X3T9.2/89-159



November 30, 1989

Mr. Ben Mattox
Robinson Nugent, Inc.
800 East Eighth Street
P.O. Box 1208
New Albany, IN 47150-1208

Subject: Response to BSR X3.131-198x (SCSI-2) Public Review Comment #1

Dear Ben,

Thank you for your interest in the SCSI-2 draft proposed standard.  The X3T9.2 
committee has reviewed your public review comment (X3T9.2/89-106) suggesting 
that a "redundant ribbon contact design" connector be included in the 
standard.  As you know, the committee has devoted considerable attention to 
the issue of which high-density connector design should be adopted and to the 
issue of whether more than one high-density connector should be defined.

Your letter seems to imply that the committee selected the "tab and 
receptacle" contact design solely because it was multiply-sourced.  This is 
not true.  Each connector vendor was given time to extol the virtues of their 
favorite design including 9 vendors who favored a ribbon-contact design.  The 
committee voted by a successive elimination process for connector designs 
until only one design remained.  One of the designs that was not selected was 
a ribbon-contact design proposed by four vendors -- this design was eliminated 
in the fifth of six rounds.  The final design (the winner of the sixth round) 
was then endorsed by a roll-call vote that passed 48 Yes, 7 No, 0 Abstain, and 
13 Absent.

The committee has also consistently rejected the idea of including more than 
one high-density connector design in the draft standard.  This would weaken 
the standard and create market confusion.

X3T9.2 has voted against adding the Robinson Nugent "redundant ribbon contact 
design" connector to the draft proposed SCSI-2 standard and X3T9 has agreed 
with this position.

Please send a written statement to the X3 Secretariat (Attn: Lynn Barra) 
within fifteen days saying whether you accept or reject this response.  If you 
do not respond within fifteen days, the Secretariat will assume that you have 
withdrawn the comment.

Sincerely Yours,


Del Shoemaker, X3T9 Chairman

cc: L. Barra, X3 Secretariat
    J. Lohmeyer, X3T9.2 Chairman
    J. Ryland, SPARC Liaison