Copyright: Copyright © 1995 Adaptec, Inc.
Citation: Copyright © 1995 Adaptec, Inc. All rights reserved.


EZ-SCSI Online Reference
Adaptec EZ-SCSI Online Reference

The Adaptec EZ-SCSI Online Reference describes the Adaptec EZ-SCSI ASPI Managers and device drivers that are used with DOS and Windows 3.x. You probably do not need to use these drivers if your computer is running under Windows 95 or Windows NT. However, you may need to use some of the drivers to support devices such as scanners and CD recorders. For information, see the Troubleshooting Tips section of the Adaptec EZ-SCSI Quick Reference.

Click the Print button to print a copy of any topic for your reference.

ASPI Managers

ASPI Device Drivers

SCSI Performance Tips


ASPI Managers

What Is an ASPI Manager?

Which ASPI Manager Does My Host Adapter Use?

How Is the ASPI Manager Loaded in Memory?

How Is ASPI Manager Information Displayed?

How Do I Prevent the ASPI Manager from Loading?

How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows 3.x?

ASPI Manager Command Line Options


What Is an ASPI Manager?

ASPI Managers are software programs that enable communication between ASPI device drivers, a host adapter, and the SCSI devices connected to the host adapter. Each Adaptec ASPI manager is written for a specific operating system, such as DOS/Windows 3.x, and a specific family of Adaptec host adapters.

You can use Adaptec host adapters in your computer without an ASPI manager. However, you must use an ASPI manager if you want to

•	Install and use more than two SCSI disk drives in a computer using DOS 4.x or earlier.

•	Install and use two or more host adapters in your computer

•	Control SCSI devices that are not under host adapter BIOS control

•	Install and use a CD-ROM drive, SCSI tape drive, or removable-media drive

•	Use ASPI manager command line options to change the host adapter configuration

Related Topics:

Which ASPI Manager Does My Host Adapter Use?

How Is the ASPI Manager Loaded in Memory?

How Is ASPI Manager Information Displayed?

How Do I Prevent the ASPI Manager from Loading?

How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows 3.x?

ASPI Manager Command Line Options


Note98

Command line options always begin with a forward slash ( / ) and are added to the end of the command line in the config.sys file that loads the ASPI manager. The following command line loads the aspi4dos.sys ASPI manager. The /d option displays information about the host adapter and SCSI devices when the computer boots; the /p130 option selects a different I/O port address for the host adapter.

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d  /p130


Note:

Computers running under DOS 5.0 or above can access more than two disk drives, if your host adapter supports more than two drives under BIOS control. Read your host adapter documentation to find out how many disk drives it supports.


Which ASPI Manager Does My Host Adapter Use?

Adaptec EZ-SCSI includes several ASPI Managers for host adapters running under DOS and Windows 3.x.

Adaptec EZ-SCSI detects what kind of host adapter is installed in your computer and automatically installs the ASPI manager used by that host adapter. If you want to know which ASPI manager Adaptec EZ-SCSI will install for your Adaptec host adapter, click on the host adapter model number in the following list.

Note: Some newer Adaptec host adapter models may not appear on the list.

AHA-1540B/1542B AHA-1540C/1542C AHA-1540CF/1542CF AHA-1540CP/1542CP AHA-1535P AHA-1640 AHA-1740/1742/1744 (in Standard Mode) AHA-1740A/1742A (in Standard Mode)	AHA-1740/1742/1744 (in Enhanced Mode) AHA-1740A/1742A (in Enhanced Mode)
AVA-1502 AVA-1505/1515 AHA-1510/1520/1522 AHA-1510A/1520A/1522A AHA-1510B/1520B/1522B AHA-1530P/1532P AHA-2820/2822/2825 AIC-6260/6360/6370 AMM-1510M/AMM-1570 APA-1460 Adaptec SlimSCSI	AHA-2740/2742 AHA-2740T/2742T AHA-2740A/2742A AHA-2740AT/2742AT AHA-2740W/2742W AHA-2840A/2842A AHA-2840VL/2842VL AIC-7770
AHA-2910 AHA-2930 AHA-2940/2940W/2944 AHA-3940/3940W AIC-7850/AIC-7870 AHA-3985 APC-7850/7855/7870	T160/T460 APA-460
APA-348 Adaptec MiniSCSI Plus Trantor T348	APA-358/358A Adaptec MiniSCSI EPP Trantor T358
APA-460 Adaptec SlimSCSI
Related Topics:

What Is an ASPI Manager?

How Is the ASPI Manager Loaded in Memory?

How Is ASPI Manager Information Displayed?

How Do I Prevent the ASPI Manager from Loading?

How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows 3.x?

ASPI Manager Command Line Options


aspi4dos
aspi4dos.sys

These bus mastering Adaptec host adapters use the aspi4dos.sys ASPI manager. AHA-174x host adapters use aspi4dos.sys when running in Standard Mode only.

Click here to view aspi4dos.sys command line information.


aspiedos
aspiedos.sys

These bus mastering Adaptec host adapters are designed for EISA-bus computers and use the aspiedos.sys ASPI manager. AHA-174x host adapters use aspiedos.sys when running in Enhanced Mode only.

Click here to view aspiedos.sys command line information.


aspi2dos
aspi2dos.sys

These Adaptec host adapters use the aspi2dos.sys ASPI manager.

Click here to view aspi2dos.sys command line information.


aspi7dos
aspi7dos.sys

These Adaptec host adapters use the aspi7dos.sys ASPI manager.

Click here to view aspi7dos.sys command line information.


aspi8dos
aspi8dos.sys

These Adaptec host adapters use the aspi8dos.sys ASPI manager.

Click here to view aspi8dos.sys command line information.


ma160
ma160.sys

These Adaptec host adapters use the ma160.sys ASPI manager.

Click here to view ma160.sys command line information.


ma348
ma348.sys

These Adaptec host adapters use the ma348.sys ASPI manager.

Click here to view ma348.sys command line information.


ma358
ma358.sys

These Adaptec host adapters use the ma358.sys ASPI manager.

Click here to view ma358.sys command line information.


ma460
ma460.sys

These Adaptec host adapters use the ma460.sys ASPI manager.

Click here to view ma460.sys command line information.


How Is the ASPI Manager Loaded into Memory?

When you install Adaptec EZ-SCSI it detects what kind of host adapter is installed in your computer and adds a line to the config.sys file that loads the appropriate ASPI Manager in memory when you boot your computer. This is all done automatically.

Related Topics:

What Is an ASPI Manager?

Which ASPI Manager Does My Host Adapter Use?

How Is ASPI Manager Information Displayed?

How Do I Prevent the ASPI Manager from Loading?

How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows 3.x?

ASPI Manager Command Line Options


How Is ASPI Manager Information Displayed?

When you boot your computer the ASPI Manager displays information about your computer's host adapter and installed SCSI devices on the screen. Click here to view a typical bootup message. (The information that appears on your monitor may differ, depending on what kind of host adapter and SCSI devices you have.)

This information appears because Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically added a /d option at the end of the line in your config.sys file that loads the ASPI manager.

If you remove the /d option a brief ASPI manager message appears at bootup, but it does not list information about your SCSI devices. We recommend that you not remove the /d, because the information in the more detailed boot-time message can help you to understand your system configuration.

If you have a host adapter with two or more SCSI channels, you will see a block of information about each SCSI channel when you boot your computer.

