Draft minutes of Parallel SCSI WG - April 26-27, 2000

John Lohmeyer lohmeyer at t10.org
Thu Apr 27 19:14:09 PDT 2000


* From the T10 Reflector (t10 at t10.org), posted by:
* John Lohmeyer <lohmeyer at t10.org>
*
A PDF version of these minutes is available at:

  ftp://ftp.t10.org/t10/document.00/00-204r0.pdf

Accredited Standards Committee*
National Committee for Information Technology Standards (NCITS)

                                                   Doc. No.: T10/00-204r0
                                                       Date: April 27, 2000
                                                   Reply to: John Lohmeyer

To:       T10 Membership
From:     Ralph Weber & John Lohmeyer
Subject:  Parallel SCSI Working Group Meeting -- April 26-27, 2000
          Colorado Springs, CO


Agenda

1.     Opening Remarks
2.     Approval of Agenda
3.     Attendance and Membership
4.     SPI-4 Physical Topics
4.1      Free Running Clock
4.1.1      SPI-4 clocking proposal (99-262) [Petty]
4.1.2      ISI Compensation Selection [Penokie]
4.2      Training Patterns
4.2.1      Ultra320 SCSI Calibration Protocol (00-133) [Leshay]
4.2.2      Proposal for training pattern to be included in SPI-4 (00-132)
[Evans]
4.2.3      Proposed Training for Skew Compensation (00-174) [Bastiani]
4.3      Timings
4.3.1      Proposal for Fast-160 to be included in SPI-4 (99-295) [Milligan]
4.3.2      Clock Frequency Restrictions for Fast-160 [Evans]
4.3.3      Fast-160 Driver and Receiver Masks (00-198) [Aloisi]
4.4      Test Configurations
4.4.1      Use of eye measurements (00-126) [Bastiani]
4.4.2      Ultra320 into fully populated 10-slot backplane (00-195) [Brown]
4.4.3      Requirements for Measuring Receive Signals in SPI-4 and beyond
(00-149) [Ham]
4.4.4      Receiver Input Voltage Budget for Eye Patterns (00-158)
[Bridgewater]
4.4.5      Details of test set-up used by Quantum for Ultra320 data (00-214)
[Evans]
4.4.6      Quantum Ultra320 SCSI Test Configurations (00-215) [Evans]
4.4.7      Specifying signals at receiver using receiver equalization (00-223)
[Uber]
4.4.8      Validation of Quantum lab setup used for testing Ultra320 (00-224)
[Uber]
4.4.9      Transmitter precompensation when using receiver equalization
(00-225) [Uber]
4.4.10     Precompensation and test measurements (00-194) [Manildi]
4.5      Other SPI-4 Physical Topics
4.5.1      Precompensation and test measurements (00-194) [Manildi]
4.5.2      Comments on adaptive filtering for Ultra320 SCSI (00-196) [Brown]
4.5.3      Expander Topics (00-199) [Ham]
4.5.4      The zero offset problem for receiver equalization (00-201)
[Bridgewater]
4.5.5      Next Meeting Testing Data [Penokie]
4.5.6      Should QAS be obsoleted in SPI-4? [Elliott]
4.6      Protocol
4.6.1      Remove Data Groups from F-160 [Penokie]
4.6.2      Flow Control & Read Streaming (00-142) [Lamers]
4.7      Receiver Issues
4.7.1      Receiver Specifications [Ham]
4.7.2      Calculated Signal Losses [Aloisi]
5.     Expanders and Domain Validation Topics
5.1      SCSI out of band communications method (99-213) [Petty]
6.     New Business
6.1      SPI-3 Public Review Comment #1 (00-219) [Penokie]
7.     Meeting Schedule
8.     Adjournment



Results of Meeting

1.     Opening Remarks

John Lohmeyer, the T10 Chair, called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.,
Wednesday April 26, 2000.  He thanked LSI Logic for hosting the meeting.

As is customary, the people attending introduced themselves and a copy of the
attendance list was circulated.


2.     Approval of Agenda

The draft agenda was approved with no changes.

