DiLinKer SlimSAS 4X to MiniSAS HD 4X Cable, SFF-8654 38-Pin to SFF-8643 36-Pin, 80cm

A four-lane adapter cable that bridges the two generations of internal SAS connector: SlimSAS 4i (SFF-8654, 38-pin) on one end, MiniSAS HD 4i (SFF-8643, 36-pin) on the other, 80 cm apart. Nothing is split, switched or re-timed. Four lanes in, the same four lanes out, which is exactly what you need when a SlimSAS-era controller or backplane has to reach an SFF-8643-era device — or the other way round.

Why this cable exists

• Two connector generations, one link. SlimSAS shrank the 4i connector down to a 38-pin shell so that more ports fit on a board edge, but a great deal of installed hardware still terminates in SFF-8643. This assembly is the plain translation between the two — no change in lane count, no change in order.
• Rated 24 Gb/s SAS and 8 GT/s PCIe per lane. Both figures are per-lane signalling rates for this assembly. A link always negotiates down to the slowest component in the chain, so an older HBA or a Gen3 host costs you speed, never compatibility.
• Straight 1:1 lane mapping. Lane 0 to lane 0, lane 3 to lane 3. Because nothing is cross-wired you can also run it backwards, from an SFF-8643 host port into a SlimSAS 4i backplane, provided both ends are 4i.
• Slim shell where space is tight. The 38-pin end is noticeably narrower than a 36-pin MiniSAS HD plug, which is often the only reason this cable is in the build at all: the card or backplane simply has no room for an 8643 shell.

Specifications

Compatibility

Works with

• SlimSAS 4i (38-pin) ports on a controller, motherboard or backplane
• MiniSAS HD 4i (36-pin) backplanes, drive cages, HBAs and RAID cards
• SAS and SATA drives, in either direction of the cable

Does not work with

• 8-lane SlimSAS (74-pin) ports — those need an x8 fan-out cable, not this one
• External MiniSAS HD (SFF-8644): different shell and latch, a different cable entirely
• U.2 backplanes whose pinout we have not confirmed for this assembly — ask us with the backplane model before you order for NVMe

Typical deployments

• Rebuilding an older cage on a newer platform. A Gen4 SlimSAS controller feeding a chassis whose drive cage still uses SFF-8643 ports. The cable does the connector translation; the lanes stay whole.
• Mixed-vintage labs and test benches. One cable, two generations of hardware on the bench, without buying a bridge card for a job that only needs wiring.
• Replacing a damaged OEM cable. Same connector pair, same lane order, same 80 cm reach — a drop-in replacement when the original part is unobtainable.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between SFF-8654 38-pin and SFF-8654 74-pin?

Both are SlimSAS, but they carry different lane counts. The 38-pin shell is 4i (four lanes); the 74-pin shell is 8i (eight lanes). This cable uses the 38-pin 4i shell, so it mates with a 4-lane SlimSAS port only — a 74-pin port needs an x8 cable.

Is anything split inside the cable?

No. It is a passive four-lane assembly with a straight 1:1 mapping. There is no switch, no retimer and nothing to configure: the host sees the same four lanes it would see with a native 8643 cable.

Can I use it in either direction?

Yes, as long as both ends are 4i. The assembly is passive, so which side is host and which is target is decided by your hardware, not by the cable. What it cannot do is change lane count.

Will it work with NVMe / U.2 drives?

Do not assume it will. This assembly is specified at 24 Gb/s SAS and 8 GT/s PCIe per lane, and we have not confirmed an SFF-9402 pinout for it. If you are wiring U.2 drives, send us the backplane model and we will tell you which of our cables is specified for that pinout rather than guess.

How is it different from the 100 cm version?

Only the length — same connectors, same lane mapping. The 100 cm assembly is useful when the controller sits at the front of a deep chassis; in a standard 2U the 80 cm version leaves less slack to manage.

My backplane has two 4i ports — can I run two of these?

Yes. Each 4i port needs its own cable back to its own 4i host port. Two cables give you eight lanes in total, but they occupy two separate host connectors — a single 8i port cannot be split by plugging two cables into it.

In the box

• 1 × SlimSAS 4i to MiniSAS HD 4i cable, 80 cm (SKU B081CJGC4F)

Every cable is continuity- and pinout-tested before it ships and carries a 24-month warranty. If a link does not train, send us the controller model and the backplane part number before returning anything — in most cases the cable is the wrong variant for the port, not faulty, and we would rather tell you that up front.

Related

• Same cable in 100 cm — SlimSAS 4X to MiniSAS HD
• SlimSAS 4X to U.2 NVMe adapter, SFF-8654 to SFF-8639
• SlimSAS 8X to 8x SATA, SFF-8654 74-pin to SATA