Related Topics:

What Is an ASPI Manager?

Which ASPI Manager Does My Host Adapter Use?

How Is the ASPI Manager Loaded in Memory?

How Do I Prevent the ASPI Manager from Loading?

How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows 3.x?

ASPI Manager Command Line Options


Typical ASPI Manager Message

AHA-1540/1542/1640 ASPI Manager for DOS

Version 3.34

Copyright 1989-1995 Adaptec Inc.

  Host Adapter:     0

  I/O Port Address: 330

  Interrupt Level:  11

  Host Adapter #0 - SCSI ID 0-Lun 0: Quantum LP105S 910109405  2.8

  Host Adapter #0 - SCSI ID 1-Lun 0: HP      97544T:  332      9049

  Host Adapter #0 - SCSI ID 2-Lun 0: IOMEGA  BETA44            1.6

  Host Adapter #0 - SCSI ID 6-Lun 0: ARCHIVE VIPER 150 21247   -011

  Int 13H active for Drive(s):  C:  D:

Int 13H routed through ASPI manager

ASPI4DOS.SYS Installation Successful


How Do I Prevent the ASPI Manager from Loading?

If you wish, you can prevent the ASPI Manager from loading into memory when you boot your computer without actually removing (or commenting out) the command line from the config.sys file. There are two ways to do this, depending on which version of DOS you are using. Click one of these two options to learn how to do this.

In Computers Using DOS 6.x

In Computers Using DOS 5.x and Earlier

Related Topics:

What Is an ASPI Manager?

Which ASPI Manager Does My Host Adapter Use?

How Is the ASPI Manager Loaded in Memory?

How Is ASPI Manager Information Displayed?

How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows 3.x?

ASPI Manager Command Line Options


In Computers Using DOS 6.0 and Above
In Computers Using DOS 6.x

Follow these steps to prevent the ASPI Manager from loading in computers using DOS 6.x:

1.	When the words Starting MS-DOS . . . appear on the screen, press F8. MS-DOS displays the following text:

MS-DOS will prompt you to confirm each CONFIG.SYS command.

2.	Read each line of the config.sys file as it appears on the screen. Press Y each time you are prompted, until you see a line similar to this:

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d

or

devicehigh=c:\scsi\aspi2dos.sys  /d

3.	Press N to skip this line. (This prevents the ASPI manager from loading into memory.)

4.	Press Y to accept any other lines of the config.sys file, until you see this prompt:

Process AUTOEXEC.BAT  [Y, N]?

5.	Press N to bypass the autoexec.bat file. Your computer will continue to boot.


In Computers Using DOS 5.0 and Earlier

To prevent the ASPI Manager from loading in computers using DOS 5.0 and earlier, wait until the computer finishes its Power-On Self Test (POST), then hold down both Shift keys until you see a message similar to this:

AHA-1540/1542/1640 ASPI Manager for DOS

Version 3.34

Copyright 1989-1995 Adaptec Inc.

Driver load aborted by user.

Press any key to continue.

Press any key to complete the boot process.


How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows?
How Are ASPI Managers Used with Windows 3.x?

The Adaptec EZ-SCSI ASPI Managers are fully compatible with Microsoft Windows 3.x.

When you install Adaptec EZ-SCSI on a computer running Windows 3.x, the two files winaspi.dll and vaspid.386 are copied to the Windows \system subdirectory. These files form the ASPI-to-Windows interface, which is required by the SCSI Interrogator and other Adaptec EZ-SCSI Windows 3.x applications.

Related Topics:

What Is an ASPI Manager?

Which ASPI Manager Does My Host Adapter Use?

How Is the ASPI Manager Loaded in Memory?

How Is ASPI Manager Information Displayed?

How Do I Prevent the ASPI Manager from Loading?

ASPI Manager Command Line Options


ASPI Manager Command Line Options

You can add a number of options to the ASPI Manager command line in your config.sys file. These options change the way the ASPI manager interacts with your host adapter and SCSI devices. Adaptec EZ-SCSI adds some options automatically. Other options can be added manually if your computer requires special configuration. DO NOT add or change command line options unless you have a good reason for doing so!

Click on the ASPI manager name below to learn about its command line options. Click here if you aren't sure which ASPI manager your host adapter uses.

aspi4dos.sys

aspiedos.sys

aspi2dos.sys

aspi7dos.sys

aspi8dos.sys

ma160.sys

ma348.sys

ma358.sys

ma460.sys


aspi4dos Command Line Options
aspi4dos.sys Command Line Options

Click here to see which Adaptec products aspi4dos.sys supports.

Click here to view a sample config.sys file with an aspi4dos.sys command line.

You can type command line options in lowercase or uppercase letters. Begin each command line option with a forward slash ( / ). Leave a blank space between options.

Option	Explanation
/d	Displays information about your host adapter and SCSI devices when you boot your computer. More Information
/L	Allows aspi4dos.sys to recognize all eight possible logical units associated with each SCSI ID. Otherwise aspi4dos.sys can only recognize logical unit 0 for each SCSI ID. More Information
/p<port address>	Allows you to change the aspi4dos.sys default I/O address from the default (330h) to another valid address (130h, 134h, 230h, 234h, or 334h). More Information    Example
/pause	Makes your computer pause after loading aspi4dos.sys at boot time so you can read the on-screen message. The computer continues booting when you press a key.
/s<slot number>	(Valid only for AHA-1640 host adapters) Indicates the slot number where you want aspi4dos.sys to look for the host adapter. Valid slot numbers = 1 to 8. More Information     Example
Click here for information on the less-used aspi4dos.sys advanced command line options.


Support1

The aspi4dos.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

AHA-1540B/1542B
AHA-1540C/1542C
AHA-1540CF/1542CF
AHA-1540CP/1542CP
AHA-1535P
AHA-1640
AHA-1740/1742/1744 (in Standard Mode)
AHA-1740A/1742A (in Standard Mode)


Note:
Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically adds /d to the ASPI manager command line in config.sys.


Note:
Use the /L option only if your computer has a SCSI device such as Iomega's Bernoulli Dual multidrive that supports multiple LUNs.


Note:
If you use the /p<port address> option, you may also need to change jumper or switch settings. Some host adapter models require you to disable the host adapter BIOS if you change the I/O port address, because the BIOS only works at the default address. Read the host adapter documentation for more information. (This option is not valid for AHA-1640 host adapters.)


Example:
This example changes the default I/O port address to 130h.

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d  /p130


Note:

Use the /s<slot number> option if your computer has multiple AHA-1640 host adapters and you want it to recognize some, but not all, of the host adapters when it boots. If you do not use this option, aspi4dos.sys scans all slots beginning with slot 1 and recognizes all AHA-1640 host adapters that it finds.


Example:

In this example aspi4dos.sys will recognize only the AHA-1640 host adapters installed in slots 3 and 5.

