#SCSI issues and PCMag
8 messages in this thread
Continuing the SCSI thread with some news. Last number of PC Mag has a large
part dedicated to SCSI standards, how it works, FastSCSI… a must. I've seen
it in the stand but doesn't recieve it by mail yet. ALSO, Future Domain has
released a hardware/software solution that can handle the popular ASPI and CAM
(Common Access Method, the loser in the bus wars) as well as other SCSI
protocols and the DOS interrupt for HD management (int13h?) It seems that all
goes in hardware and it's called PowerSCSI. mmmh… I have to see it, touch it,
installed it to believe it 🙂 Hope to get this issue in the mail soon.
Ana
ps. Also there is a Kodak two pages advertisement announcing a new Kodak
continuos tone printer with PostScript Level 2 full support. It seems to be
cheaper than the XL monster (which I tested, and is an awesome printer, with
the best output I've seen -and the biggest price 🙂 Any lights?
At this point, it does not look like Future Domain actually supports ASPI under
Windows…only under DOS. If anyone can correct me on this, please do since
this ability is key to one of our products.
Can you explain that DOS only ASPI support? It sounds a little weird to me.
Since Windows use DOS drivers to access SCSI drives, I can't see where could be
the incompatibility. This new box from FD sounds good, but if it doesn't have
ASPI under Windows, forget it. Anyway, i will stand with the Adaptecs and the
Corels for a long time 🙂
I'm very curious about this DOS only SCSI issue. Thanks in advance. I'm sure
that you have some light for my dark mind paths <g>
Ana
Windows apps need a Windows DLL that converts the necessary buffers between the
DOS real mode address space and the Windows protected mode address space. The
Windows ASPI driver is nothing else than an address translator (and a C'fier)
of the DOS driver.
From a Windows APP point of view, it's a heck lot easier to code for the
Windows ASPI driver but it's also feasable to program for the DOS ASPI
directly. It's just a matter of available resources. I had to write an ASPI
version for 3DS (using Phar Lap's stuff) and it took me a couple of minutes. So
it ain't that difficult…
Gus:
>> it took me a couple of minutes.
Well, if it took you a couple of minutes, us normal mutants would take a
couple of months, and those not on ASOFT a couple of years!
Greg Pyros
Thanks Gus. More information for a near full brain <g>
Ana
Ana,
AFG> Can you explain that DOS only ASPI support?
I think it may have something to do with Windows running in a virtual memory
environment where logical memory addresses (where your program THINKS it is)
don't correspond to phisical memory addresses (where your program REALLY is).
There's some disk i/o standard (I don't remember the name) one has to conform
to in order to work properly under these conditions.
The June 29 issue of PC Magazine has the artical you mentioned about SCSI. It
didn't have much in the way of performance benchmarks but was very interesting
reading. The theme of the July issue (I guess there's only one in July) is
"The Perfect PC". They compare all kinds of stuff, including hard disks and
controllers and busses. In short, they seemed to liked EISA and IDE the best.
I don't like their benchmark program though…
John.
John,
Thanks for your comments too. Even more light for the "unlighted" 🙂
Ana