Adaptec Ships Serial Attached SCSI Controller

   Adaptec has shipped a new Serial Attached SCSI controller application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to its partners. Adaptec claims that the ASIC is the only Serial Attached SCSI chip to power 4.8GBps data transfer rates (seven times the rate of Ultra320 SCSI).
   The chip has eight ports and can scale up to 100-disk-drive configurations, and its power-saving design will enable vendors to build smaller, cooler systems. Adaptec has integrated its HostRAID technology in the ASIC. The integration of HostRAID enables a smooth migration path to Adaptec's direct-attached and networked storage arrays, according to the company. "As storage requirements continue to escalate, demand is growing for higher data transfer rates, greater scalability and fault tolerance, and flexible, easy-to-deploy systems that accommodate both low-cost bulk storage and the performance and reliability demands of mission-critical applications," said Paul Perez, vice president of storage, networking and infrastructure, Industry Standard Servers, HP. "Devices like Adaptec's 8-port Serial Attached SCSI controller chip will help enable systems with these capabilities."
   Adaptec tested the new chip at a Serial Attached SCSI plugfest earlier this month. The company plans on using the chip to deliver its own controller cards, as well as be part of solutions from OEMs.