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d  /s3  /s5


aspi4dos Advanced Command Line Options
aspi4dos.sys Advanced Command Line Options

Option	Explanation
/ccbs<count>	Specifies how many concurrent ASPI commands aspi4dos.sys can support. Valid range = 1 to 16 commands.  Default = 4 More Information    Example
/f<bus-off time>	Sets the bus-off time (the time the host adapter allows between data bursts on the SCSI bus). Valid range = 1 to 64 microseconds.  Default = 4 microseconds. (Used only with AHA-1540/1542 host adapters) More Information    Example
/n<bus-on time>	Sets the bus-on time (the time the host adapter spends transferring data bursts on the SCSI bus). Valid range = 2 to 15 microseconds.  Default = 11 microseconds. (Used only with AHA-1540/1542 host adapters) More Information    Example
/norst	Prevents the SCSI device driver from issuing a hard reset to the host adapter during initialization, if the host adapter BIOS is disabled. (If the host adapter BIOS is enabled, the device driver does not issue a hard reset, because the BIOS resets the host adapter when you boot your computer.) More Information
/x<speed>	Sets the data transfer speed of AHA-154x host adapters. This option overrides the speed settings defined by jumpers, switches, or software configuration. Default = 5.0 MBytes/sec. Click More Information to see the six predefined settings for speed. More Information    Example


Note:

Use the /ccbs<count> option only if you need to run an ASPI program that requires a higher number of concurrent commands. As you increase the number of commands, the size of the ASPI manager increases.


Example:

This example sets the number of supported concurrent ASPI commands to 8.

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d  /ccbs8


Note:
If it takes a very long time to back up your system with a floppy tape drive or a floppy disk backup program, change the bus-off time to 12 microseconds (/f12) and the bus-on time to 4 microseconds (/n4). Be sure to change both settings.


Example:
This example sets the bus-off time to 12 microseconds and the bus-on time to 4 microseconds.

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d  /f12  /n4


Note:

If the host adapter BIOS is disabled and you do not use the /norst option, all devices on the SCSI bus are reset when you boot or reset your computer.


Note:
Predefined transfer speed settings for the /x<speed> option:

Value of speed	Transfer Speed (MBytes/sec)
00	5.0
01	6.7
02	8.0
03	10.0
04	5.7
FF	3.3
Caution: Some computers do not support data transfers faster than 5.0 MBytes/sec. Your computer may hang if you set the transfer speed too high.


Example:

This example sets the transfer speed to 3.3 MBytes per second.

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d  /xFF


Sample config.sys with aspi4dos
Sample config.sys with aspi4dos.sys

Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically adds lines to your config.sys file to load the ASPI Manager and the device drivers (for example, aspidisk.sys for SCSI disk drives) when you boot your computer. The following sample shows some typical config.sys command lines. (Your config.sys entries may be different.)

device=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d  /pause

buffers=20

files=20

device=c:\scsi\aspidisk.sys

You can load aspi4dos.sys in DOS high memory to free up more conventional DOS memory for running programs. Click here for more information.

Adaptec EZ-SCSI includes the aspibuf.sys double buffering driver. You can use aspibuf.sys with aspi4dos.sys to overcome the 16-MByte memory addressing limitation of the ISA bus, if your computer has more than 16 MBytes of memory. Click here for information about aspibuf.sys.


aspiedos Command Line Options
aspiedos.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec products aspiedos.sys supports.

Click here to see a sample config.sys file with an aspiedos.sys command line.

You can type command line options in lowercase or uppercase letters. Begin each command line option with a forward slash ( / ). Leave a blank space between options.

Option	Explanation
/ccbs<count>	Specifies how many concurrent ASPI commands aspiedos.sys can support. Valid range = 1 to 16.  Default = 4 More Information    Example
/d	Displays information about your host adapter and SCSI devices when you boot your computer. More Information
/L	Allows aspiedos.sys to recognize all eight possible logical units associated with each SCSI ID. Otherwise aspiedos.sys can only recognize logical unit 0 for each SCSI ID. More Information
/pause	Makes your computer pause after loading aspiedos.sys at boot time so you can read the on-screen message. The computer continues booting when you press a key.
/s<slot number>	Indicates the EISA slot number(s) where you want aspiedos.sys to look for host adapters. Valid slot numbers = 1 to 15. More Information    Example


Support2

The aspiedos.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

AHA-1740/1742/1744 (in Enhanced Mode)
AHA-1740A/1742A (in Enhanced Mode)


Example:
This example increases the number of supported concurrent ASPI commands to 8.

device=c:\scsi\aspiedos.sys  /d  /ccbs8


Note:

Use the /s<slot number> option if your computer has multiple AHA-1740/1742/1744 host adapters and you want your it to recognize some, but not all, of the host adapters. If you do not use this option, aspiedos.sys scans all slots beginning with slot 1 and recognizes all AHA-1740/1742/1744 host adapters that it finds.


Example:

In this example aspiedos.sys will recognize only the host adapters installed in slots 3 and 5.

device=c:\scsi\aspiedos.sys  /d  /s3  /s5


Sample config.sys with aspiedos
Sample config.sys with aspiedos.sys

Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically adds lines to your config.sys file to load the ASPI Manager and the device drivers (for example, aspidisk.sys for SCSI disk drives) when you boot your computer. The following sample shows some typical config.sys command lines. (Your config.sys entries may be different.)

device=c:\scsi\aspiedos.sys  /d  /pause

buffers=20

files=20

device=c:\scsi\aspidisk.sys

You can load aspiedos.sys in DOS high memory to free up more conventional DOS memory for running programs. Click here for more information.


aspi2dos Command Line Options
aspi2dos.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec products aspi2dos.sys supports.

Click here to see a sample config.sys file with an aspi2dos.sys command line.

aspi2dos.sys command line options are divided into two groups:

•	Group 1 options are only used with AHA-1510/1510A, AVA-1505, and AMM-1510M host adapters.

•	Group 2 options may be used, as needed, with any Adaptec product supported by aspi2dos.sys.


Support3

The aspi2dos.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

AVA-1502
AVA-1505/1515
AHA-1510/1520/1522
AHA-1510A/1520A/1522A
AHA-1510B/1520B/1522B
AHA-1530P/1532P
AHA-2820/2822/2825
AIC-6260/6360/6370
AMM-1510M/AMM-1570
APA-1460 Adaptec SlimSCSI


aspi2dos Group 1 Options
aspi2dos.sys Group 1 Options

aspi2dos.sys Group 1 command line options are seldom used, because Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically configures AHA-1510/1510A, AVA-1505, and AMM-1510M host adapters with default settings suitable for almost all computers. Click here to view more information about aspi2dos.sys Group 1 command line options.

The meaning of each Group 1 command line option is as follows:

Option	Explanation
/c  and  /c-	/c prevents SCSI devices such as disk drives and CD-ROM drives from disconnecting during command execution; /c- enables SCSI devices to disconnect during command execution. Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically enables disconnection. More Information
/hx	Lets you specify the host adapter SCSI ID. Valid values for x = 0 to 7.   Default = 7 (assigned automatically by Adaptec EZ-SCSI). More Information
/u and /u-	/u enables the host adapter to initiate negotiation with the SCSI device for synchronous data transfer. /u- prevents synchronous negotiation. Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically enables synchronous negotiation, because data moves faster on the SCSI bus in synchronous mode. More Information
/y and /y-	/y disables the host adapter from checking SCSI bus parity; /y- enables host adapter parity checking. Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically enables parity checking. More Information
/z	/z sets all Group 1 options, plus the /qx Group 2 option, to their default values. Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically adds /z to the aspi2dos.sys command line in config.sys. More Information
Related Topics:

aspi2dos.sys Group 2 Options


Note:

You may need to disable disconnection by adding /c to the end of the command line if multiple SCSI devices are connected to the host adapter.


