ASPI, the Advanced SCSI Programming Interface provides an API

Application programming interface

An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...

 originated by Adaptec

Adaptec

Adaptec is a computer hardware brand owned by PMC-Sierra that is used on some of its host adapters for connecting storage devices to computers. The production line of Adaptec is in Indonesia. Products are made to interface with SCSI, Serial ATA, and Serial attached SCSI. Some of its host adapters...

 which standardizes communication

Communication

Communication is the activity of conveying meaningful information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the sender's intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast...

 on a computer bus

Computer bus

In computer architecture, a bus is a subsystem that transfers data between components inside a computer, or between computers.Early computer buses were literally parallel electrical wires with multiple connections, but the term is now used for any physical arrangement that provides the same...

 between a SCSI host adapter

SCSI host adapter

A SCSI host adapter is a device used to connect one or more other SCSI devices to a computer bus. It is commonly called a SCSI controller, which is not strictly correct as any component understanding the SCSI protocol can be called a controller...

 on the one hand and SCSI

SCSI

Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...

 (and ATAPI) peripheral

Peripheral

A peripheral is a device attached to a host computer, but not part of it, and is more or less dependent on the host. It expands the host's capabilities, but does not form part of the core computer architecture....

s on the other.

History

ASPI was developed by Adaptec in the early 1990s. It was originally designed to support SCSI drives. Support for ATAPI interface (such as IDE) was later added.

Microsoft licensed the interface for use with Windows 9x series

Windows 9x

Windows 9x is a generic term referring to a series of Microsoft Windows computer operating systems produced since 1995, which were based on the original and later modified Windows 95 kernel...

. At the same time Microsoft developed SCSI Pass Through Interface

SCSI Pass Through Interface

SCSI Pass Through Interface is an application programming interface accessing a SCSI device. It is developed by Microsoft Corporation and is part of the Windows NT family of operating systems.- Overview :...

 (SPTI), an in-house substitute that worked on the NT platform. Microsoft did not include ASPI in Windows 2000/XP, in favor of its own SPTI. Users may still download ASPI from Adaptec. A number of CD/DVD applications also continue to offer their own implementations of ASPI layer.

Driver

ASPI was provided by the following drivers.

Operating System	Driver Filename	Bundled
DOS	ASPI4DOS.SYS
Windows 3.1x	WINASPI.DLL
Windows 95, 98 and ME	WNASPI32.DLL, WINASPI.DLL, APIX.VXD and ASPIENUM.VXD
Windows NT, 2000, XP	WNASPI32.DLL, ASPI32.SYS
FreeDOS FreeDOS FreeDOS is an operating system for IBM PC compatible computers. FreeDOS is made up of many different, separate programs that act as "packages" to the overall FreeDOS Project...	USBASPI.SYS

Adaptec's ASPI driver

• Windows ASPI Package

Non-Adaptec implementations

• [ftp://ftp.pinnaclesys.de/driver/pc/InstantCDDVD/ASAPI.exe Pinnacle Systems's ASAPI driver]
• [ftp://ftp6.nero.com/NeroAspiEn.exe Nero's ASPI driver]
• Frog Aspi
• MekugiAspi

Technical information

• Technical reference (ASPI for Win32)
• ASPI Layer setup