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- ASPI416.DOC
- ------------
-
- Introduction:
- This document details information about ASPI416.SYS. ASPI416.SYS
- is a DOS ASPI Manager for the SYM53C416 series of chips from Symbios
- Logic, and complies with the Advanced SCSI Programming Interface
- (ASPI) for DOS specification. ASPI416.SYS must be loaded in the
- CONFIG.SYS file before any other ASPI drivers are loaded that may
- require the ASPI interface. For example: both CDROM.SYS and
- SCSIDISK.SYS require an ASPI interface, as provided by ASPI416.SYS.
-
-
- Hardware Requirements:
- -----------------------
- o Intel 80386SX based system or higher
- o SYM53C416 SCSI Host Adapter
-
-
- Software Requirements:
- -----------------------
- o DOS 5.0 or Higher
-
-
- Software Compatibility:
- ------------------------
- o Microsoft Windows 3.1 or 3.11
- o Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11
-
-
- Features:
- ----------
- o Releases initialization code for smaller runtime size
- o Has smaller runtime size that DOSCAM.SYS
- o Supports the following SCSI controller chips:
- SYM53C416
-
- o Performs synchronous negotiation (including FAST-20)
- o Allows Disconnect/Reselect
- o Supports single-threaded I/O
- o Does not support tagged command queuing.
- o Does not support SCSI Command Linking.
-
-
- Installation:
- --------------
- 1. Use the COPY command to copy the appropriate driver from the
- SDMS SCSI Drivers disk to your boot disk.
-
- 2. Add this line to your system's CONFIG.SYS file:
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS
-
-
- Command Line Options:
- ----------------------
- The ASPI416.SYS device driver has several configurable settings which can
- be changed via switches on the command line.
-
- All references in the USAGE descriptions to "path" refer to the adapter number.
- All references in the USAGE descriptions to "id" refer to the SCSI device ID.
- The below options use the following conventions:
- [] items in brackets are optional
- * items followed by a "*" means repeat 0 or more times
-
-
- * * * * * IMPORTANT * * * * * * * IMPORTANT * * * * * * * IMPORTANT * * * * * *
- * *
- * No spaces are allowed in specifying any of the below command line options. *
- * Spaces should ONLY be used between different command line options. *
- * *
- * * * * * IMPORTANT * * * * * * * IMPORTANT * * * * * * * IMPORTANT * * * * * *
-
-
- Using the /ASK Option:
- -----------------------
-
- Usage:
- /ASK
-
- This option prompts the user at system boot-up whether to load ASPI416.SYS
- or not.
-
- For example, if you wish to be prompted to load the driver when you boot,
- the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would look like this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /ASK
-
- Using the /SYNCH_RATE ( or /SR ) Option:
- -----------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /SYNCH_RATE=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
- (n = 0, 5, 10, or 20)
-
- This sets the maximum synchronous transfer rate (in mega transfers per
- second) to negotiate with a particular device. The allowable values for
- this setting are 0, 5, 10, and 20 mega transfers per second, if the
- adapter is capable of the specified speed. The 416 supports 10 mega
- transfers per second. To turn off synchronous transfers for a particular
- device, "0" should be specified. The value set by this option only defines
- the maximum transfer rate that will be attempted to negotiate. This means
- that the device must also be capable of this speed, and so we can't
- guarantee that the given rate will succeed. The default value is the
- fastest transfer rate that is supported by a particular host adapter.
-
- For example, if you want to turn off synchronous transfers to
- HA=0, ID=3, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would
- look like this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /SYNCH_RATE=0<0:3>
-
- As another example, if you want to set synchronous transfers to 10 mega
- transfers per second on all devices on adapter 1, the line in CONFIG.SYS
- that loads ASPI416.SYS would look like this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /SYNCH_RATE=10<1>
-
-
- Using the /DISCONNECT ( or /DC ) Option:
- -----------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /DISCONNECT=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
- (n = ON or OFF)
-
- SCSI devices have the ability to disconnect from the bus during an I/O
- transfer. This option is used to allow (or not allow) a device to
- disconnect during an I/O. If a particular adapter has parity checking
- disabled, then all devices on that adapter that do not generate parity
- must be forced to have disconnects disabled (OFF) by using this option,
- since the /PARITY option will not change the disconnect states for any
- device on that adapter. See the /PARITY option for more information.
