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Technology Stocks : Son of SAN - Storage Networking Technologies -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Neil S who wrote (48)	11/6/1997 9:17:00 AM
From: Nine_USA	Respond to of 4808

QLogic Corp. Ships ISP1240 Dual-Channel Ultra SCSI Processor Chip; First SCSI Product to Support 64-bit PCI Business Wire - November 06, 1997 08:00 Fall COMDEX in the Las Vegas Convention Center Room No. N209 and in the FCLC Suite, Room No. N250 COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 1997--QLogic Corp. (NASDAQ:QLGC) further demonstrated its leadership in high-performance storage I/O processors Thursday by shipping the first SCSI processor with a 64-bit PCI host interface used by leading-edge workstation and server systems. The processor, the ISP1240 PCI-to-Dual-Channel Ultra SCSI processor chip, features a powerful, three-processor architecture and uniquely integrated design. It enables two Wide Ultra SCSI channels to be supported by a single PCI slot. Among the first customers to receive the ISP1240 is Spectra Logic Corp. According to Michael Sausa, president of Spectra Logic, "We selected the ISP1240 because its dual-processor capability and support for 64-bit architectures allowed our engineers to design an interface with extraordinary bandwidth. Plus, we've had great success partnering with QLogic on our two previous generations which have produced innovative and highly successful storage products. As a bonus, the ISP1240 has an interface to our PCI implementation that's identical to other QLogic products we're integrating, so the design efforts are more efficient." The Benefits of Dual-Channel SCSI The ability to provider a second SCSI channel within a single PCI load gives system designers additional flexibility in supporting a wide variety of user needs and configurations. The second SCSI channel can be used to double overall data transfer rates to HDDs (hard disk drives) and storage subsystems, an important consideration in file servers and disk array controllers. System throughput can be optimized by segregating high-performance hard drives and slower legacy devices (such as tape devices, scanners, etc.) onto separate SCSI buses. Internal and external SCSI devices can be segregated onto separate SCSI buses, enabling better cable impedance matching and improved data transmission reliability. These applications require a SCSI processor which provides sufficient PCI bandwidth to support doubled SCSI transfer rates, while minimizing the incremental system-CPU overhead of support for the second SCSI channel. The ISP1240 fulfills both of these important requirements. 64-bit PCI Host Interface The ISP1240 supports a 64-bit PCI bus interface, enabling data transfer rates up to 264 Mbytes/sec when communicating with the host system. Sixty-four-bit PCI is an important capability in performance-sensitive applications, since the data transfer rates generated by two SCSI channels (up to 80 Mbytes/sec) can nearly saturate some existing 32-bit PCI-based systems. The product is fully backward compatible with 32-bit PCI applications. Integrated Architecture Offloads the Host System Unlike competitive products which require duplicate host-software drivers and interface mechanisms to control the second SCSI bus, the ISP1240 utilizes a uniquely integrated architecture which enables both SCSI channels to be controlled by a single software driver. This simplified approach reduces host-CPU loading by eliminating a second software-driver task and associated interface functions. Overall performance is facilitated by three on-chip processors: a RISC processor, which manages the host interface, and two SCSI protocol processors dedicated to each of the SCSI channels. Entire SCSI I/O operations are executed locally without host-system intervention, and no more than one host interrupt is generated per completed I/O operation. These features enable the ISP1240 to support collective data transfer rates of up to 80 Mbytes/sec over the two SCSI channels, while minimizing host-CPU utilization. "The ISP1240 is ideally architected to support a wide variety of dual-channel SCSI applications," said Larry Fortmuller, vice president and general manager of QLogic's Computer Systems Group. "Customers can now configure a second SCSI channel without worrying about increased CPU overhead or system complexity." Host Software Compatibility and I2O Support ISP1240 software drivers are available for all major operating systems. The ISP1240 also maintains a high degree of host-software compatibility with QLogic's industry-leading ISP2100 PCI-to-Fibre Channel processor chip, enabling easy porting of parallel SCSI software drivers to Fibre Channel. Such compatibility enables QLogic customers to retain their host-software investment while migrating to new I/O interface technologies. The ISP1240 is fully compliant with the I2O specification. Package and Availability The ISP1240 ships in a 352-pin TE/PBGA package and is available for immediate delivery. About QLogic QLogic Corp. is a leading designer and supplier of semiconductor and board-level I/O products. The company's products provide high-performance interface connections for computer systems and their attached data storage peripherals, such as hard disk and tape drives, CD-ROM drives and RAID subsystems. QLogic provides I/O technology solutions by designing and marketing single-chip controller and adapter board products for both sides of the computer/peripheral device interlink, or "bus." Historically, the company has targeted the high-performance sector of the I/O market, focusing primarily on the SCSI standard. The company is utilizing its I/O expertise to develop products for emerging I/O standards such as Fibre Channel, which is experiencing early industry acceptance as a higher performance solution that maintains signal integrity while allowing for increased connectivity between a computer system and its data storage peripherals.