DIY enclosure question

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RedRover72

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Jan 10, 2024
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I sifted through the google machine and can’t seem to find an answer to this question, so I thought I’d just ask here since I find myself finding the answers here most of the time anyway.

I have one of the Rosewill 4000 series cases and have filled up all 9 5.25 bays with small, cheap enterprise SSDs using those 8-bay Icydock backplanes. My old Synology backup target is acting flaky, so I thought I could just pop a 4th 9305-24i (a 16i would be enough) HBA in the server and have all the storage in one place, which would be significantly faster for backups and easier to manage.

I have plenty of room between the SSDs and motherboard to mount 3 standard sized 4-bay backplanes in a top access, drop-in configuration. I was thinking of getting a few SuperMicro SATA733 backplanes and 3d print custom drive cages and caddies.

Unfortunately, it seems these SATA733 backplanes are limited to 3Gpbs, which would cut throughput in half, no bueno.

Anyone know of a good passthrough SAS3(2)/SATA6 backplane, or one I can plug in a few SFF-8643 directly to the HBA and build out a custom cage for it?

It would be nice if the backplane supported a remote LED panel so I can have all those satisfying blinking lights and know if there was a drive or fan fault.

I’ve already 3d printed a replacement fan plate to replace the 3x 120mm mid-mounted fans with larger 3x Noctua NF-14 Industrial fans. I’d have to attach the fans to the drive cages, since they would be going where the fan plate is currently. There would be enough room to add another row of NF-14s so I could have a push/pull configuration on the drive cages to overcome some of the airflow loss.
 
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nexox

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May 3, 2023
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You might want to test one of those SATAII backplanes to see if it might just run at 6G, in my experience SATA isn't super picky about much besides cable length. You may also be able to fit a full width 2U backplane from something like the Supermicro 826 chassis, you get 12 drives and they optionally come with a SAS expander so you just need an 8i HBA (though to get full bandwidth you need the SAS3 version and those cables come straight out the back, which may be difficult to fit in your setup, cables with right angle connectors exist but aren't nearly as common as straight ones.)
 
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RedRover72

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Jan 10, 2024
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nexox said:
You might want to test one of those SATAII backplanes to see if it might just run at 6G, in my experience SATA isn't super picky about much besides cable length. You may also be able to fit a full width 2U backplane from something like the Supermicro 826 chassis, you get 12 drives and they optionally come with a SAS expander so you just need an 8i HBA (though to get full bandwidth you need the SAS3 version and those cables come straight out the back, which may be difficult to fit in your setup, cables with right angle connectors exist but aren't nearly as common as straight ones.)
Click to expand...
Yes, the SATA733’s are super cheap, around $15, so I’m getting one just to play around with it.

Unfortunately, the 826 backplanes wouldn’t quite work because of the drive orientation; I wouldn’t get enough airflow.
I could use a backplane that had the drives all lined up in a vertical stack, that way I could pass air across them and get air to the motherboard and HBAs behind them. Those HBAs run hot, so they need an adequate amount of air. I have a cowling for one of the NF-14s directing air across the 3 existing 9305-24i’s to keep them cool. Right now they idle around 32, and max out around 38.

I’ve found several backplanes from Dell, HP, IBM, etc., but they have proprietary connections I don’t want to bother with.

And, as you say, finding one with right angle power/SAS connections is a challenge.

A last resort would be to buy a bunch of SATA6 right-angle data/power adapters and epoxy them to a 3d printed cage, but I really wanted those fancy blinking lights! :)
 
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nexox

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May 3, 2023
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Right, airflow, I guess that means a 3U backplane, Supermicro makes an 8 bay SAS3-833A backplane that would work, but I don't see them on ebay, just the 3G versions, and of course it's individual data connectors that need right angle plugs and they're awfully close to each other so you would need half the cables right angle up and half right angle down... with some kind of 4 lane connector on the other end. Sounds like a mess. At least right angle molex power connectors are pretty common.
 
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nexox

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May 3, 2023
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New terrible idea (less terrible than some): get a 2U 24 slot SFF backplane and only use half the slots, may require removing the other half of the SAS connectors in some way.
 
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RedRover72

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Jan 10, 2024
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nexox said:
New terrible idea (less terrible than some): get a 2U 24 slot SFF backplane and only use half the slots, may require removing the other half of the SAS connectors in some way.
Click to expand...
Not a terrible idea, if I could find one cheap enough, just in case I screw up the unsoldering job.
 
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t3chguy

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Mar 13, 2024
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Sorry to hijack - @nexox do you know if FUP4X35S3HSBP would work fine without the IPMB/HSBP connections - connecting just to an LSI SAS 9300-8e - TIA
 
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nexox

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May 3, 2023
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I have no idea, never actually used one, just found it on eBay, but I imagine it would just work with the SAS connections.
 
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mattventura

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Nov 9, 2022
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It would probably work (cable length aside if using SATA drives), but there's no way management (locate/fail LEDs) would work with an 8e since external cabling doesn't carry sideband signals.
 
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RedRover72

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Jan 10, 2024
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There are activity and fail lights on mine. If you have caddies with the light tubes, you could see that info from the chassis.
 
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mike2246

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Jan 20, 2021
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OP I'm in same scenario with same case
Found the same intel board on ebay. Was trying to figure out what sff# the connector was. Also if you could share links to any 3d print templates you used. Trying to avoid buying a new 800 case to get a good backplane and hot swap ability.
 
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nexox

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May 3, 2023
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It looks like standard MiniSAS HD / SFF8643, but if you can fit a rack mount chassis there are lots of options with hot swap under $300 or so, you don't have to build anything if you don't have similar space constraints to the OP.
 
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mike2246

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Jan 20, 2021
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No space constraints, just want a backplane to 8643 or similar with 10 hot swap. Any links or models would be appreciated. I can't find any that both in that range
 
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nexox

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May 3, 2023
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The basic Supermicro 826 chassis has 12 3.5" bays, available with expander backplanes, some with various NVMe configurations, can be found around $200-300 but you may need to replace three fans with something quieter, may also benefit from a $20-30 PSU upgrade for noise and/or power efficiency.
 
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mike2246

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Jan 20, 2021
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Would I be able to use my hx1200 psu with this style case? If not what is the upgrade option?
 
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