What is the Most Common Types of SAS Cables and Connectors?

Serial-attached SCSI (SAS) cables provide a faster transmission than SCSI cables alone and have different connectors and cords. Understanding which one will serve your computer setup best will help you create a network with the greatest performance. This quick guide will help you know what to look for when shopping for cords and connectors. Read on to learn about the most common types of SAS cables and connectors to enhance your network.

7-Pin

Many computers produced in the past decade use a 7-pin SAS cable connector. They work well in transferring power and data, making them valuable in multiple settings. They typically join a singular component, such as a disk drive, to a motherboard because they have fewer pins than models of 26 or 36. SAS backplane models—the Norco RPC-4020 or Supermicro SC933T-R760B—use a 7-pin connector to expand control capabilities to the user for RAID and HBA controllers.

SFF-8087 Internal Four Channel

Small form factor (SFF) is a common cable type for SAS, and the SFF-8087 is a widely used internal four-channel connector. This cord has a similar performance rate of four 7-pin connections and provides at least 12 Gbps in transmission speed. SFF-8087 is a common type of SAS cable and connector used for SAS cards for fast data reception.

SFF-8088 External Four Channel

Following the SFF-8087 is the SFF-8088, which utilizes external channels. While the internal four-channel connector resides inside a computer, the external option joing different chassis.

The SFF-8088 locking component prevents disconnection—a valuable feature for external cords. Other options include SFF-8087 and SFF-8088 when you need to join channels from the inside to a chassis.

SFF-8482 Internal Single Channel

This cable and connector are common in hard drives to provide power and data. Instead of using seven pins or more, this model needs one channel. Two components—a four-port cable and a four-pin Molex power connector—provide data transmission and power, respectively. The SFF-8482 works well in backplane models since the single connector has multiple functions for a convenient bond.