Mini SAS SFF-8087 Male SATA Male Network Drive Computer Cables and Adapters

What You Should Know About SFF-8087 Mini SAS to SATA Adapter Cables

SFF-8087 internal Mini SAS to SATA connector cables can be used to connect multiple hard drives to a serial SCSI controller port inside a computer. If youre setting up a network server or a RAID system, these cables can make it possible to install a bank of SATA drives.

Mini SAS is a type of serial attached SCSI connector used for internal SCSI bus ports like those found on computer motherboards or SCSI controller cards. Serial SCSI is a type of high-speed data transfer bus used to handle the connection between storage devices like hard drives or solid-state drives and computer systems. The SFF-8087 connector is one of several Mini SAS form-factors designed to handle four lanes of data traffic.

SATA is a type of high-speed data transfer connector that many drives are designed to use to communicate with a computer. SATA drives support one of three versions of the SATA standard, which are backward compatible, and they are compatible with serial SCSI controllers. The main difference between the versions of SATA available is their maximum data transfer rates, which range from 1.5 Gbps to 6 Gbps. Attaching a drive that supports a later version of SATA to an older SATA controller will limit its data transfer rate.

These adapter cables are designed for a specific use, but they do have a couple of features to consider before buying, including:

• Connector design: Sometimes a 90-degree connector is helpful to fit cabling into tight spaces like those found in some network servers. You can find angled connectors for the Mini SAS or SATA cables.
• Number of SATA cables: Many of these adapters break out to connect four SATA devices, but the number can vary. You may want to mix and match cables for the number of devices you want to install.
• Cable length: Buying to right length of cable for internal installations can make it easier to keep the computers cabling tidy. You can find the different lengths of cable to fit most projects.

Both Mini SAS and internal SATA cables are straight-forward to connect to your hard drives and SCSI controller. They use a clip-on design that engages as you push the connector onto its matching port. They are disengaged from the port by lifting the clip and pulling them away simultaneously.