{"product_id":"diliving-slimsas-4x-to-minisas-hd-4x-sff-8654-38pin-to-sff-8643-36pin-cable-80cm","title":"DiLinKer SlimSAS 4X to MiniSAS HD 4X Cable, SFF-8654 38-Pin to SFF-8643 36-Pin, 80cm","description":"\u003cp\u003eA four-lane adapter cable that bridges the two generations of internal SAS connector: \u003cstrong\u003eSlimSAS 4i\u003c\/strong\u003e (SFF-8654, 38-pin) on one end, \u003cstrong\u003eMiniSAS HD 4i\u003c\/strong\u003e (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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy this cable exists\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTwo connector generations, one link.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRated 24 Gb\/s SAS and 8 GT\/s PCIe per lane.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStraight 1:1 lane mapping.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSlim shell where space is tight.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:14px\"\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnector A\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eSlimSAS 4i, SFF-8654, 38-pin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnector B\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eMiniSAS HD 4i, SFF-8643, 36-pin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003e4 (straight, 1:1 mapping)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLength\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003e80 cm\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSignal rating\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003e24 Gb\/s per lane SAS · 8 GT\/s per lane PCIe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStandards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eSFF-8654 (SlimSAS) · SFF-8643 (MiniSAS HD)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px;background:#f7f8fa;width:34%\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSKU\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"border:1px solid #e3e6ea;padding:7px 10px\"\u003eB081CJGC4F\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWorks with\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSlimSAS 4i (38-pin) ports on a controller, motherboard or backplane\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMiniSAS HD 4i (36-pin) backplanes, drive cages, HBAs and RAID cards\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSAS and SATA drives, in either direction of the cable\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes not work with\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e8-lane SlimSAS (74-pin) ports — those need an x8 fan-out cable, not this one\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eExternal MiniSAS HD (SFF-8644): different shell and latch, a different cable entirely\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eU.2 backplanes whose pinout we have not confirmed for this assembly — ask us with the backplane model before you order for NVMe\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTypical deployments\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRebuilding an older cage on a newer platform.\u003c\/strong\u003e 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.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMixed-vintage labs and test benches.\u003c\/strong\u003e One cable, two generations of hardware on the bench, without buying a bridge card for a job that only needs wiring.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReplacing a damaged OEM cable.\u003c\/strong\u003e Same connector pair, same lane order, same 80 cm reach — a drop-in replacement when the original part is unobtainable.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is the difference between SFF-8654 38-pin and SFF-8654 74-pin?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth are SlimSAS, but they carry different lane counts. The 38-pin shell is \u003cstrong\u003e4i\u003c\/strong\u003e (four lanes); the 74-pin shell is \u003cstrong\u003e8i\u003c\/strong\u003e (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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIs anything split inside the cable?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eCan I use it in either direction?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWill it work with NVMe \/ U.2 drives?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow is it different from the 100 cm version?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eMy backplane has two 4i ports — can I run two of these?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eIn the box\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e1 × SlimSAS 4i to MiniSAS HD 4i cable, 80 cm (SKU B081CJGC4F)\u003c\/li\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eRelated\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/diliving-slimsas-4x-to-minisas-hd-sff-8654-38pin-to-sff-8643-36pin-cable-100cm\"\u003eSame cable in 100 cm — SlimSAS 4X to MiniSAS HD\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/diliving-slimsas-4x-to-u-2-nvme-adapter-sff-8654-38p-to-sff-8639-68p-cable-with-power-75cm\"\u003eSlimSAS 4X to U.2 NVMe adapter, SFF-8654 to SFF-8639\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/diliving-slimsas-x8-to-8-sata-sff-8654-74p-to-8-sata-7p-slimsas-host-raid-to-sata-target-hd-85cm-cable\"\u003eSlimSAS 8X to 8x SATA, SFF-8654 74-pin to SATA\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"DiLinKer","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47981365494056,"sku":"B081CJGC4F","price":18.68,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0866\/1460\/6120\/files\/01-main.jpg?v=1793772270","url":"https:\/\/diliving.com\/products\/diliving-slimsas-4x-to-minisas-hd-4x-sff-8654-38pin-to-sff-8643-36pin-cable-80cm","provider":"DiLiVing","version":"1.0","type":"link"}