Note:

The host adapter SCSI ID is very seldom changed from the default of 7.


Note:

If the host adapter does not recognize a CD-ROM drive, or if the drive does not work properly, add the /u- option to the end of the command line in config.sys. Then, to assure the best system performance, enable synchronous negotiation on all SCSI devices that support it, such as hard disk drives. If synchronous negotiation is disabled, the host adapter defaults to asynchronous data transfer; it negotiates for synchronous data transfer if a target device initiates the negotiation.


Note:

If parity checking is enabled on the host adapter, be sure that all your SCSI devices support it and that it is enabled on those devices. (Most SCSI devices have a jumper that enables or disables parity.)  If you need to disable parity checking, add the /y option to the end of the command line.


Note:
The /z option is equivalent to these five options:

Setting	Default Value
/c-	Allow SCSI target devices to disconnect
/y-	Enable host adapter parity checking
/u	Enable synchronous negotiation
/h7	Set host adapter SCSI ID to 7
/q11	Set host interrupt request channel to 11
Do not remove the /z option from the command line. Click here to learn how to override the /z default values.


Explanation of aspi2dos Group 1 Options
Explanation of aspi2dos.sys Group 1 Options

Some Adaptec host adapters, like the AHA-1510/1510A and AVA-1505, have no onboard ROM (Read-only Memory) to store their configuration settings. A jumper block sets the IRQ channel and I/O port address. All other configuration settings, such as host adapter SCSI ID and parity checking, are undefined until Adaptec EZ-SCSI defines them in the config.sys file. Here is how this is done:

Adaptec EZ-SCSI reads IRQ and I/O port address settings from the host adapters jumper block. If these settings are the defaults (IRQ 11 and 340h) Adaptec EZ-SCSI adds this line to the config.sys file:

device=c:\scsi\aspi2dos  /d  /z

The /z option defines default values for SCSI disconnect, parity checking, synchronous negotiation, host adapter SCSI ID, and IRQ channel. Do not remove the /z option from the command line.

You use Group 1 options only if you want to change a default setting defined by the /z option. If you do use a Group 1 option, you add it to the end of the command line, following the /z option, as shown here:

device=c:\scsi\aspi2dos  /d  /z  /y

The /y option disables parity checking. This overrides the default setting (enable parity checking).


aspi2dos Group 2 Options
aspi2dos.sys Group 2 Options

Except for the /q option, which is used only with AHA-1510/1510A, AVA-1505, and AMM-1510M host adapters, you may use Group 2 command line options with any host adapter supported by aspi2dos.sys.

The meaning of each Group 2 option is as follows:

Option	Explanation
/b and /b-	/b tells aspi2dos.sys to wait 250 milliseconds when it receives a busy status from a SCSI device and then try to access the device again until the device is available. /b- tells aspi2dos.sys to notify the program that called it that it received a Busy status from the SCSI device. aspi2dos.sys does not try to access the device again unless the calling program tells it to do so. Default = notify the calling program and do not try to access the device again More Information
/d	Displays information about your host adapter and SCSI devices when you boot your computer. More Information
/i	Disables loading of the Int 13 driver. (Used only for debugging)
/L	Allows aspi2dos.sys to recognize all eight possible logical units associated with each SCSI ID. Otherwise aspi2dos.sys can only recognize logical unit 0 for each SCSI ID. More Information
/norst	Prevents the SCSI device driver from issuing a hard reset to the host adapter during initialization, if the host adapter BIOS is disabled. (If the host adapter BIOS is enabled, the device driver does not issue a hard reset, because the BIOS resets the host adapter when you boot the computer.) More Information
/p<port address>	Allows you to change the aspi2dos.sys default I/O address from the default (340h) to the alternate address, 140h. More Information    Example
/pause	Makes your computer pause after loading aspi2dos.sys at boot time so you can read the on-screen message. The computer continues booting when you press a key.
/qx	Changes the host adapter IRQ. Valid values for x = 9 to 12. Default = 11 (set automatically by Adaptec EZ-SCSI). This option is used only with AHA-1510/1510A, AVA-1505, and AMM-1510M host adapters. More Information    Example
/xn	Enables or disables Fast SCSI data transfer rate. /x5 = Fast SCSI disabled, 5 MBytes/sec data transfer rate; /x10 = Fast SCSI enabled, 10 MBytes/sec data transfer rate
/scam	Enables SCAM support on the host adapter. More Information
Related Topics:

aspi2dos.sys Group 1 Options


Note:
You may need to use the /b option if you upgrade from an earlier version of aspi2dos.sys, because this default is handled differently in the newer version. For example, a tape backup program may stop working or hang because aspi2dos.sys tried to access the device while it was rewinding, received no response, and did not try again. To solve the problem, add the /b option to the command line in config.sys; then aspi2dos.sys keeps trying to access the device until it succeeds.


Note:
If you change the I/O port address with the /p140 option, you must also change the I/O port address jumper block setting. Read the host adapter documentation for more information.


Example
This example sets the I/O port address to 140h.

device=c:\scsi\aspi2dos.sys  /d  /p140


Note:

You may need to change the host adapter IRQ channel if another board, such as a sound board, uses the same IRQ. If you change the channel with the /qx option, you must also change the IRQ jumper block setting. See your host adapter documentation.


Example:

This example changes the host adapter IRQ channel to 12.

device=c:\scsi\aspi2dos.sys  /d  /z  /q12


Note19
Use /scam to enable SCAM support for host adapters that have no BIOS. If the host adapter has a BIOS, you can enable SCAM support with the SCSISelect configuration utility.


Sample config.sys with aspi2dos
Sample config.sys with aspi2dos.sys

Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically adds lines to your config.sys file to load the ASPI Manager and the device drivers (for example, aspidisk.sys for SCSI disk drives) when you boot your computer. The following sample shows some typical config.sys command lines. (Your config.sys entries may be different.)

device=c:\scsi\aspi2dos.sys  /d  /pause

buffers=20

files=20

device=c:\scsi\aspidisk.sys

You can load aspi2dos.sys in DOS high memory to free up more conventional DOS memory for running programs. Click here for more information.

Adaptec EZ-SCSI loads aspi2dos.sys before it loads any device drivers. You do not need to load himem.sys if you are using a memory manager such as QEMM-386 or 386Max. himem.sys or a third-party memory manager is, however, required for Windows.


aspi7dos Command Line Options
aspi7dos.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec products aspi7dos.sys supports.

Click here to see a sample config.sys file with an aspi7dos.sys command line.

You can type command line options in lowercase or uppercase letters. Begin each command line option with a forward slash ( / ). Leave a blank space between options.

Option	Explanation
/d	Displays information about your host adapter and SCSI devices when you boot your computer. More Information
/L	Allows aspi7dos.sys to recognize all eight possible logical units associated with each SCSI ID. Otherwise aspi7dos.sys can only recognize logical unit 0 for each SCSI ID. More Information
/pause	Makes your computer pause after loading aspi7dos.sys at boot time so you can read the on-screen message. The computer continues booting when you press a key.
/s<slot number>	Indicates the EISA slot number(s) where you want aspi7dos.sys to look for host adapters. Valid slot numbers = 1 to 15. More Information    Example


Support4

The aspi7dos.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

AHA-2740/2742
AHA-2740T/2742T
AHA-2740A/2742A
AHA-2740AT/2742AT
AHA-2740W/2742W
AHA-2840A/2842A
AHA-2840VL/2842VL
AIC-7770


Note25

Use the /s option if your computer has multiple AHA-274x or AHA-284x host adapters and you want it to recognize some, but not all, of the host adapters. If you do not use this option, aspi7dos.sys scans all slots beginning with slot 1 and recognizes all AHA-274x or AHA-284x host adapters that it finds.

