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LSI Logic Demonstrates New SAS Functionality

LSI Logic has announced active validation of the Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) interface protocol by demonstrating both initiator and target mode functionality. The company executed complete SAS I/O read/write sequences with full data validation. LSI Logic SAS products will be based on the Fusion-MPT architecture to simplify and speed development. In January, LSI Logic announced SAS product initiatives with Maxtor, Seagate, Fujitsu and Hitachi to co-develop SAS storage solutions.

Discrete initiator and target SAS hardware were used to execute the SCSI frame transactions across the Serial Attached SCSI wire. SCSI reads/writes with buffer compare were used along with a SAS protocol analyzer to validate the interface protocol and data integrity.

"This development milestone takes us a step further along the path to silicon deployment," said Dan Roehrich, director of hardware development for LSI Logic Storage Standard Products. "We enjoy a market-leading position with the current SCSI generation, Ultra320, and implementing SAS controllers, boards and expanders represent the next evolutionary stage for enterprise server and high-performance workstation products. We're on target with our development plans and are committed to providing customers with a well-tested, proven product that will enable quick time-to-market solutions."

Single Interface Offers Choice Of HDD Solutions

The SAS connectors, cables and electrical interface are compatible with Serial ATA (SATA), giving future users the choice of populating their systems with either SAS or SATA hard disk drives. This evolution of SCSI technology is seen as a natural next step in maintaining the industry's most robust and proven interface, and will allow enterprise customers to continue to leverage their existing investment in SCSI while gaining a 3Gb/s serial data transfer rate.

The SAS standard defines a device-level enterprise storage interface incorporating SCSI backward compatibility, serial point-to-point interconnections, dual porting, increased addressability and the ability to scale to small form factors. The SCSI Trade Association (www.scsita.org/) has announced a SCSI product roadmap that will extend the industry's most successful interface technology to a new generation of serial devices.

About LSI Logic Corporation

LSI Logic Corporation is a leading designer and manufacturer of communications, consumer and storage semiconductors for applications that access, interconnect and store data, voice and video. In addition, the company supplies storage network solutions for the enterprise. LSI Logic is headquartered at 1621 Barber Lane, Milpitas, CA 95035, and on the Web at www.lsilogic.com/.