and Fibre Channel solutions for storage. The following chart
compares the features of ExpressPCI SCSI host adapters.
Supported platforms: Sun Solaris; Linux; NetWare; SCO Unix; Windows 2000, 95/98, NT, and Macintosh
OS and OS X.
Complete RAID packages are also available and include an ExpressPCI SCSI host adapter, ExpressRAID
software and appropriate cable(s). Add "-KIT" suffix to host adapter product code (i.e. EPCI-UL3D-KIT)
Specific feat ures
Single ChannelExpressPCI Ultra 320Express PCI Ultra 3Express PCI Ultra
Wide
Max. transfer rate320 MB/sec160 MB/sec.40 MB/sec.
LVD
HVD
64-bit
32-bit
33/66 MHZ
133 MHZ
Bus ID suppo rt303015
Part numberEPCI-UL4SEPCI-UL3SEPCI-PSC
Dual Channel--- 2
independent channels
Max. transfer rate640 MB/sec320 M B /se c.
LVD
64-bit
32-bit
33/66 MHZ
ExpressPCI Ultra 320Express PCI Ultra 3
133 MHZ
Bus ID support303 0
Part numberEPCI-UL4SEPCI-UL3D
ii
Appendix CFibre Channel host adapter guide
ATTO Technology offers a number of SCSI and Fibre Channel solutions for storage. The following chart
compares the features of ExpressPCI Fibre Channel host adapters.
Supported platforms: Sun Solaris; Linux; NetWare; SCO Unix; Windows 2000, 95/98, NT, and Macintosh
OS and OS X.
Complete RAID packages are also available and include an ExpressPCI SCSI host adapter, ExpressRAID
software and appropriate cable(s). Add "-KIT" suffix to host adapter product code (i.e. EPCI-UL3D-KIT)
ExpressPCI
FCSW
Fibre Channel ports
Optical interface
Copper interface
Max. transfer rate
Class 2 transfers
Class 3 transfers
Full duplex
66 MHz backward
compatible with 33
MHz
64- and 32-bit PCI
support
Windows
XP/2000/NT;
Windows 95/98;
Linux and
Macintosh® OS,
OS X
RAID support
Max. cable length
Part number
Complete RAID packages are also available. To receive the ATTO ExpressPCI host adapter, ExpressRAID software an d
appropriate cable(s), add “-KIT” to host adapter product code (i.e., EPCI-2600-000-K IT) when ordering.
iii ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual
Appendix DContact ATTO Technology, Inc.
Customer service, sales information and technical support are available by phone Monday through Friday ,
Eastern Standard Time 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., or by e-mail and web site 24-hours a day.
ATTO Technology, Inc.
155 CrossPoint Parkway
Amherst, New York 14068
(716) 691-1999 • voice
(716) 691-9353 • fax
http://www.attotech.com
ATTO Technology can also be reached via e-mail at the following addresses: