There are standards entitled SCSI-1 and SCSI-2 (and possibly soon SCSI-3). The standards are mostly upward compatible.
The SCSI-1 standard is (in the author's opinion) mostly obsolete, and SCSI-2 is the most widely used. SCSI-3 is very new and very expensive. These standardized command sets specify mandatory and optional commands for SCSI manufacturers and should be preferred over the vendor specific command extensions which are not standardized and for which programming information is seldom available. Of course sometimes there is no alternative to these extensions.
Electronic copies of the latest drafts are available via anonymous ftp from:
(I got my SCSI specification from the Yggdrasil Linux CD-ROM in the directory /usr/doc/scsi-2 and /usr/doc/scsi-1).
The SCSI FAQ also lists the following sources of printed information:
The SCSI specification: Available from:
Global Engineering Documents
15 Inverness Way East
Englewood Co 80112-5704
(800) 854-7179
SCSI-1: X3.131-1986
SCSI-2: X3.131-199x
SCSI-3 X3T9.2/91-010R4 Working Draft
(Global Engineering Documentation in Irvine, CA (714)261-1455??)
SCSI-1: Doc \# X3.131-1986 from ANSI, 1430 Broadway, NY, NY 10018
IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION OF SCSI can be obtained from
Solution Technology, Attn: SCSI Publications, POB 104, Boulder Creek,
CA 95006, (408)338-4285, FAX (408)338-4374
THE SCSI ENCYLOPEDIA and the SCSI BENCH REFERENCE can be obtained from
ENDL Publishing, 14426 Black Walnut Ct., Saratoga, CA 95090,
(408)867-6642, FAX (408)867-2115
SCSI: UNDERSTANDING THE SMALL COMPUTER SYSTEM INTERFACE was published
by Prentice-Hall, ISBN 0-13-796855-8