SCSI-1_versus_SCSI-2
In 1985, when the first SCSI standard was being finalized as an American National Standard, the X3T9.2 Task Group was approached by a group of manufacturers. The group wanted to increase the mandatory requirements of SCSI and to define further features for direct-access devices. Rather than delay the SCSI standard, X3T9.2 formed an ad hoc group to develop a working paper that was eventually called the Common Command Set (CCS). Many products were designed to this working paper. In parallel with the development of the CCS working paper, X3T9.2 sought permission to begin working on an enhanced SCSI standard, to be called SCSI-2. SCSI-2 would include the results of the CCS working paper, caching commands, performance enhancement features, and whatever else X3T9.2 deemed worthwhile. While SCSI-2 was to go beyond the original SCSI standard (now referred to as SCSI-1), it was to retain a high degree of compatibility with SCSI-1 devices. How is SCSI-2 different from SCSI-1?

1. Several options were removed from SCSI-1:
a. Single initiator option was removed.
b. Non-arbitrating Systems option was removed.
c. Non-extended sense data option was removed.
d. Reservation queuing option was removed.
e. The read-only device command set was replaced by the CD-ROM command set.
f. The alternative 1 shielded connector was dropped.

2. There are several new low-level requirements in SCSI-2:
a. Parity must be implemented.
b. Initiators must provide TERMPWR -- Targets may provide TERMPWR.
c. The arbitration delay was extended to 2.4 us from 2.2 us.
d. Message support is now required.

3. Many options significantly enhancing SCSI were added:
a. Wide SCSI (up to 32 bits wide using a second cable)
b. Fast SCSI (synchronous data transfers of up to 10 Mega-transfers per second -- up to 40 Megabytes per second when combined with wide SCSI)
c. Command queuing (up to 256 commands per initiator on each logical unit)
d. High-density connector alternatives were added for both shielded and non- shielded connectors.
e. Improved termination for single-ended buses (Alternative 2)
f. Asynchronous event notification
g. Extended contingent allegiance
h. Terminate I/O Process messaging for time- critical process termination

4. New command sets were added to SCSI-2 including:
a. CD-ROM (replaces read-only devices)
b. Scanner devices
c. Optical memory devices (provides for write-once, read-only, and erasable media)
d. Medium changer devices
e. Communications devices

5. All command sets were enhanced:
a. Device Models were added
b. Extended sense was expanded to add:
+ Additional sense codes
+ Additional sense code qualifiers
+ Field replaceable unit code
+ Sense key specific bytes
c. INQUIRY DATA was expanded to add:
+ An implemented options byte
+ Vendor identification field
+ Product identification field
+ Product revision level field
+ Vital product data (more extensive product reporting)
d. The MODE SELECT and MODE SENSE commands were paged for all device types
e. The following commands were added for all device types:
+ CHANGE DEFINITION
+ LOG SELECT
+ LOG SENSE
+ READ BUFFER
+ WRITE BUFFER
f. The COPY command definition was expanded to include information on how to handle inexact block sizes and to include an image copy option.
g. The direct-access device command set was enhanced as follows:
+ The FORMAT UNIT command provides more control over defect management
+ Cache management was added:
- LOCK/UNLOCK CACHE command
- PREFETCH command
- SYNCHRONIZE CACHE command
- Force unit access bit
- Disable page out bit
+ Several new commands were added:
- READ DEFECT DATA
- READ LONG
- WRITE LONG
- WRITE SAME
+ The sequential-access device command set was enhanced as follows:
- Partitioned media concept was added:
* LOCATE command
* READ POSITION command
- Several mode pages were added
- Buffered mode 2 was added
- An immediate bit was added to the WRITE FILEMARKS command
+ The printer device command set was enhanced as follows:
- Several mode pages defined:
* Disconnect/reconnect
* Parallel printer
* Serial printer
* Printer options
+ The write-once (optical) device command set was enhanced by:
- Several new commands were added:
* MEDIUM SCAN
* READ UPDATED BLOCK
* UPDATE BLOCK
- Twelve-byte command descriptor blocks were defined for several commands to accommodate larger transfer lengths.

The following article was written by Dal Allan of ENDL in April 1990. It was published nine months later in the January 1991 issue of "Computer Technology Review". While it appeared in the Tape Storage Technology Section of CTR, the article is general in nature and tape-specific. In spite of the less than timely publication, most of the information is still valid.

It is reprinted here with the permission of the author. If you copy this article, please include this notice giving "Computer Technology Review" credit for first publication.