-
- Valid options are "ON" (allow disconnects) and "OFF" (do not allow
- disconnects). The default for all devices is "ON".
-
- For example, if you would like to disable disconnects on the device at
- HA=0, ID=2, then the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would
- look like this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /DISCONNECT=OFF<0:2>
-
-
- Using the /PARITY ( or /P ) Option:
- ------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /PARITY=n<path[,path]*>[,n<path[,path]*>]*
- (n = ON or OFF)
-
- The SYM53C416 chip is capable of enabling or disabling the SCSI bus
- data integrity checking feature know as "parity". Some non-SCSI
- compliant devices sold as SCSI devices do not generate parity, and
- therefore, this option may be used to disable parity checking. The
- SYMC53416 chips will always generate parity (for outputs), but may
- optionally check the parity (for inputs). Valid options are "ON"
- (check parity) and "OFF" (do not check parity). The default for all
- devices is "ON", which enables parity checking for all devices.
-
- Note: When disabling parity checking, it is necessary to disable
- disconnects for any devices that do not generate parity, as the
- SYM53C416 chips cannot disable parity checking for that device during
- the reselection phase. Please refer to using the /DISCONNECT option
- for more information on how to disable disconnects for a device. If a
- device does not generate parity, and it disconnects, the I/O will never
- complete as the reselection will never complete.
-
- For example, if you want to turn off parity checking on host adapter
- number 0, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would look like
- this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /PARITY=OFF<0>
-
-
- Using the /HOST_ID ( or /ID ) Option:
- --------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /HOST_ID=n<path[,path]*>[,n<path[,path]*>]*
- (n = SCSI ID for specified path (adapter) )
-
- This option enables the user to alter the SCSI ID that the host adapter
- will use. On an 8 bit SCSI card, SCSI ID's 0..7 are available, on a 16
- bit card, SCSI ID's 0..15 are available. This option will not allow the
- user to select a SCSI ID that is already in use by some other device on
- the SCSI bus. It is recommended that SCSI ID's 8..15 not be used, because
- 8 bit devices may not work properly if the SCSI Host ID is greater than 7.
-
- The default SCSI Host ID is 7.
-
- For example, if you want to change the value of adapter's 1 SCSI ID to 6,
- and that adapter is not controlled by the Boot ROM, then you may change
- it to ID=6 as in the following example:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /HOST_ID=6<1>
-
-
- Using the /TIMEOUT=n ( or /T=n ) Option:
- -----------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /TIMEOUT=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
- (n = timeout value in seconds for device, n=(0..65535), 0=infinite)
-
- ASPI416.SYS uses a timeout mechanism to detect certain errors. When
- ASPI416.SYS issues a command to a SCSI device, a timer is started. If
- the timer expires before the command completes, ASPI416.SYS assumes that
- something has gone wrong with the device, and takes steps to recover.
- The default value for this is 10 seconds, and the maximum setting
- for this switch is 0, which represents no timeout.
-
- For example, if you have a particularly slow device on adapter 1 (HA=1),
- and ID=3 that you wish to extend the timeout on this device to 60 seconds,
- then the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would look like this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /TIMEOUT=60<1:3>
-
-
- Using the /VERBOSE ( or /V ) Option:
- -------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /VERBOSE
-
- This switch is used to output more detailed information than is usually
- shown, after the ASPI416.SYS is initialized. This is especially usefull
- if you have multiple SYM53C416 adapters in your system and would like to
- see the Device ID, the serial number for each SYM53C416 adapter found in
- the system.
-
- For example, if you wish to see more detailed information displayed when
- you boot, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would look like
- this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /VERBOSE
-
-
- Using the /IRQ Option:
- -------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /IRQ=n
-
- This switch is used to set the Irq Channel of the host adapter when the
- Plug and Play configuration manager is not installed. If this Irq
- Channel is available, the host adapter will be configured with this Irq.
-
- If the Plug and Play configuration manager is installed, you should use
- the ICU facility to change card settings.
-
- If you do not specify an Irq, and the Plug and Play configuration manager
- is not installed, the first available Irq channel will be assigned to the
- host adapter.