During the course of the meeting, the following agenda items were
added/revised:

4.4.10     Precompensation and test measurements (00-194) [Manildi]
4.5.5      Next Meeting Testing Data [Penokie]      <deleted>
4.5.6      Should QAS be obsoleted in SPI-4? [Elliott]
4.6      Protocol
4.6.1      Remove Data Groups from F-160 [Penokie]
4.6.2      Flow Control & Read Streaming (00-142) [Lamers]
4.7      Receiver Issues
4.7.1      Receiver Specifications [Ham]
4.7.2      Calculated Signal Losses [Aloisi]


3.     Attendance and Membership

Attendance at working group meetings does not count toward minimum attendance
requirements for T10 membership.  Working group meetings are open to any
person or organization directly and materially affected by T10's scope of

work.  The following people attended the meeting:

         Name          S        Organization         Electronic Mail Address
---------------------- -- ------------------------- -------------------------
Mr. Lawrence J. Lamers P  Adaptec, Inc.             ljlamers at ieee.org
Mr. Vincent Bastiani   A# Adaptec, Inc.             bastiani at corp.adaptec.com
Mr. Bill Galloway      P  BREA Technologies, Inc.   billg at breatech.com
Mr. Robert C. Elliott  P  Compaq Computer Corp.     Rob_Elliott at compuserve.
                                                    com
Dr. William Ham        A  Compaq Computer Corp.     bill.ham at digital.com
Mr. Ralph O. Weber     A  ENDL Texas                roweber at acm.org
Mr. Eugene Lew         P  Fujitsu                   elew at fcpa.fujitsu.com
Mr. George O. Penokie  P  IBM Corp.                 gop at us.ibm.com
Mr. John Lohmeyer      P  LSI Logic Corp.           lohmeyer at t10.org
Mr. Frank Gasparik     V  LSI Logic Corp.           frank.gasparik at lsil.com
Mr. Alan Littlewood    V  LSI Logic Corp.           alanl at lsil.com
Mr. William Petty      V  LSI Logic Corp.           william.petty at lsil.com
Mr. David Steele       V  LSI Logic Corp.           david.steele at lsil.com
Mr. Larry Barnes       V  LSI Logic Corp.           larry.barnes at lsil.com
Mr. Brian Day          V  LSI Logic Corp.           brian.day at lsil.com
Mr. Jeff Gauvin        V  LSI Logic Corp.           jeff.gauvin at lsil.com
Mr. Makesh             V  Lucent Technologies       makesh at lucent.com
Kothandaraman
Mr. Mark Strauss       V  Lucent Technologies       msstrauss at lucent.com
Mr. Richard Moore      A# QLogic Corp.              r_moore at qlc.com
Mr. Ting Li Chan       V  QLogic Corp.              t_chan at qlc.com
Mr. Richard L.         V  QLogic Corp.              r_rananiec at qlc.com
Rananiec
Mr. Mark Evans         P  Quantum Corp.             mark.evans at quantum.com
Mr. Bruce Leshay       V  Quantum Corp.             bleshay at tdh.qntm.com
Mr. Richard Uber       V  Quantum Corp.             duber at tdh.qntm.com
Mr. Gene Milligan      P  Seagate Technology        Gene_Milligan at notes.
                                                    seagate.com
Mr. Daniel (Dan) F.    O  Seagate Technology        daniel_f_smith at notes.
Smith                                               seagate.com
Mr. Mayank R. Patel    V  Seagate Technology        mayank_r_patel at notes.
                                                    seagate.com
Mr. John Masiewicz     V  Seagate Technology        john_masiewicz at notes.
                                                    seagate.com
Mr. Paul D. Aloisi     P  Texas Instruments         Paul_Aloisi at ti.com
Mr. Mike Kosco         V  Texas Instruments         mike at mvbuilders.com
Mr. John T. Wilson     V  Texas Instruments         jwilson at dal.asp.ti.com

31 People Present

Status Key:  P    -  Principal
             A,A# -  Alternate
             O    -  Observer
             L    -  Liaison
             V    -  Visitor


4.     SPI-4 Physical Topics

4.1    Free Running Clock

4.1.1  SPI-4 clocking proposal (99-262) [Petty]

Bill Petty asked that discussion of this item be deferred to the next meeting.

4.1.2  ISI Compensation Selection [Penokie]

George Penokie noted that the apparent result of the proposals accepted during
the meeting is that driver precompensation will be mandatory and receiver
adjustable active filters will not be defined in SPI-4.  It was noted that the
necessary training patterns for receiver adjustable active filters will be
transmitted.

4.2    Training Patterns

4.2.1  Ultra320 SCSI Calibration Protocol (00-133) [Leshay]

Bruce Leshay presented 00-133r3.  He noted that the pauses requested at the
last meeting have been added in this revision of the proposal.  Concerns were
raised about the omission of some of the training patterns requested during
the last meeting.  Gene Milligan indicated that the training patterns were
picked up in his 99-295 proposal.