If you have multiple AHA-2840VL/2842VL host adapters, be sure the slot number correspond to the I/O address for each board. For example, use /s1 if the board is assigned I/O address 1C00h (the default); use /s2 for I/O address 2C00h; use /s3 for I/O address 3C00h, etc. See the host adapter documentation for more information.


Example17
This example causes the computer to recognize only the host adapters installed in slots 3 and 5.

device=c:\scsi\aspi7dos.sys  /d  /s3  /s5


Sample config.sys with aspi7dos
Sample config.sys with aspi7dos.sys

Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically adds lines to your config.sys file to load the ASPI Manager and the device drivers (for example, aspidisk.sys for SCSI disk drives) when you boot your computer. The following sample shows some typical config.sys command lines. (Your config.sys entries may be different.)

device=c:\scsi\aspi7dos.sys  /d  /pause

buffers=20

files=20

device=c:\scsi\aspidisk.sys

You can load aspi7dos.sys in DOS high memory to free up more conventional DOS memory for running programs. Click here for more information.

Adaptec EZ-SCSI loads aspi7dos.sys before it loads any device drivers. You do not need to load himem.sys if you are using a memory manager such as QEMM-386 or 386Max. himem.sys or a third-party memory manager is, however, required for Windows.


aspi8dos Command Line Options
aspi8dos.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec host adapters aspi8dos.sys supports.

Click here to see a sample config.sys file with an aspi8dos.sys command line.

You can type command line options in lowercase or uppercase letters. Begin each command line option with a forward slash ( / ). Leave a blank space between options.

Option	Explanation
/ccbs<count>	Specifies the maximum number of concurrent ASPI commands that can be supported. Valid number of commands = 1 to 16.    Default = 4. More Information    Example
/d	Displays information about your host adapter and SCSI devices when you boot your computer. More Information
/L	Allows aspi8dos.sys to recognize all eight possible logical units associated with each SCSI ID. Otherwise aspi8dos.sys can only recognize logical unit 0 for each SCSI ID. More Information
/mn	Causes aspi8dos.sys to scan the PCI bus. The method used to scan the bus is determined by the value of n: /mb = scan PCI bus using PCI BIOS calls /m1 = scan PCI bus using Mechanism #1 /m2 = scan PCI bus using Mechanism #2 More Information
/norst	Prevents aspi8dos.sys from resetting the SCSI bus when you boot your computer. More Information
/pause	Makes your computer pause after loading aspi8dos.sys at boot time so you can read the on-screen message. The computer continues booting when you press a key.
/rst	Forces aspi8dos.sys to reset the SCSI bus when you boot your computer. More Information
/s<slot number>	Indicates the EISA slot number(s) where you want aspi8dos.sys to look for host adapters. Valid slot numbers = 1 to 15. More Information    Example


Support5

The aspi8dos.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

AHA-2910
AHA-2930
AHA-2940/2940W/2944
AHA-3940/3940W
AIC-7850/AIC-7870
AHA-3985
APC-7850/7855/7870


Note24

As you increase the /ccbs value, the size of the ASPI manager also increases. Use this option only if you want to run an ASPI program that specifies a higher number of concurrent commands.


Example16

This example specifies a maximum of 8 concurrent ASPI commands:

device=c:\scsi\aspi8dos.sys  /d  /ccbs8


Note26
aspi8dos.sys automatically scans the PCI bus for SCSI devices. It tries to determine which scanning method will work best for the given system configuration. Use the /mb, /m1, and /m2 options only if you want to override the internal scanning algorithm that aspi8dos.sys uses. Each of the three scanning methods has incompatibilities with some kinds of PCI systems. Usually, aspi8dos.sys can determine which method is most compatible for the particular system. (PCI BIOS calls are described in the PCI BIOS spec; scanning mechanisms #1 and #2 are described in the PCI spec.)


Note27
By default, aspi8dos.sys resets the SCSI bus when you boot the computer if the host adapter BIOS is not present. You can use /norst to prevent this from happening.


Note28
By default, aspi8dos.sys does not reset the SCSI bus when you boot the computer if the host adapter BIOS is present. You can use /rst to force it to reset the SCSI bus. Resetting the SCSI bus in this way could delete the SCAM SCSI ID assignments created by the BIOS.


Note30

Use the /s option if your computer has multiple host adapters and you want it to recognize some, but not all, of the host adapters. If you do not use this option, aspi8dos.sys scans all slots beginning with slot 1 and recognizes all host adapters that it finds.


Example22
This example causes the computer to recognize only the host adapters installed in slots 3 and 5.

device=c:\scsi\aspi8dos.sys  /d  /s3  /s5


Sample config.sys with aspi8dos
Sample config.sys with aspi8dos.sys

Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically adds lines to your config.sys file to load the ASPI Manager and the device drivers (for example, aspidisk.sys for SCSI disk drives) when you boot your computer. The following sample shows some typical config.sys command lines. (Your config.sys entries may be different.)

device=c:\scsi\aspi8dos.sys  /d  /pause

buffers=20

files=20

device=c:\scsi\aspidisk.sys

You can load aspi8dos.sys in DOS high memory to free up more conventional DOS memory for running programs. Click here for more information.

Adaptec EZ-SCSI loads aspi8dos.sys before it loads any device drivers. You do not need to load himem.sys if you are using a memory manager such as QEMM-386 or 386Max. himem.sys or a third-party memory manager is, however, required for Windows.


ma160 Command Line Options
ma160.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec products the ma160.sys ASPI Manager supports.

Option	Explanation
/in	Makes the host adapter run using interrupts instead of in polled mode, which is the default. n = the host adapter IRQ channel More Information    Example
/Wn	Determines whether the computer pauses when SCSI devices are detected. The allowable values of n are as follows: 0 - (Default) Pause until a key is pressed, if no SCSI device is detected. 2 - Pause until a key is pressed, if a SCSI device is detected. 3 - Do not pause at all. This setting is useful if you often boot your computer with no SCSI devices attached.


Support6

The ma160.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

T160/T460
APA-460


Note31

If you use the /in option, you must set the jumper on the host adapter to the same IRQ.


Example18

This example selects host adapter IRQ channel 3:

device=c:\scsi\ma160.sys  /i3


ma348 Command Line Options
ma348.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec products the ma348.sys ASPI Manager supports.

Option	Explanation
/Mn	Changes the mode configuration, which controls the amount of additional time that the host adapter read and write cycles are delayed. (Parallel ports on some computers require these delays.) Allowable values for n = 0 to 7.    Default = 0. A value of 0 adds no cycle delay. A value of 7 adds 875 ns to the read and write cycles.
/Wn	Determines whether the computer pauses when SCSI devices are detected. The allowable values of n are as follows: 0 - (Default) Pause until a key is pressed, if no SCSI device is detected. 2 - Pause until a key is pressed, if a SCSI device is detected. 3 - Do not pause at all. This setting is useful if you often boot your computer with no SCSI devices attached.


