Question Two x8 SFF-8654 - breakout /fan out cables for sas/sata drives?

[boed]

Hello,

I'm starting to plan my next build. I typically use 16i raid controller cards either from Broadcom/Microsemi/LSI/Adaptec. I'm thinking about get megaraid 9560-16i for my next system. It has Two x8 SFF-8654 connectors. In the past their controllers had 4 mini sas connectors and with those you could get a breakout cable that would connect to 4 sata connections so I could easily connect 16 drives. I will not have a back plain in my next system. I'd prefer to get a 4.0 PCIe card (not related to needing the bandwidth). We can have a discussion about PCIe 3.0 vs. 4.0 or backplanes or why I need a raid controller in another thread if you like but in this thread I'd really like to focus on breakout cable if you have such knowledge.

 

[sleyk]

You know, I have searched ALL OVER the internet, in many tech forums and sites, and you are the first person I have run across besides myself to ask this question. These cards are now available, but there are seemingly NO breakout/fanout SATA cables for these cards. This worries me for the fate of the SATA port/plug going forward to the future, and I am actually in the process of doing a full-on write-up of the coming new generation, along with focusing in-depth on cables, ports, and connectors on my blog. I will be posting a link here once completed. I just wanted to log in to reply to you to let you know that something is coming. Please stay tuned!

 

[aigomorla]

Thats because that card was fully intended for nVME and backplanes.

Your trying to mod a truck into a dune buggy... its possible, and can do it, but the cables as you realize will be near impossible to source because the controller was not intended to run normal SAS 12G drives without again, a bacplane.

The cheapest solution would probably to hit up ebay on the refurbished market, and look for a refurbished controller card.

 

[Micrornd]

I had a conversation with Broadcom a while ago about these controllers.
Unless you need a whole lot of storage, you should consider another controller.
The MegaRaid 9500 series was designed to connect to U.2 and U.3 backplanes (with SATA 6g, SAS 12g, and Gen4 NVMe in ANY and ALL combinations of backplanes)
It was never intended to connect directly to the storage device (neither SATA, SAS, or NVMe), only a backplane.
With backplanes it will accommodate 240 SATA and/or SAS drives or 32 NVMe drives (or combinations of SAS, SATA and NVMe)
The fella I talked with couldn't tell me what the combos of drives the controller would handle, which I found odd, since the 16i, 8i and 8e are all spec'ed as 240/32 despite the port difference.
He also couldn't tell me if it was possible to direct connect the drives , as he didn't know if they had been tested that way or even if x8 SFF-8654 breakout cables existed.
Playing fast and loose with a $1200-$1400 controller is above my pay grade, but that's up to you

The fella I talked to did mention that they would be producing MegaRaid PCIe Gen4 cards with direct connect to SAS, SATA, and NVMe, but he had no solid info, as they like every thing else theses days, their design and production has been delayed by Covid-19.
So you may want to consider waiting

 

[Papa_Vlad]

The only cable I found is Supermicro Slimline SAS x8 (LA) to 8x SATA 70cm Cable (CBL-SAST-0827). I am still waiting for delivery to confirm it works with 8 SATA drives.

 

[Soulkeeper]

I was wondering this lately too, besides using an expander card or backplane, maybe using two adapater cables in series could be an option. There are plenty of breakout cables for the x4, you could do a Y splitter x8 to two x4 and then add breakout cables.

 

[Papa_Vlad]

And here is one more manufacturer, with straight connector, i.e. a better match bor Broadcom RAID cards IMHO:

SlimSAS 8i (SFF-8654) Straight to 8X SATA Cable - 50CM

The 50cm SlimSAS 8i cable is compatible with any motherboard that uses the SFF-8644 connector and supports both SAS and SATA devices at speeds of up to 6 Gb/s.

www.microsatacables.com

SlimSAS 8i (SFF-8654) Straight to 8X SATA Cable - 1 Meter

Work more efficiently and with less clutter with the SFF-8654 cable. High-quality materials, slim shape, and connection directly to your computer make it an ideal choice for many applications.

www.microsatacables.com

If you search by SKU, they are available in multiple online shops.