ATTO Technology UL3D, UL3D-66, UL3S, UL3S-66 Installation And Operation 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 rm in at i on

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 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

1 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

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)

Introduction

2

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.

3 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

Term Definition

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.

Glossary

4

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.

WAR N ING

before changing or installing hardware.

WAR N ING

components that are sensitive to electrostatic discharge
(ESD). ESD can cause damage to the ExpressPCI host
adapter. Please follow standard methods to avoid ESD.

Remember to back 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 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.

Install the ATTO ExpressPCI host adapter in

4

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.

ExpressPCI

64-bit card

32-bit PCI slot Correct 32-bit

64-bit PCI slot Correct 64-bit

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.

JP1 and JP2

enabled

operation

operation

JP1 and JP2 disabled

May not function in
some motherboards

Correct 64-bit operation

5 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

Exhibit 3-2 The ATTO ExpressPCI UL3S/UL3S-66 adapter

r

Hardware installation

68-pin VHDCI
Connector

Exhibit 3-3 The ATTO ExpressPCI UL3D/UL3D-66 adapter

68-pin Connecto

64/32-Bit PCI 2.2

Compliant Connector

Channel 1: 68-pin

Connector

Ultra3 SCSI Processor

Channel 2: 68-pin

Connector

Channel 2: 68-pin
VHDCI Connector

Channel 1: 68-pin
VHDCI Connector

Ultra3 SCSI Processor

64/32-Bit PCI 2.2

Compliant Connector

6

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: well­insulated 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 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.

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.

Bus speed

STA terms

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

7 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

MB/sec. max.

Bus width

bits

Max. bus lengths, meters Max. device

Single-ended Differential LVD

support

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.

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.

Cables and termination

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

Termi natio n

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

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.

The

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

8

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 8­bits (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.

9 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

Cables and termination

10

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

1 Log on to Windows as the system

administrator.

2 Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
3 Run Setup.exe
4 Click Install
5 Follow 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.
1 Log on to Windows as the system

administrator.

2 Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
3 Run Setup.exe
4 Click Install
5 Follow the instructions to complete the

installation.

6 Shut down Windows when the Setup window

prompts you to do so.

7 Install your ExpressPCI adapter into an

available PCI expansion slot.

8 Restart 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

1 Log on to Windows as the system

administrator.

2 Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
3 Run Setup.exe
4 Click Install
5 Follow the instructions to complete the

installation

6 Leaving the existing adapter in the system with

the devices attached, shut down Windows

7 Attach the desired devices from your previous

adapter to the ExpressPCI adapter and, if
desired, remove the previous adapter.

8 Restart Windows.

To install a new copy of Windows onto a SCSI
disk attached to the ExpressPCI adapter.

1 Start Windows text mode setup as per the

instructions provided with Windows.

2 When 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

3 At the new window with instructions to specify

additional mass storage devices, press S.

4 Insert the ExpressPCI installation disk in drive

A: and press Enter.

5 At the screen from which you would normally

select a driver, a list of ExpressPCI adapters
should appear. Select your adapter and press
Enter.

6 Windows Setup will load the files from the disk.
7 ATTO ExpressPCI device should now be listed

as detected in the screen which appears.

8 Repeat steps 3-7 for any other vendor-supplied

driver installation disks.

11 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

9 After 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

Windows NT Installation

To install/upgrade the Windows NT driver

1 Log on to Windows as the system

administrator.

2 Open the SCSI Adapters applet in the Control

Panel

3 Click on Drivers tab.
4 Click Add...
5 Click Have Disk...
6 Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
7 Enter the path for it under Copy manufacturer’s

files from

8 Click OK
9 A 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.

1 Install the ExpressPCI adapter into an available

PCI expansion slot.

2 Log on to Windows as the system

administrator.

3 Open the SCSI Adapters applet in the Control

Panel

4 Click on Drivers tab.
5 Click Add...
6 Click Have Disk...
7 Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
8 Enter the path for it under Copy manufacturer’s

files from

9 Click 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 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.

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

1 Insert the adapter into an available PCI

expansion slot, but DO NOT remove the
existing adapter or disconnect devices from it.

2 Log on to Windows as the system

administrator.

3 Open the SCSI Adapters applet in the Control

Panel

4 Click on Drivers tab.
5 Click Add...
6 Click Have Disk...
7 Insert your ExpressPCI Installation Disk
8 Enter the path for it under Copy manufacturer’s

files from

9 Click 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.

Install, update drivers

12

To install a new copy of Windows NT onto a
SCSI disk attached to your ExpressPCI
adapter.

1 Start Windows NT text mode setup as per the

instructions provided with Windows NT.

2 Press F6 when the first blue window, Windows

NT Setup, appears. Setup will continue to load

files.