Support7

The ma348.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

APA-348 Adaptec MiniSCSI Plus
Trantor T348


ma358 Command Line Options
ma358.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec products the ma358.sys ASPI Manager supports.

Option	Explanation
/in	Makes the host adapter run using interrupts instead of in polled mode, which is the default. n = the host adapter IRQ channel More Information    Example
/Mnm	Changes the mode configuration, which controls the amount of additional time that the host adapter read and write cycles are delayed. (Parallel ports on some computers require these delays.) You must specify values for both n and m. More Information    Example
/Wn	Determines whether the computer pauses when SCSI devices are detected. The allowable values of n are as follows: 0 - (Default) Pause until a key is pressed, if no SCSI device is detected. 2 - Pause until a key is pressed, if a SCSI device is detected. 3 - Do not pause at all. This setting is useful if you often boot your computer with no SCSI devices attached.


Support8

The ma358.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

APA-358/358A Adaptec MiniSCSI EPP
Trantor T358


Example19

This example selects host adapter IRQ channel 3:

device=c:\scsi\ma358.sys  /i3


Note29
Allowable values for n = 0 to 7.    Default = 0.
A value of 0 adds no cycle delays. A value of 7 adds 875 ns to the read and write cycles. The m parameter controls the way in which the mode configuration is handled. The allowable values for m and their definitions are as follows:

0	(Default) Auto-port detect

2	Force unidirectional

4	Force non-EPP; auto detect unidirectional or bidirectional

6	Force non-EPP and force unidirectional

8	Force EPP


Example20
This example adds no cycle delays and forces a unidirectional mode configuration:

device=c:\scsi\ma358.sys  /M02


ma460 Command Line Options
ma460.sys Command Line Options

Click here to find out which Adaptec products the ma460.sys ASPI Manager supports.

Option	Explanation
/Wn	Determines whether the computer pauses when SCSI devices are detected. The allowable values of n are as follows: 0 - (Default) Pause until a key is pressed, if no SCSI device is detected. 2 - Pause until a key is pressed, if a SCSI device is detected. 3 - Do not pause at all. This setting is useful if you often boot your computer with no SCSI devices attached.


Support9

The ma460.sys ASPI manager supports these Adaptec products:

APA-460 Adaptec SlimSCSI


ASPI Device Drivers

ASPI device drivers are software programs that enable your computer to communicate with SCSI devices such as hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and scanners. Each kind of device requires a different driver. When you boot your computer, command lines in the config.sys file load these programs into memory.

Adaptec EZ-SCSI includes several SCSI device drivers, which are copied to your hard disk during installation. Adaptec EZ-SCSI adds command lines to your config.sys file to load these device drivers if it finds the appropriate kinds of devices on your computer.

Device Driver for SCSI Disk Devices

Device Driver for CD-ROM Drives

The Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions

Device Driver for Scanners (sjiix.sys)

Device Driver for Double Buffering (aspibuf.sys)


Device Driver for SCSI Disk Devices
Device Driver for SCSI Disk Devices (aspidisk.sys)

Supported Features

Managing DOS-partitioned SCSI Drives

Using DOS-compatible Disk Partitions

Using Removable Media

aspidisk.sys Command Line Options


Supported Features

The aspidisk.sys device driver is used for SCSI disk devices. This device driver supports

•	Floptical drives

•	Removable-media devices, such as Iomega drives and magneto-optical drives

•	Disk devices with 512 bytes per sector and removable media with 512 or 1024 bytes per sector

•	Any standard DOS partition

•	Compaq DOS 3.31 extended DOS partitions up to 512 MBytes (This is a DOS 3.31 limitation.)

•	Japanese DOS/V format

•	SCSI disk drives larger than the DOS 5.0 limit of 1 GByte

•	Multiple Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs), which are required for devices like Iomegas Bernoulli dual drive external

•	Up to 24 SCSI drives per computer system

You can load aspidisk.sys in high memory by using the devicehigh= command in the config.sys file.

aspidisk.sys is compatible with Windows 3.x and with DOS memory managers such as the emm386 utility, QEMM, and 386Max.

Disk devices controlled by aspidisk.sys are not cached by the version of SMARTDrive shipped with Windows 3.0 and MS-DOS 5.0. Disk devices controlled by aspidisk.sys are properly cached by the version of SMARTDrive shipped with Windows 3.1 and above and MS-DOS 6.x.


Managing DOS-partitioned SCSI Drives

aspidisk.sys controls DOS-partitioned SCSI disk drives that are not controlled by the host adapter BIOS. A drive is not managed by the host adapter BIOS if the host adapter BIOS is disabled, or if two hard disk drives are already installed in a computer using DOS 4.x or earlier


Note18
DOS 5.0 or above supports more than two hard disk drives.


Using DOS-compatible Disk Partitions

aspidisk.sys uses DOS-compatible disk partitions. This means that you do not have to reformat a drive if you change it from host BIOS control to aspidisk.sys control, or vice versa.

If a drive is under host BIOS control, you can use the DOS fdisk utility to create DOS partitions that can later be transferred to the aspidisk.sys control. If the drive is not under host BIOS control, you can do the same thing with the Adaptec EZ-SCSI afdisk utility.


Using Removable Media

Removable media such as Iomega Bernoulli disks should be controlled by aspidisk.sys, not by the host adapter BIOS.

If aspidisk.sys finds a removable-media drive that is not controlled by the host adapter BIOS, it loads itself into memory at boot time. It reserves, by default, one DOS logical drive for each removable-media device.


aspidisk Command Line Options
aspidisk.sys Command Line Options

You can type command line options in lowercase or uppercase letters. Begin each command line option with a forward slash ( / ). Leave a blank space between options.

Option	Explanation
/d	Displays information about aspidisk.sys and your disk devices when you boot your computer.
/id={. . .}	Lets you specify which disk devices you want aspidisk.sys to control. By default, aspidisk.sys controls all SCSI drives that are not controlled by the host adapter BIOS. Example
/nospin	Prevents aspidisk.sys from sending a command to spin up the disk drive during initialization.
/pause	Makes your computer pause after loading aspidisk.sys at boot time so you can read the on-screen message. The computer continues booting when you press a key.
/r<reserve count>	Sets the number of DOS logical drives (C:, D:, etc.) reserved for removable media. The system ignores this option if no removable disk drives are installed in the computer. If you do not use the option, one logical drive is reserved by default. Valid reserve count values = 1 to 24. More Information    Example


Example11
Here are two examples of how to use the /id= command line option to make aspidisk.sys control selected disk devices. The second example assume that the computer has two host adapters. (If your computer has one host adapter, it is called host adapter #0.)

/id=0+4+6
This means that aspidisk.sys controls the disk devices at SCSI IDs 0, 4, and 6.

/id=0+1+2+1:1
This means that aspidisk.sys controls the disk devices at SCSI IDs 0, 1, and 2 on host adapter #0 and at SCSI ID 1 on host adapter #1.


Note20
The /r option addresses a problem unique to removable media. Suppose that when you boot your computer a removable disk with one partition is in the drive. Later, you remove it and insert media with two partitions. Now you cannot access the second partition because only one partition has been defined to DOS.

The solution is to use the /r option to reserve logical drive letters for a removable-media drive. If you reserve four logical drives for two removable-media drives, this means a total of eight logical drives are allocated to your removable-media drives.