A new issue was stopping the free running clock.  The DATA OUT phase presented

more challenges because the initiator is driving the free running clock, but
it's the target that decides to exit the phase, which must be preceded by
stopping the clock.

4.2.2  Proposal for training pattern to be included in SPI-4 (00-132) [Evans]

Mark Evans stated that 00-132 covers the specific words for the proposal
presented in overview form in 00-133.

4.2.3  Proposed Training for Skew Compensation (00-174) [Bastiani]

Vince Bastiani stated that this topic will need to be reviewed in the context
of 99-295 (covered in 4.3.1).


4.3    Timings

4.3.1  Proposal for Fast-160 to be included in SPI-4 (99-295) [Milligan]

Gene Milligan reviewed the latest revision of his proposal.  George Penokie
moved that the 8.333 ns transfer period be removed from the Transfer Period
Factor table (with the effect that code 8 takes the meaning currently shown
for code 7 and code 7 becomes reserved).  Bill Galloway seconded the motion.
The motion passed on a vote of 7:2:1.

Gene Milligan moved that 99-295r5 (r4 as revised) be recommended for
incorporation in SPI-4.  Larry Lamers seconded the motion.  The motion passed
8-0-2.

Mark Evans moved that the free running clock and the training patterns shall
be used only at Fast-160 and beyond.  George Penokie seconded the motion.
Gene Milligan spoke against the motion noting that the free running clock
might in some unusual cases be useful at slower speeds.  George Penokie noted
that the Fast-160 features might be detrimental at slower speeds.  Bruce
Leshay noted that the equalization circuitry would be more complicated if
equalization were supported at slower speeds.  The motion passed on a vote of
7:2:1.

4.3.2  Clock Frequency Restrictions for Fast-160 [Evans]

Mark Evans asked that this item be dropped from this and future agendas.

4.3.3  Fast-160 Driver and Receiver Masks (00-198) [Aloisi]

Paul Aloisi asked that this item be dropped from this and future agendas.


4.4    Test Configurations

4.4.1  Use of eye measurements (00-126) [Bastiani]

Vince Bastiani asked that discussion of this item be deferred to a subsequent
meeting.

4.4.2  Ultra320 into fully populated 10-slot backplane (00-195) [Brown]

Mark Evans asked that this item be dropped from this and future agendas.

4.4.3  Requirements for Measuring Receive Signals in SPI-4 and beyond (00-149)
[Ham]

There was no new information on this topic (see also agenda items 4.4.7 and
4.7.1).

4.4.4  Receiver Input Voltage Budget for Eye Patterns (00-158) [Bridgewater]

Vince Bastiani asked that discussion of this item be deferred to a subsequent
meeting.

4.4.5  Details of test set-up used by Quantum for Ultra320 data (00-214)
[Evans]

Mark Evans reviewed the goals of his document showing all the test
configurations used by Quantum (00-215r0) and then presented the details of
the configurations (00-214r0).

4.4.6  Quantum Ultra320 SCSI Test Configurations (00-215) [Evans]

This topic was covered under agenda item 4.4.5.

4.4.7  Specifying signals at receiver using receiver equalization (00-223)
[Uber]

Richard Uber presented a proposal for how to specify signals when using
equalization.

4.4.8  Validation of Quantum lab setup used for testing Ultra320 (00-224)
[Uber]

Richard Uber presented 00-224, validation of Quantum lab setup for testing
Ultra320.

4.4.9  Transmitter precompensation when using receiver equalization (00-225)
[Uber]

Richard Uber presented data showing that equalizing signals that had been
precompensated performs more poorly than equalization alone.  He also showed
that precompensation alone helps, but not as much as equalization alone.

4.4.10 Precompensation and test measurements (00-194) [Manildi]

John Masiewicz presented new laboratory data from Seagate.


4.5    Other SPI-4 Physical Topics

4.5.1  Precompensation and test measurements (00-194) [Manildi]

Owing to the topic contents, this item was moved to 4.4.10.

4.5.2  Comments on adaptive filtering for Ultra320 SCSI (00-196) [Brown]


Mark Evans asked that this item be dropped from this and future agendas.

4.5.3  Expander Topics (00-199) [Ham]

Bill Ham moved that technical content of 00-199r0 be recommended for
incorporation in SPI-4 as a normative annex.  Gene Milligan seconded the
motion.  Consideration of the motion was deferred until later in the meeting
(after people had time to review the document).  Later, George Penokie noted a
few discrepancies in the document (e.g., references to HVD).  Bill realized
that he needed to make some revisions to the document and asked to withdraw
his motion.  He accepted an action item to revise 00-199.

