Weird one: Connecting SAS Expander to USB adapter

[loki0111]

Transfer speed does not really matter that much but I'm looking for an adapter or something that can take a SAS cable attached to a loaded up SAS expander and convert it to USB 3.0.

Does anyone know if something like this exists?

Thanks!

 

[Tom5051]

the demand for such a product would be extremely low to non-existent hence unlikely to find anything

 

[NateS]

Transfer speed does not really matter that much but I'm looking for an adapter or something that can take a SAS cable attached to a loaded up SAS expander and convert it to USB 3.0.

Does anyone know if something like this exists?

Thanks!

Is Thunderbolt an option? If so, you could probably use one of those external GPU cases and put a proper PCIe HBA in it, to make a TB-to-SAS adapter.

For straight USB, I'm not sure it's possible -- while there are things that convert SAS to USB, such as this, I'm pretty sure they're just translating the protocol to native USB storage under the hood, and that probably would not work with an expander. You could try emailing them to ask though.

 

[loki0111]

Is Thunderbolt an option? If so, you could probably use one of those external GPU cases and put a proper PCIe HBA in it, to make a TB-to-SAS adapter.

For straight USB, I'm not sure it's possible -- while there are things that convert SAS to USB, such as this, I'm pretty sure they're just translating the protocol to native USB storage under the hood, and that probably would not work with an expander. You could try emailing them to ask though.

Unfortunately no. I'm using a thin client with no PCIe expansion for testing and its only got USB2/3.

My end solution is a bit of a hack job. I'm going from mini PCIe on the motherboard to a PCIe 1X adapter. Then plugging in a LSI 9211-4i which runs off a 1X slot no problem. It looks like crap but it works.

 

[nihonjin]

I would use an eGPU to PCIe adapter if you have an nvme PCIe slot (better than a x1 riser)