Proposed text of letter to X3T9 for forwarding to IEEE. 

The responsibility of X3T9 is I/O Interfaces, that of X3T9.2 is 
Lower Level Interfaces, and that of X3T9.3 is Device Level 
Interfaces.

Under this charter, the following standards and pending standards 
have been developed within X3T9.2 and X3T9.3:

     Floppy Disk Drives (X3.80)
     SCSI (X3.131-1986)
     SCSI-2 (X3.131-199x)
     Enhanced Small Device Interface (X3.170)
     AT Attachment Interface 
     SCSI Common Access Method 
     SCSI-3 Command Set 
     SCSI-3 Parallel Interface 
     SCSI-3 Interlocked Protocol 
     Storage Module Drive Interface (X3.91)
     IPI Enhanced Physical Interface (X3.129)
     IPI-3 Disk Device-Generic Command Set (X3.132)
     IPI-3 Tape Device-Generic Command Set (X3.147)
     IPI-3 Communications Device-Generic Command Set (X3.177)
     IPI-2 Disk Device-Specific Command Set (X3.130)
     IPI-2 Tape Device-Specific Command Set (X3.176)
     HIPPI-PH Physical Interface (X3.183)
     HIPPI-FP Framing Protocol
     HIPPI-IPI Mapping of IPI-3 Device Generic Command Set 
     HIPPI-MI Memory Interface
     FC-PH Fiber Channel Physical Interface

          IPI = Intelligent Peripheral Interface 
          HIPPI = High Performance Parallel Interface 
          SCSI = Small Computer System Interface 

It is unquestionable that, for over a decade, X3T9 has been 
successful in designing suitable disk interfaces for industry. 

Providing a means for disk manufacturers and system integrators 
to migrate to enhanced functionality is a critical factor in 
encouraging industry to adopt standards. This is a key factor in 
the planned program of work at X3T9.2. 

Recent X3T9.2 projects have included the ATA (AT Attachment) 
interface. ATA disk drives may be mounted on the PC's 
motherboard. ATA disk drives, therefore, are an internal 
component which attach directly to the host bus of PC AT 
computers. Even so, the ATA interface is not the same as the PC 
AT bus itself. 

The skill and expertise to design a disk interface which 
capitalizes on the emerging standard for memory card devices 
exists in X3T9.2. By integrating such technology with small form 
factor disk drives, standards will advance innovation.

X3T9.2 attendees include representatives from all the major disk 
drive manufacturers, and a large number of systems integrators. 
There are over 300 Members, Alternates, and Observers 
participating from approximately 200 companies. Those members of 
IEEE who wish to participate in X3T9.2 will be welcomed. 

Instead of restricting meetings to Silicon Valley, X3T9.2 meets 
all over the country, which encourages national participation in 
the standards making process. This broad base of representation 
from all elements in the storage industry ensures that disk 
interfaces developed by X3T9 are in tune with developments 
occurring country-wide. 

The project to define a memory-level disk interface should be 
assigned to the committee where the responsibility for developing 
device interfaces already exists. On August 20, 1991, X3T9.2 
unanimously approved a Project Proposal for the Directly-
Addressable Device Interface. X3T9.2 has the membership, 
experience, skill, and capability to accomplish this task with 
the same degree of success as it has other disk interfaces.