-
-
- Using the /NO_IRQ (or /NI) Option:
- -------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /NO_IRQ (or /NI)
-
- This switch is used to specify that the host adapter card is to work
- without an Irq Channel. This means that no resource will be allocated on
- the Irq lines for this adapter card.
-
-
- Using the /IO Option:
- -------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /IO=n
-
- This switch is used to set the Io Address of the host adapter when the
- Plug and Play configuration manager is not installed. If this Io Address
- is available, the host adapter will be configured with this value.
-
- If the Plug and Play configuration manager is installed, you should use
- the ICU facility to change card settings.
-
- If you do not specify an Io Address, and the Plug and Play configuration
- manager is not installed, the first available Io Address will be assigned
- to the host adapter.
-
- ===============================================================================
- *** For Developers/Support Use ONLY! ***
- *** NOT TO BE USED BY AN END USER ***
-
- Using the /DB Option:
- ----------------------
-
- Usage:
- /DB
-
- This is DEBUG mode. This is an undocumented switch that may be used
- for developers and/or support engineers to provide additional debug
- information and/or special debug modes in the driver. The exact
- details of what this will do is currently unknown and may be changed
- at any time. Its purpose should remain the same.
-
-
- Using the /SYNCH_OFFSET ( or /SO ) Option:
- -----------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /SYNCH_OFFSET=n<path[:id]>[,n<path[:id]>]*
- (n = 0..maximum synchronous offset for the adapter)
-
- This sets the maximum synchronous offset to negotiate with a particular
- device. The allowable values for this setting are 0 to the maximum
- synchronous offset supported by the specified path. The 53C416 controller
- chip support offsets up to 8. If 0 is specified for the synchronous offset
- value, then synchronous transfers will be turned off for the specified
- device(s). The value set by this option only defines the maximum offset
- that will be attempted to be negotiated. This means that the device must
- also be capable of this offset, and so we can't guarantee that the given
- offset will succeed. The default value is the maximum offset that is
- supported by a particular host adapter.
-
- For example, if you want to change the synchronous offset to 6 for
- HA=0, ID=3, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would
- look like this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /SYNCH_OFFSET=6<0:3>
-
- *** For Developers/Support Use ONLY! ***
- *** NOT TO BE USED BY AN END USER ***
- ===============================================================================
-
- ===============================================================================
- *** May possibly be used in the future ***
- *** NOT CURRENTLY USED! ***
-
- Using the /OVERRIDE Option:
- -------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /OVERRIDE
-
- This option enables the user to specify that any settings on the card that
- were done by a PnP BIOS or Intel's Configuration Manager are to be
- overridden and ignored. If command line options for setting either the
- Irq or I/O Address are present, these settings will be used. Otherwise,
- default settings (No Irq, or auto-locate I/O Address) will be used.
-
-
- Using the /INCLUDE ( or /I ) Option:
- -------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /INCLUDE=path[,path]*
-
- This option enables the user to include support for a specified adapter.
- If you have support for a specified adapter excluded by the BIOS, you
- may change the default of excluding the specified adapter from exclude to
- include by using this option.
-
- For example, if you have host adapter 0 excluded in the BIOS, and you
- want ASPI416.SYS to add support for it, then you may include it as in
- the following example:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /INCLUDE=1
-
-
- Using the /EXCLUDE ( or /X ) Option:
- -------------------------------------
-
- Usage:
- /X<a:b>[,<a:b>]*
- (a= Device ID, b= Serial Number)
-
- This option enables the user to exclude support for a specified adapter.
- This option has two parameters that are all required:
- 1.) Device ID
- 2.) Serial Number
-
- These parameters will identify a specific adapter that you wish to
- exclude, and may be obtained in the following manner:
- Step 1.) Boot using the "/VERBOSE" switch to find the correct
- parameters that correspond to the device you wish to exclude.
- Step 2.) Edit your config.sys and add the "/EXCLUDE" switch with the
- parameters that you obtained above (in Step 1).
-
- For example, if you booted with the /VERBOSE switch as in Step 1,
- and found that the adapter that you want to exclude had:
- Device ID = 3
- Serial Number = 5
- then, the line in CONFIG.SYS that loads ASPI416.SYS would look like this:
-
- DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI416.SYS /X<3:5>
-
-
- *** May possibly be used in the furture ***
- *** NOT CURRENTLY USED! ***
- ===============================================================================
-
-
-
-