SAS HD connectors from TE Connectivity can double port density on PCI Express cards

HARRISBURG, Pa., 1 April 2012. TE Connectivity in Harrisburg, Pa., is introducing Mini SAS HD connectors for Serial Attached SCSI (SAS 2.1); serial data transmission; Host Bus Adapter (HBA); redundant arrays of inexpensive disks (RAID); workstations; rack-mount server; servers; storage rack; high performance computers; and switches. The connectors are designed to double the port density of low-profile PCI Express cards and support 6- and 12- gigabit-per-second SAS applications.

The connectors for embedded computing applications, which include receptacle connector/cage assembly, and copper cable, gave been adopted for the SAS 2.1 standard and support SAS protocols for high-speed data transfer in storage area networks (SANS), data centers, and switching applications, TE Connectivity officials say. The Mini SAS HD interconnect complies with SAS 2.1 and SFF-8644 industry specifications.

The Mini SAS HD one-piece receptacle connector and cage assembly measures 12.5 millimeters wide, and enables users to double the port density of one low-profile PCI Express card as the assembly allows four 4x ports.

The Mini SAS HD direct-attach copper cables are offered with either four- or eight-channel cable plug configurations and combine TE Madison Cable brand 4-pair TurboTwin cables with dual exit cable connector backshells. Shielding consists of a foil wrap and copper braid.

The cable has an industry-compliant EEPROM signature that allows the host to identify the cable and automatically configure system settings. A pull-to-release latch and spring-loaded pull tab reduces the latch insertion force and increases its retention force. TE also offers a hybrid 4x Mini SAS HD to Mini SAS assembly for connecting next-generation systems with legacy systems.

For more information contact TE Connectivity online at www.te.com.

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