User Manual

1
Overview
Ultra160 SCSI on the Adaptec SCSI Card 29160N
The Adaptec SCSI Card 29160N supports Ultra160 SCSI devices.
Ultra160 is a new generation of SCSI technology that expands SCSI
performance from 40 MBytes/sec to 160 MBytes/sec. In addition to
providing much greater performance, Ultra160 SCSI increases the
maximum allowable cable length from 3 meters to 12 meters for
improved connectivity and flexibility.
The Adaptec SCSI Card 29160N combines this Ultra160 SCSI tech-
nology with Adaptec’s SpeedFlex™ technology. SpeedFlex allows
the Adaptec SCSI Card 29160N to be backwards compatible with
previous generations of SCSI products, while allowing newer
Ultra160 SCSI devices to operate at the higher 160 MBytes/sec rate
and increased cable length.
Understanding SCSI
SCSI (pronounced “scuzzy”) stands for Small Computer Systems
Interface. SCSI is an industry standard computer interface for con-
necting SCSI devices (such as a hard disk drive, CD-ROM drive, or
scanner) to a common SCSI bus.
A SCSI bus is an electrical pathway that consists of a SCSI adapter
card (such as the Adaptec SCSI Card 29160N) installed in a com-
puter and one or more SCSI devices. SCSI cables are used to connect
the devices to the SCSI adapter card.
For the SCSI bus to function properly, a unique SCSI ID must be
assigned to the SCSI card and each SCSI device connected to it, and
the SCSI bus must be properly terminated.