Example12

This example reserves two logical drive letters for the removable media drive.

device=c:\scsi\aspidisk  /r2


Device Driver for CD-ROM Drives
Device Driver for CD-ROM Drives (aspicd.sys)

Supported Features

aspicd.sys Command Line Options


Supported Features

The aspicd.sys device driver for DOS/Windows supports

•	Up to 24 SCSI CD-ROM drives on one computer system

•	Multisession Photo CD-compatible drives

•	Audio and data modes for all supported CD-ROM drives and Photo CD on drives that are capable of this feature

•	Generic data-only mode for nearly all CD-ROM drive models

•	High Sierra and ISO-9660 CD formats

•	Video CD and CD-I on drives that support these features.

The aspicd.sys device driver supports practically all SCSI CD-ROM drives. See the Adaptec EZ-SCSI readme file for more information.


aspicd Command Line Options
aspicd.sys Command Line Options

You can type command line options in lowercase or uppercase letters. Begin each command line option with a forward slash ( / ). Leave a blank space between options.

Option	Explanation
/d:<name>	Assigns a name to the CD-ROM drive so that the Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions (mscdex.exe) can install the CD-ROM as a logical drive letter (F:, G:, etc.). This option is required in the config.sys command line for aspicd.sys. More Information    Example
/id={. . .}	Lets you specify which CD-ROM drives you want aspicd.sys to control. By default, it controls all CD-ROM drives. Example
/L	Enables aspicd.sys to recognize all eight possible LUNs associated with each SCSI ID. If /L is not entered, aspicd.sys can only recognize LUN 0 for each SCSI ID. Use /L if your CD-ROM drive can access multiple discs. More Information
/norst	Prevents aspicd.sys from issuing a SCSI Bus Reset message during its power-on routine. (The default is to issue it.) The SCSI Bus Reset message, which is supported only by Toshiba, Hitachi, and NEC drives, resets drives that are playing audio CDs when the computer is rebooted.
/pause	Makes your computer pause after loading aspicd.sys at boot time so you can read the on-screen message. The computer continues booting when you press a key.
/type<drive vendor>	Enables aspicd.sys to support audio play mode for CD-ROM drives which are not listed as supported drives, but which are compatible with a supported drive type. (aspicd.sys supports data mode for nearly all CD-ROM drives.) Valid entries for <drive vendor> = chinon, denon, hitachi, lms, nec, panasonic, sony, texel, toshiba More Information    Example


Note21
Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically enters the /d:<name> option in the config.sys file. It also adds the option, using the same name, to the autoexec.bat file.


Example13
device=c:\scsi\aspicd.sys  /d:aspicd0


Example14
Here are two examples of how to use the /id= command line option to make aspicd.sys control selected CD-ROM drives. The second example assume that the computer has two host adapters. (If your computer has one host adapter, it is called host adapter #0.)

/id=2+4
This means that aspicd.sys controls the CD-ROM drives at SCSI IDs 2 and 4.

/id=2+4+1:4
This means that aspicd.sys controls the CD-ROM drives at SCSI IDs 2 and 4 on host adapter #0 and at SCSI ID 4 on host adapter #1.


Note22
If you have a Pioneer DRM-600 or DRM-604X multiple-disc CD-ROM drive, you do not need to add the /L option. aspicd.sys driver automatically scans multiple LUNs if it detects one of these devices on the SCSI bus.


Note23
If you use the /type:<drive vendor> option, aspicd.sys assumes that all CD-ROM drives on the SCSI bus are made by this vendor. This means that you cannot combine different brands of CD-ROM drives on the SCSI bus.


Example15
Suppose you want to play audio CDs on your Frammel CD-ROM drive. Although the Frammel is not on the list of supported drives, it has a Sony-compatible SCSI interface. If you add /type:sony to the command line in the config.sys file, aspicd.sys interfaces with your Frammel drive as if it were a Sony drive, allowing you to play audio CDs. Here is how you would add this option to the command line:

device=c:\scsi\aspicd.sys  /d:aspicd0  /type:sony


The Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions
Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions (mscdex.exe)

The Microsoft MS-DOS CD-ROM Extensions (mscdex.exe) enable your computer system to recognize a CD-ROM drive as a single logical drive letter under DOS. Adaptec EZ-SCSI copies mscdex.exe to your hard disk drive. If Adaptec EZ-SCSI detects one or more CD-ROM drives on the SCSI bus, it adds to the autoexec.bat file a line that loads mscdex.exe into memory when you boot your computer.

Some versions of Adaptec EZ-SCSI do not include mscdex.exe. Adaptec EZ-SCSI prompts you to insert a disk with mscdex.exe if it cannot find it on the Installation diskettes or on your computers hard disk drive. To get mscdex.exe, upgrade to MS-DOS 6.0 or above or Windows 3.1 or above.

mscdex.exe Command Line Options


mscdex Command Line Options
mscdex.exe Command Line Options

You can type command line options in lowercase or uppercase letters. Begin each command line option with a forward slash ( / ). Leave a blank space between options.

Option	Explanation
/d:<name>	Assigns a name to the CD-ROM drive. This name must match the name assigned to the CD-ROM drive in config.sys. Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically enters the device name aspicd0 in both files. Any eight-character name may be used.
/e	Allows the Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions to use expanded memory, if it is available.
/L:<drive letter>	Specifies the logical drive letter that Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically assigns to the CD-ROM drive. (You can assign a different drive letter when you install Adaptec EZ-SCSI.) The letter must be less than the value specified by the lastdrive= command in config.sys.
/m:<number of cache buffers>	Specifies the number of buffers allocated for caching CD-ROM data. Each buffer uses 2048 bytes of RAM. Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically enters a value of 12, which should be enough for most applications.
/v	Displays information about the Microsoft CD-ROM Extensions when you boot your computer.


Device Driver for Scanners (sjiix)
Device Driver for Scanners (sjiix.sys)

Adaptec EZ-SCSI includes Hewlett-Packards sjiix.sys device driver for HP SCSI ScanJet II scanners. If Adaptec EZ-SCSI detects a scanner on the SCSI bus it adds a sjiix.sys command line to your config.sys file. You can then install HPs DESKSCAN II software if it is not already installed.

The sjiix.sys device driver supports a wide variety of applications that use TWAIN or the applications scanning utility. See the Adaptec EZ-SCSI readme file for a complete list of supported applications.


Device Driver for Double Buffering
Device Driver for Double Buffering (aspibuf.sys)

aspibuf.sys is an ASPI double buffering driver that may be useful if your ISA-bus computer uses an AHA-1540/1542 host adapter and has more than 16 MBytes of memory.

The ISA bus can access only 16 MBytes of RAM memory. To overcome this limitation, aspibuf.sys intercepts ASPI and Int 13h commands and double buffers them so the data transfers occur within the first 16 MBytes of memory. (aspibuf.sys does not double buffer if the ASPI or Int 13h buffer is already within the first 16 MBytes of memory.)

Configuring aspibuf.sys

aspibuf.sys Command Line Option


Configuring aspibuf
Configuring aspibuf.sys

aspibuf.sys is copied to your hard disk when you install Adaptec EZ-SCSI, but it is not automatically configured. If you want to use aspibuf.sys, you must manually configure it by following these steps:

1	Open your config.sys file in a text editor.

2	Add this line immediately after the command line that loads aspi4dos.sys:

device=c:\scsi\aspibuf.sys

3	If aspi4dos.sys is loaded in DOS high memory with a devicehigh= command, change this to device=. Neither aspibuf.sys nor aspi4dos.sys should be loaded in DOS high memory.