3 After loading the setup files, you will be given

several choices. Press Enter to install
Windows.

4 From the list of devices detected by Windows,

press S.

5 Choose Other to install the ExpressPCI driver

and any other drivers for which you have OEM­supplied installation disks.

6 Insert 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:

1 Obtain the latest firmware from the ATTO web site

www.attotech.com.

2 Extract the firmware to a floppy disk by executing the

self-extracting file.

3 Reboot the PC.
4 An ATTO Technology banner will announce that

the host adapter was detected. Enter Control-Z
when prompted to begin the setup utility.

5 Select the Upgrade Flash ROM option and

insert the disk into the drive slot.

7 Press Enter
8 Windows 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.

9 After 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.

6 Follow the on-line instructions.
7 Remove 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

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

the ExpressPCI Utilities CD-ROM or directly
from the ATTO Technology web site,
www.attotech.com. Please refer to these
documents for installation instructions.

properly install the new drivers on your system.
After installing, the new adapter driver you will
need to update the firmware.

13

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:

1 Obtain the latest firmware and updater program

from the ATTO web site www.attotech.com and
download to your host.

2 Create a folder or drive where you want the

program files to be placed.

3 Using a compression utility capable of handling

hqx files, extract the files by clicking Save.

4 Open the program file folder and click on the

ExpressPCI Updater program.

5 Select the appropriate option and hit Enter.
6 A message will inform you which ExpressPCI

cards were updated.

7 Type Q to quit.
8 Re-boot the Macintosh system.

Install, update drivers

14

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

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.

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

2Examine the Driver 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

15 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra/WIDE SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

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
and

FILE_FLAG_NO_BUFFERING

your

CreateFile

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 use over-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, 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.

Maximize performance

16

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)

17 ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

Troubleshooting

18

Appendix A Standards and compliances

The equipment described in this manual generates and uses radio frequency energy. The Technical
Specification sheet for a particular ATTO ExpressPCI host bus adapter list certifications for that model.

FCC standards: radio and television interference

WAR N ING

Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed

to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance
with the instruction manual, may cause interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that
interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference 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 more 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 A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a

Cet appareil numérique de la classe A 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: EN55024:1998
This Declaration will only be valid when this product is used in conjunction with other CE approved
devices and when the entire system is tested to the applicable CE standards and found to be compliant.

C-Tick

This apparatus meets all requirements for C-Tick Certification.

i ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

Appendix B SCSI 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 include 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 features

Single Channel ExpressPCI Ultra 320 Express PCI Ultra 3 Express PCI Ultra

Wide

Max. transfer rate 320 MB/sec 160 MB/sec. 40 MB/sec.

LVD

HVD

64-bit

32-bit

33/66 MHZ

133 MHZ

Bus ID support 30 30 15

Part number EPCI-UL4S EPCI-UL3S EPCI-PSC

Dual Channel--- 2

independent channels

Max. transfer rate 640 MB/sec 320 MB/sec.

LVD

64-bit

32-bit

33/66 MHZ

ExpressPCI Ultra 320 Express PCI Ultra 3





















133 MHZ

Bus ID support 30 30

Part number EPCI-UL4D EPCI-UL3D



ii

Appendix C Fibre 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.

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)

2-Gigabit Adapters

FC 3342 FC 3322 FC 3321 FC 3300 FC 3305

Fibre Channel ports42211

Optical interface SW, LC, SFP SW, LC, SFP SW, LC, SFF Fixed SW LC

Copper interface HSSDC

Max. transfer rate 400 MB/sec per

channel

Class transfers

Full duplex

66/33 MHz PCI

compatible

133 MHz PCI-X

compatible

64- and 32-bit PCI

compatible

Windows® XP/2000/NT

Windows Server 2003

Solaris/Linux

Mac OS X

Mac OS 9

RAID support

Maximum cable length 300m @ 2-Gb

2, 3 2, 3 2, 3 2, 3 2, 3

77777

66 MHz only

77

64-bit only

77777
77777

500m @ 1-Gb

400 MB/sec
per channel

400 MB/sec per

channel

400 MB/sec 400 MB/sec

7777

7777

Linux Linux

Mac OSX

77
77
77

300m @ 2-Gb
500m @ 1-Gb

Mac OSX

300m @ 2-Gb
500m @ 1-Gb

77

300m @ 2-Gb
500m @ 1-Gb

25 m

(175m with

MIA)

iii ATTO Technology ExpressPCI Ultra3 SCSI Host Adapters Installation and Operation Manual

Appendix D Contact 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
[phone] • voice
[phone] • fax
http://www.attotech.com

ATTO Technology can also be reached via e-mail at the following addresses:

Sales Support: [e-mail]
Technical Support: [e-mail]

iv