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• Fast (20 MB/s)
• Ultra (40 MB/s)
• Ultra2 (80 MB/s)
• Ultra160 (160 MB/s)
• Ultra320 (320 MB/s)
The actual data transfer rate between the A7173A adapter and the other SCSI devices on the bus
depends on the maximum data transfer rate that is automatically negotiated for each of the
devices on the bus.
For example, if you set the A7173A adapter’s maximum data transfer rate to NOLIMIT (which
will be 320 MB/s), and then connect a disk drive that has a maximum data transfer rate of Ultra2
(80 MB/s), the actual transfer rate will automatically be negotiated to a maximum of 80 MB/s.
WARNING! HP DS2100, DS2110, and DS2300 external storage devices are only supported at
a maximum SCSI data transfer rate of U160. The SCSI data transfer rate must be limited to U160
(or slower) to avoid potential data integrity issues. The SCSI bus will not automatically adjust
to accommodate the DS2100 or the DS2110. The SCSI data transfer rate must be deliberately set
to a maximum of U160; offline via the Boot Console Handler (on HP 9000 systems) or EFI (on
HP Integrity systems), or online via the mptconfig command. With the DS2300 the SCSI data
transfer rate will automatically be negotiated to U160 (or slower), but the negotiation could cause
a few SCSI bus resets, which can be avoided by deliberately setting the maximum SCSI data
transfer rate to U160.
TIP: Unless you are connecting an HP DS2100, DS2110, or DS2300 external storage device to
an A7173A adapter, HP recommends that you always set the A7173A adapter’s maximum data
transfer rate to MAX or NOLIMIT (this is the default setting for the A7173A adapter).
Using MAX or NOLIMIT enables the adapter’s maximum data transfer rate of 320 MB/s to be used,
unless there are slower devices on the bus that automatically negotiate a slower data transfer
rate. Automatic negotiation of the data transfer rate will set the maximum data transfer rate on
the SCSI bus to the maximum data transfer rate capability of the slowest SCSI device on the bus.
TIP: If you are trying to debug a communication problem between the A7173A adapter and a
specific SCSI device, setting the data transfer rate at a slower speed may enhance diagnostic
efforts. See Chapter 5: “Troubleshooting” (page 51), for more information.
Setting the Maximum Data Transfer Rate Offline
For HP 9000 systems, the Boot Console Handler (BCH) menus are used to set the maximum data
transfer rate offline. See “Using the BCH Menus on HP 9000 Systems” (page 28), for details.
For HP Integrity® systems, EFI is used to set the maximum data transfer rate offline. See “Using
the EFI Utility on HP Integrity Systems” (page 32), for details.
Setting the Maximum Data Transfer Rate Online
The mptconfig command is used to set the maximum data transfer rate online for all supported
systems. See “Using mptconfig for Online Configuration” (page 40), for details.
About Bus Width
The firmware suggested default for the A7173A adapter’s bus width is MAX (the A7173A adapter’s
maximum bus width, 16 bits [Wide]). However, either of the following bus widths can be used:
• 8 bits (Narrow)
• 16 bits (Wide)
About Bus Width 25