4 × SATA from Motherboard to 1 × Mini-SAS Drive Enclosure?

Hardware Hub Storage
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I know RAID and HBA cards typically have a few ports which support many drives, and there are breakout cables which split at the other end to connect to the individual drives. Does anyone know if they work the other way around—something like CableCreation’s Mini SAS to 4x SATA Cable?

I’ve got a motherboard with 8 × SATA ports and I would prefer not to run individual SATA cables to the drives. The ToughArmor MB998IP-B looks like a good way to keep the drives in one accessible place and the 2 mini-SAS connectors seem like a great way to reduce cable clutter.

ICYDOCK ToughArmor MB998IP-B
ICYDOCK ToughArmor MB998IP-B1280×853 39.7 KB

CableCreation Mini SAS to 4x SATA Cable
CableCreation Mini SAS to 4x SATA Cable1200×1200 76.8 KB

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Need reverse cable

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According to google the cables are directional. So you would need a reverse breakout cable. They do exist.

For example: Delock Products 83320 Delock Cable Mini SAS HD SFF-8643 > 4 x SATA 7 pin Reverse + Sideband 0.5 m

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Ugh… I was hoping they’d be bundles of cables passive.

This looks like a product that fits the bill. But what’s the side band connector for?

EDIT: StackExchange to the rescue

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I guess the side band connector is for when your motherboard has some sgpio header

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Reality has a way of being Captain Obvious. :joy:

Ask about whether cables work in reverse → answer is “reverse cable”

TIL

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I also use reverse breakout cables. Was a bit confusing because I never used them before, but is a blessing for cable routing if you don’t have SSF → SFF connectors and rely on SATA ports.

Make sure the SFF number matches the connector on your backplane. There are a lot of SFF connectors, but 8643 is common for internal SATA/SAS

also:

NOTE: If the Mini SAS (SFF-8643) on your backplane, this cable will not work with them.

So normal breakout cable won’t work if you need a REVERSE breakout cable. SATA as a host/initiator/controller to SFF is a reverse direction.

Normal breakout cables will connect your 4 SATA connector drives to e.g. an HBA

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Who knew finding a reverse breakout cable for purchase would be so hard… Nearly all the results on Amazon were for forward breakout cables or the SFF-8087 connector. The rest which matched my search terms were throwaway brands.

But I think i finally found the right ones on Supermicro’s eStore instead:

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eBay has them that’s where I got mine

Might not be cheapest was first one I saw that was what you were looking for

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