4	Save the config.sys file as ASCII text and reboot the computer.

Keep these points in mind if you plan to use aspibuf.sys:

•	Only use aspibuf.sys with the aspi4dos.sys ASPI manager and with AHA-1540/1542 host adapters.

•	aspibuf.sys works with the aspidisk.sys and aspicd.sys device drivers and with Int 13h commands. It may not work with other ASPI device drivers and applications.

•	ASPI for Windows is disabled if you install aspibuf.sys. You can still run Windows, but you cannot use some of the Adaptec EZ-SCSI Windows 3.1 applications.


aspibuf Command Line Option
aspibuf.sys Command Line Option

aspibuf.sys has a  /size=  command line option, which changes the size of the buffer.

By default, aspibuf.sys allocates a 16 KByte buffer for double buffering. You can specify a different size ranging from 2 KBytes to 64 KBytes by adding the  /size=  option to the command line. For example, this entry sets the buffer to 8 KBytes:

device=c:\scsi\aspibuf.sys  /size=8


SCSI Performance Tips

Loading ASPI Managers and Device Drivers in High Memory

Disabling Double Buffering in Windows 3.1


Loading ASPI Managers and Device Drivers in High Memory

Adaptec EZ-SCSI automatically loads ASPI Managers and SCSI device drivers in conventional DOS memory. If your computer uses MS-DOS 5.0 or above and if enough memory space is available, you can load the Adaptec EZ-SCSI ASPI managers and device drivers in DOS high memory. Loading these files in high memory increases the amount of conventional memory available for other programs, which allows the programs to run faster.

Commands in your computer's config.sys file determine where the ASPI managers and device drivers are loaded when you boot your computer. Normally, you use the DOS devicehigh= command to load programs in high memory. (This command is supported under DOS 5.0 and above.) You can also use QEMM-386, 386Max, and other memory management programs.

Restrictions on Loading in High Memory

Editing the config.sys File


Restrictions on Loading in High Memory

There are two exceptions to loading ASPI Managers and SCSI device drivers in high memory:

•	You cannot load aspi4dos.sys into DOS high memory if you are using the aspibuf.sys device driver, or if your computer boots from a disk drive controlled by an AHA-1540B/1542B host adapter.

If you cannot load aspi4dos.sys high, you must place the devicehigh= statement that loads it before the statement that loads QEMM-386 or any other memory manager.

•	Some PCI-bus computers hang if the config.sys line that loads the aspi8dos.sys ASPI manager in high memory follows the line that loads EMM386. This is caused by a problem with some versions of EMM386. If you experience this problem, edit the config.sys file after installing Adaptec EZ-SCSI so that aspi8dos.sys is loaded before EMM386. Versions of EMM386 shipped with DOS 6.22 and above do not have this problem.


Editing the config.sys File

This sample config.sys file shows how to load any Adaptec ASPI Manager in high memory on computers that use DOS 5.0 or above. (Substitute the name of your ASPI manager, if necessary.)

device=\dos\himem.sys

device=\dos\emm386.exe

dos=high,umb

devicehigh=c:\scsi\aspi4dos.sys  /d

devicehigh=c:\scsi\aspidisk.sys  /d

If you already edited config.sys to load the ASPI manager and device drivers in high memory, Adaptec EZ-SCSI will not disturb these changes. For example, you may have made this change after you installed an earlier version of Adaptec EZ-SCSI.


Disabling Double Buffering in Windows 3.1

Windows 3.1 and above includes the SMARTDrive disk caching program, which stores data from the hard disk in a cache in your computers extended memory. Caching allows data to be read more quickly from the hard disk.

The Windows Setup utility usually enables SMARTDrives double-buffering option if it detects a SCSI disk drive in your computer. However, double buffering is not needed with the Adaptec EZ-SCSI ASPI managers. Follow these steps to disable double buffering and free up more memory to make your programs run faster.

1.	Open your config.sys file in a text editor and look for this line:

device=c:\windows\smartdrv.exe /double_buffer

2.	If it is present, remove the entire line or remark it out by typing rem followed by a space at the beginning of the line.

3.	Save the file and reboot your computer.


Glossary

ASPI

ASPI Manager

Cache

Conventional DOS Memory

Device Driver

Double buffering

Enhanced Mode

Extended Memory

High Memory

IRQ

LUN

SCAM

Standard Mode

TWAIN


ASPI

Advanced SCSI Programming Interface. A specification, developed by Adaptec, that computer programmers use to write device drivers and other software for SCSI devices. ASPI defines a common set of commands that can be sent from SCSI devices to host adapters to carry out tasks like transferring data.


ASPI Manager

ASPI managers are software programs that enable the host adapter to communicate with the devices on the SCSI bus. Each family of Adaptec host adapters uses a different ASPI manager. Adaptec EZ-SCSI detects what kind of host adapter is installed in your computer. Then it adds a line to the config.sys file that loads the correct ASPI manager into memory when you boot the computer.


Cache

A reserved section of computer memory used to improve performance.


Conventional DOS memory

The first 640 KBytes of DOS memory address space.


Device Driver

Device drivers are software programs that enable a computer to communicate with hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and other kinds of devices. When you install Adaptec EZ-SCSI it finds the SCSI devices installed in your computer. Then it adds lines to the config.sys file to load drivers for these devices into memory when you boot the computer. These device drivers work together with the ASPI managers to provide the benefits of SCSI on your computer.


Double buffering

Double buffering means that the driver keeps one data buffer in the area between 0 KByte and 640 KBytes (for compatibility with older disk drive software) and another identical buffer in the memory area above 1 MByte.


Enhanced Mode

The operational mode of AHA-1740A/1742A/1744 host adapters that takes full advantage of the EISA addressing range and register set.


Extended Memory

Memory beyond one Megabyte. To use extended memory with Windows running in 386 enhanced mode, you must install an extended memory manager.


High Memory

The area between 640 KBytes and 1 MByte in memory address space.


IRQ

Interrupt request channel. An electrical channel in a computer that a device such as a modem or a host adapter uses to get the immediate attention of the microprocessor. In general, two or more devices in a computer system cannot use the same IRQ at the same time. In Plug and Play computer systems, IRQs are assigned automatically so that such conflicts do not occur.


LUN

Logical unit number. A logical unit is a physical or virtual device that is addressed through a SCSI target - for example, a CD disc in a CD-ROM drive. Most SCSI devices have only one logical unit. Some SCSI devices have up to seven logical units.


SCAM

SCSI Configured AutoMatically (or "AutoMagically"). A technology that uses software commands to assign SCSI IDs automatically to SCSI disk drives and other devices. SCAM is an extension of the Plug and Play standard. Automatically assigning SCSI IDs prevents the conflicts that occur when two or more devices are set to the same SCSI ID. SCAM works only if the SCSI device supports SCAM commands. (Older SCSI devices do not support SCAM.).


Standard Mode

The operation mode that allows software drivers written for AHA-1540/1542/1640 host adapters to operate fully with AHA-1740A/1742A/1744 host adapters. Standard mode does not allow DOS memory addressing beyond 16 MBytes.


TWAIN

An image acquisition standard, jointly developed by several companies, that lets you bring image data directly into a working application from external devices such as scanners and digital cameras.