4.5.4  The zero offset problem for receiver equalization (00-201)
[Bridgewater]

Vince Bastiani asked that discussion of this item be deferred to a subsequent
meeting.

4.5.5  Next Meeting Testing Data [Penokie]

George Penokie asked that this item be dropped from this and future agendas.

4.5.6  Should QAS be obsoleted in SPI-4? [Elliott]

Rob Elliott suggested that QAS be obsoleted in SPI-4.  He noted that the
performance gain of approximately 2 microseconds does not justify continued
usage of QAS.  Bruce Leshay noted that QAS fairness only really works if all
devices on the bus support QAS.   A straw poll was conducted with one vote per
organization on whether QAS should be obsoleted in SPI-4 with 6 in favor, 2
against, and 2 abstaining.

Rob agreed to prepare a written proposal (00-228).


4.6    Protocol

4.6.1  Remove Data Groups from F-160 [Penokie]

George Penokie proposed that in SPI-4, the Fast-160 data transfer rate be
limited to packetized protocol only.  Some felt that this decision needs
marketing input.   George was asked to make the proposal known on the
reflector and he agreed to do that.  Technical issues were discussed related
to padding 32-bit transfers in non-packetized.  John Masiewicz stated a
concern that restricting Fast-160 to packetized protocol could delay
acceptance of Fast-160 products because of interoperability issues with
packetized protocol.

George stated that he would bring this issue forward for consideration at the
May meetings.

4.6.2  Flow Control & Read Streaming (00-142) [Lamers]

Larry Lamers presented 00-142r1, Flow Control & Read Streaming.  Based on the
group's input, Larry agreed to prepare a rev 2 of his proposal.


4.7    Receiver Issues

4.7.1  Receiver Specifications [Ham]

Bill Ham proposed a technique for specifying receiver filter (equalization)
behavior.  Concerns were raised about the increased difficulty of designing
receivers to Bill's model.  Bill asked if his concept should be incorporated
in Gene's proposal (see 4.3.1) and Gene stated that Bill should draft a new
proposal for additions to SPI-4.

4.7.2  Calculated Signal Losses (00-227) [Aloisi]

Paul Aloisi presented 00-227r0, Calculated Signal Losses.   Questions were
raised about the cable type that Paul used; several people claimed that the
losses seemed excessive.  The people present agreed to review Paul's data for
the next meeting.  It was noted that some related data is available in 99-326.


5.     Expanders and Domain Validation Topics

5.1    SCSI out of band communications method (99-213) [Petty]

The group discussed whether this topic belongs in SPI-4.  The alternate home
for this concept could be the Domain Validation Technical Report.  The group
agreed to defer consideration of this topic to a subsequent meeting.


6.     New Business

6.1    SPI-3 Public Review Comment #1 (00-219) [Penokie]

George Penokie described a public review comment submitted for SPI-3.  The
problem was one instance where an ABORT TASK message does not result in the
target going to the Bus Free phase.  George notified the group that SPI-3
revision 14 was prepared as a proposed response to the public review comment
and was posted on the T10 ftp/web site.  During the May meeting, SPI-3
revision 14 will be considered for forwarding to second public review.


7.     Meeting Schedule

The next meeting of the Parallel SCSI Working Group will be Tuesday, May 16,

2000 commencing at 9:00 a.m. at the Sheraton Hotel (603-888-9970) in Nashua,
NH hosted by Hitachi Cable Manchester.

The subsequent meetings of this group are Thursday, June 15, 2000 commencing
at 9:00 a.m. and continuing Friday, June 16, 2000 in Lisle, IL and July 11,
2000 in Colorado Springs, CO.

Bill Ham noted that the SSM and SPIP ad hocs are requesting subsequent
meetings as follows:

Meeting        Date                 Location / Contact
-------------  -------------------  --------------------------------------
SPIP SG        08/14-15/00 Mon-Tue  Colorado Springs / LSI Logic
SSM WG         08/15-16/00 Tue-Wed  Colorado Springs / LSI Logic
SPIP SG        10/11-12/00 Wed-Thu  Santa Clara / Seagate
SSM WG         10/12-13/00 Thu-Fri  Santa Clara / Seagate

Bill suggested that the Parallel SCSI WG consider meeting in conjuction with
these meetings.


8.     Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 2:58 p.m. on Thursday April 27, 2000.

--
John Lohmeyer                  Email: lohmeyer at t10.org
LSI Logic Corp.                Voice: +1-719-533-7560
4420 ArrowsWest Dr.              Fax: +1-719-533-7183
Colo Spgs, CO 80907

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