CompuServe Messages

For proper operation, particularly those that use cables longer than three feet, SCSI cables need at least one ground return wire for every data and control signal on the bus. Since there ar 18 data/control signals on a SCSI bus plus termination power, a 25 pin connector simply doesn't have enough pins to supply what the bus needs. (You can thank Apple for this non-standard connector) The end result of using this connector and the cable that attaches to it is unreliable data transfers that gets worse as the total cable length grows. A better solution for external drives is the Centronics 50 pin connector, or in the case of SCSI II FAST, the 50 pin hi-density connector.