FCI Launches Next-Generation SAS Storage Interface

“The on-going growth of the Internet and associated applications, along with the storage demand and requirements to properly support them, makes the mini-SAS HD product portfolio the interconnect of choice for present and future storage hardware architectures…particularly due to the linear board density that the mini-SAS HD industry standard delivers,” said Jim David, global product manager, FCI.

“Our IMLA-based board connectors have been measured and shown to be fully compliant to both the SAS 2.1 and proposed SAS 3.0 industry standards. This allows our customers to design in our board connector offerings today for SAS 2.1 applications and seamlessly upgrade their systems to the proposed SAS 3.0 signal speeds using the same product part numbers for both applications, avoiding any design changes, part number changes or purchasing changes.”

FCI’s Mini-SAS HD product offering is fully compliant to the SFF-8643 (internal applications) and SFF-8644 (external applications) industry specifications.

Available internal and external board connector styles include 1X1 (4x), 1X2 (8x), and 1X4(16x) configurations for ultimate customer choices and design flexibility. These board connector configurations enable 4x and 8x internal and externalcable assembly solutions, which include EEPROM communication, for complete end-to-end solutions. FCI’s cable assembly offerings also include legacy cables where one end of the cable has the mini-SAS HD connectors and the other end is the older mini-SAS based connector systems.

All internal cable assemblies also include the capability for added side band signaling and are capable of being bent 90 degrees during cable routing without degradation of the high speed signaling. The Mini-SAS HD design is also fully PCI Express-compatible and can be utilized in those architecture applications.

Robust metal cages and stamped metal EMI fingers on the external board connector systems and cables replace problematic EMC elastomeric gaskets and provide full 360° EMI shielding to each connector port. Eye-of-the-needle terminations on the connector and cage enables a straightforward single-step termination process and ensures consistent application to the PCB. The external cable strain relief accommodates an axial pull force in excess of
20 pounds. Further, the external cable latch is designed to reduce cable insertion forces and eliminate any un-mating issues. The connector’s durability has been validated for 250 cycles.

The Mini SAS HD products have a current rating of 0.5A max and a characteristic impedance of 100 +/- 15 Ohms. They meet RoHS specifications and they carry UL approval.