DiLinKer SlimSAS 8X to 2x MiniSAS HD 4X Cable, SFF-8654 to 2x SFF-8643, SAS/SATA, 80cm (Broadcom 05-60003-00, RSL74-7657)

The SAS/SATA variant of the 8x SlimSAS fan-out. This 80 cm cable takes one SlimSAS 8x host connector (SFF-8654, 74-pin) and splits its eight lanes into two MiniSAS HD x4 ports (SFF-8643, 36-pin). It is the pinout that Broadcom ships as 05-60003-00 (cable part 5067-6866, listed as “x8 8654 to 2x4 8643, 9402 SAS”) — the one for backplanes that carry SAS or SATA drives. That means either a SAS/SATA-only backplane, whose SFF-8643 ports carry nothing but SAS/SATA, or a double-plumbed backplane that brings two separate wirings to the same drive bays: one U.2 (PCIe) path and one SAS/SATA path. This cable feeds the SAS/SATA path, the one whose backplane-side connector is SFF-8643.

Why this is the SAS/SATA variant

• Built for SAS/SATA backplanes. On a SAS/SATA-only cage the SFF-8643 ports carry SAS/SATA and nothing else. On a double-plumbed cage the same bays also have a U.2 path; you populate a bay with one drive type and cable only the matching path. Both paths land on SFF-8643 at the backplane, which is why the pinout, not the connector, is what identifies this assembly.
• SAS 4.0, 24 Gb/s per lane. Backward compatible with 12G and 6G equipment — every link negotiates to the slowest component in the chain, so an older expander costs speed, not compatibility.
• SFF-9402 sideband assignment. The sidebands follow the SAS definition, so SGPIO and two-wire backplane management keep working exactly as they did with the previous generation of cables.
• 8 lanes in, 2 × x4 out. A passive lane split — no switch chip, no retimer, nothing to configure in the OS.
• Labelled by part number, not by colour. Both pinout variants use dark connectors and look identical in the hand, so this assembly ships with RSL74-7657 and the Broadcom cross-reference printed on its label. Match the label, not the connector colour.
• 80 cm, the chassis-neutral length. Long enough for controller-to-midplane routing in 1U and 2U servers, short enough to leave no slack loop coiled behind the midplane.

Specifications

Compatibility

Works with

• SAS/SATA backplanes and drive cages with SFF-8643 ports.
• Double-plumbed backplanes — one bay, two separate wirings. This cable feeds the SAS/SATA half (SFF-8643 at the backplane); the U.2 half is cabled separately.
• Tri-mode and SAS controllers with SlimSAS 8x ports, including Broadcom 9400 and 9600 series HBAs.
• SAS 3.0 (12 Gb/s) and SAS 2.0 (6 Gb/s) equipment — links negotiate down automatically.

Does not work with

• Supermicro Purley NVMe backplanes with white SFF-8643 connectors — the white shells are on the backplane; our cable is dark on both variants and carries no colour code. Those systems need the 05-60002-00 pinout, which we also stock.
• NVMe backplanes that follow the SFF-9402 specification — use the 05-60001-00 or 05-60004-00 variant instead, because the sideband assignment is different.
• Drives connected directly. The SFF-8643 end must meet a port on a backplane, cage or adapter.
• MCIO (SFF-TA-1016) hosts, or SlimSAS 4x (38-pin) headers — this cable is 8x on the host side.

Typical deployments

• SAS/SATA drive cage on a new HBA. A 96xx or 94xx tri-mode controller driving an existing SFF-8643 SAS backplane.
• Mixed-protocol chassis. The SAS/SATA half of a double-plumbed cage, wired from one 8x host port.
• Cable management. One 8x run instead of two 4x runs, at a length that leaves no slack loop.

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from Broadcom 05-60002-00?

Both are 80 cm SlimSAS 8x to 2× MiniSAS HD cables with the same connectors, but they are wired for different backplanes. 05-60003-00 (this cable) is the SAS/SATA pinout. 05-60002-00 is an NVMe-only cable for Supermicro Purley backplanes, which use a legacy NVMe pinout instead of the SFF-9402 arrangement. Plug the wrong one in and the drives simply do not appear — the connectors fit either way, and the two cables look identical.

How do I tell your two 80 cm variants apart?

Only by the label. Both are built on the same dark SFF-8654 and SFF-8643 connectors with the same jacket, so they look the same in the hand. This one is labelled RSL74-7657; the NVMe variant is labelled DL-A640. Both labels also carry the Broadcom cross-reference. If a label has come off, send us the order number before installing and we will confirm which variant your order shipped with.

Do you still sell the 100 cm version?

No. The 100 cm assembly has been discontinued and this 80 cm cable replaces it — same connectors, same wiring, 20 cm shorter. If your chassis genuinely needs the extra reach, send us the server model and the routing distance and we will confirm what we can supply before you order.

Can I run NVMe drives on it?

Not reliably. Broadcom classifies this part as SAS/SATA. NVMe over SFF-8643 depends on the PCIe sideband signals, and those are assigned differently on this cable than on the NVMe variants. If your backplane takes NVMe drives, tell us the backplane model and we will match the right pinout — usually 05-60002-00, 05-60001-00 or 05-60004-00.

What is SFF-9402 and why does it matter?

SFF-9402 is a superset of SFF-8448: it keeps the SAS backplane-management signals and adds the PCIe-defined sideband signals on the same connector. That is why one adapter can drive SAS, SATA and NVMe backplanes. What it does not do is make every SFF-8643 backplane interchangeable — many NVMe backplanes, Supermicro Purley among them, still use their own older pinout.

What does “double plumbed” mean?

It means the backplane is wired twice for the same drive bays. One set of traces and connectors serves U.2 NVMe drives (PCIe), another serves SAS/SATA drives. You populate a bay with one drive type and cable only the matching path — the drive does not auto-switch between them, and cabling both paths to the same host port is not a supported configuration. Broadcom lists this cable for the SAS/SATA half, the half whose backplane-side connector is SFF-8643. The NVMe half is cabled separately, and on Supermicro Purley boards it needs the 05-60002-00 pinout instead.

What is the difference between SlimSAS and MiniSAS HD?

SlimSAS is SFF-8654 — 74 pins for 8 lanes or 38 pins for 4 lanes, designed around SAS 4.0 (24 Gb/s). MiniSAS HD is SFF-8643 — 36 pins, 4 lanes, the previous generation. Different connectors, they will not mate; this cable adapts between them.

In the box

• 1 × SlimSAS 8x to 2 × MiniSAS HD cable, 80 cm — part number RSL74-7657 on the label (SKU B09S37RN91)

Backed by a 24-month warranty. If a link trains at reduced width or a drive is not detected, contact us with your controller and backplane model numbers and we will confirm the correct pinout variant before you return anything. Quote the part number printed on the cable label — the two 80 cm variants look identical, so the label is the only reliable way to tell them apart.

Related

• SlimSAS to 2× MiniSAS HD — NVMe variant for Supermicro Purley (05-60002-00)
• All MiniSAS HD (SFF-8643) cables
• All SlimSAS (SFF-8654) cables