QLogic provides enhanced RISC processing for transaction-intensive applications using the new Power Macintosh 9500.

COSTA MESA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 1995--QLogic Corp. (NASDAQ:QLGC) today introduced a family of adapter cards for the PCI-based Power Macintosh that provides the high-performance SCSI throughput required in transaction-intensive, multitasking environments such as desktop video, desktop publishing and high-end imaging. The PCI bus supports a transfer rate of 133Mbytes/sec -- four times greater than the NuBus standard found on previous Macintosh systems.

Available today in production quantities, the Fast!SCSI MAC PCI adapter cards are fully compatible with Apple's PCI-based Power Macintosh 9500 (also introduced today) and enhance the multitasking environment of the Power Macintosh 9500's System 7.5 operating system.

The Fast!SCSI MAC PCI product capitalizes on QLogic's extensive experience as a SCSI leader for both in-system and adapter board solutions.

According to David Tovey, QLogic marketing vice president: "Utilizing our experience as the designers of the heart of the SCSI chip that's used in Macintosh and Power Macintosh systems, we worked very closely with Apple Computer to ensure that our products are tightly coupled with Apple's System 7.5 operating system and SCSI Manager 4.3.

"We feel that this higher level of integration makes a noticeable difference in the performance and ease of use of our cards."

"Apple Computer is very pleased to have QLogic as a developer of PCI adapter cards for high-performance SCSI throughput," said Howard Lee, senior vice president of Apple's Macintosh Systems Division. "The QLogic adapter cards, in keeping with our Power Macintosh 9500 strategy, extend the range of PCI solutions by providing the desktop publishing and desktop video markets a full range of solutions to connect quickly and easily to high-capacity storage devices."

The Fast!SCSI MAC PCI family is composed of three affordable, top-performing solutions in narrow, wide and wide-differential versions to support a full range of peripheral devices and applications.

-- The Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-N card is designed for file servers

and desktop publishing applications that require Fast SCSI-2

(10 MB/sec) connectivity;

-- The Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-W card brings both Fast (10 MB/sec) and

Wide (20 MB/sec) connectivity to applications such as desktop

video and imaging that require substantial I/O throughput;

-- The Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-W/D card delivers high-performance Wide

connectivity with support for up to 25 meter I/O cables for

applications where longer distances between host and

peripherals are required, or where differential support is

required.

Each wide solution supports up to 15 SCSI devices, more than double that of standard 8-bit SCSI. All products include internal SCSI cables.

Enhanced RISC Processing

The entire line of Fast!SCSI MAC PCI adapters is based on QLogic's proven twin processor ISP1020A SCSI controller chip. The ISP1020A chip provides support for more complex multitasking operations, including disconnect/connect, scatter/gather and tagged command queuing.

Inside the ISP1020A chip, a 12 MIPS RISC engine prevents system bottlenecks when driving the Fast!SCSI MAC PCI adapters at rates that were previously unimaginable. The cards are capable of maintaining sustained transfer rates of greater than 19 MB per second (Wide SCSI) and nine MB per second (Narrow SCSI) while supporting up to 400 concurrent I/Os. Customers can match the RISC-based I/O performance of the cards with the RISC performance of the Power Macintosh 9500.

Easy Installation and Widespread Compatibility

QLogic's new adapter cards also incorporate superior features such as easy plug-and-play installation and intelligent bus mastering that frees up the Power Macintosh 9500 CPU for faster application processing. Compatible with all popular SCSI devices, the adapters make cost-effective system enhancements possible by supporting up to 15 additional SCSI devices with the Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-W and -W/D cards and up to seven with the Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-N card.

Pricing and Availability

Production quantities of the entire line of QLogic Fast!SCSI MAC PCI adapter cards are available immediately from Ingram Micro, TechData and EMJ in Canada. The Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-N carries a suggested list price of $395.00, the Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-W is priced at $495.00 and the Fast!SCSI MAC PCI-W/D is $625.00. QLogic offers customers a toll-free technical support telephone line, support via 24-hour electronic bulletin board and a limited five-year warranty.

QLogic Corp., with headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif., is a pioneer and market leader in high-performance I/O technology that facilitates faster and more efficient data transfer between computers and peripherals. The company designs and manufactures integrated circuits and adapter cards used to connect peripheral devices to computer systems and I/O target controller chips used in a wide variety of peripherals worldwide.

To date, QLogic has shipped more than 23 million SCSI solutions to the peripheral OEM, computer OEM and distribution markets.

NOTE TO EDITORS: QLogic and Fast!SCSI are registered trademarks of QLogic Corp. Apple, Macintosh and Power Macintosh are trademarks of Apple Computer Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and hereby acknowledged.

CONTACT: QLogic Corp., Costa Mesa

Irene Santoyo, 714/668-5359, 714/668-5008 (fax)

or

The Benjamin Group

Elizabeth Deans, Karen Allen, 714/753-0755,

714/753-0844

e-mail: [e-mail]