The Book of Scsi: I/O for the New Millennium

Graphical operating systems went a long way toward improving the usability of Intel-compatible computers, but they only can do so much to sugar coat the underlying hardware design. The Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) standards, however, simplify the hookup and configuration of disks, scanners, and other peripheral devices. In The Book of SCSI, engineer Gary Field and his colleagues explain the SCSI specifications in practical detail, revealing all the information you should need to fix SCSI systems that don't work quite right. The information is up to date, with new coverage of the SCSI-3 specification, expanded RAID-under-SCSI material, and a thorough section on Advanced SCSI Programming Interface (ASPI) programming; all of which makes this new edition more than worth its cover price, even if you own the earlier version.

Although it addresses the fundamentals of SCSI configuration, this book's primary value is as a no-kidding electrical engineering and programming text on the low-level characteristics of SCSI communication. This is the book you want if you're involved in designing physical SCSI devices or writing software drivers for SCSI devices. The book goes heavy on tables that list jumper settings, as well as state diagrams and signal references. Despite its commendable depth, it's easy to read and likely contains the answers to your SCSI questions, even if they don't have to do with low-level signaling. --David Wall

Topics covered: The Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) family of hardware interconnection standards, viewed mainly (but not entirely) in great detail. An overview of SCSI (with special focus on the SCSI-3 standard), along with coverage of cables and terminators, software device drivers, RAID implementations under SCSI, and troubleshooting hints. The Advanced SCSI Programming Interface (ASPI) tutorial and reference is great, as is the practical comparison of IDE and SCSI disks.