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It's
Spelled SCSI, not Scuzzy!
SCSI,
or Small Computer Systems Interface, also
pronounced “scuzzy” is defined as a standard type of input
and output system used to attach peripheral devices to provide
a very fast connection rate. These devices can be scanners,
hard disks or other devices that can connect to a computer.
Most Mac computers and operating systems use SCSI connections
and they come in a several varieties.
The
purpose of using SCSI connections is that the transfer
rate is much faster than parallel ports. Data
can be transferred up to 160 megabytes per second than
standard serial and parallel ports. Also, many devices
can be attached to a SCSI port.
The
SCSI ports are most commonly used for peripheral devices
such as hard disks, tape storage devices and printers. CD
ROM drives, CD burners and recorders and DVD drives are
also able to connect to SCSI ports. Even SCSI compatible
printers can be purchased and compatible with the SCSI
system. Most devices that are compatible with SCSI will
have a built in terminator that can either be enabled or
disabled. If the device does not have an active terminator
already built in, one can be purchased. There are several
varieties of SCSI cables available because the SCSI system
is so flexible.
There
are many benefits to using SCSI. SCSI provides
a high-speed, intelligent interacing that can allow for
up to 16 different peripheral connections on a single bus..
The faster the SCSI transer rate, the faster the data and
information is available to the user. The SCSI is also
very reliable and it works on most computer systems.
The
problems with SCSI are few. One potential problem
is when using SCIS, it must be configured for a specific
computer. The SCSI also has limited BIOS support and there
is no common software inferface. Another potential problem
while using SCSI is that it has many variations that can
be confusing to a new user.
There
are three basic types of SCSI. The SCSI-1 was
the first type of SCSI that was developed in 1986. The
SCSI-2 was the second variation that was became a standard
in 1994. The key component to SCSI-2 was the inclusion
of the CCS (Common Command Set). These are the 18 commands
considered to be necessary to make any SCSI device run
smoothly. Also included in the SCSI-2 is the command queing
which allowed that any SCSI device to store a series of
commands from the host computer. This queing determines
which commands are given first priority.
The
third variation of SCSI is the SCSI-3, which came soon after
the second variation in 1995. This variation can sometimes
be confusing to the new user. This variation is not considered
the standard since it has smaller built-in standards than
the SCSI-2. The SCSI-3 uses other variations including Ultra,
Ultra2, and Ultra3. The fast and wide designations work like
the SCSI-2 and the fast designation means that the speed
has been doubled. The SCSI-3 can add functionality and performance
improvements to the system in use. The SCSI-3 also uses glass
fiber optic cables instead of traditional ribbon cable connections.
There
are three main parts of any SCSI system. These
include the controller or host adapter, the device and
the cable. The controller is the main part of the SCSI
system. It serves as an interface between any devices connected
to the unit. The controller might be a built into the motherboard
device or it might be a card that can be plugged in to
the computer. The controller also contains the BIOS, which
is the ROM or software memory chip that controls devices
hooked into the SCSI. Most devices that are connected with
the SCSI have a built in adapter that allows the unit to
communicate. These devices are called embedded SCSI devices.
Another
thing to remember when looking at SCSI is that SCSI is not
the same as SASI, which was developed in the 70s. SASI was
originally designed to work with disk drives only. SASI also
operated much slower at 1.5 MB second than the newer SCSI.
The older version of SCSI-1 was based on the SASI system
making the SASI system obsolete. The two systems cannot be
used together.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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