SATA connectors for hot swap cage?

[dandragonrage]

I have a server that has 4 hot swap drives that use 80-pin SCSI. I'm going to convert it to SATA. I can easily enough just run SATA cables into the hotswap enclosures after taking off the SCSI backplane but that will make them not hot-swap. I will do this if I have to, but I'd like to make it hot-swap if it's not too much of a pain. I will probably make a backplane myself by just inserting the cables into something that will hold them in the right place and epoxying them there. So that leaves one small issue:

The hot-swap cages have a connector that keeps the backplane from directly touching the drive. It slips over the drive connector and just sort of extends it about an inch to protect the connector on the drive when inserted. Does anyone know if I can buy something like this cheaply for SATA? I am trying to look on Ebay but I don't even know what to call them.

[XS Janus]

Something like a female sata connector assembly for data and power?
I don't think so.
Would be great is someone poined out a cool solution

[unhappy_mage]

I can't picture what you're talking about. Can you find a picture of a backplane that shows the feature you want?

[dandragonrage]

here's the SCSI one: http://kawaii-shoujo.net/AntiAliased/scsi_connector_thing.jpg

Top connects into the drive, bottom has the same connector that's on the drive and that fits into the backplane.

[AceGoober]

As far as I am aware of what you are wanting to do is not possible. Each drive will need its own SATA port since you can't run multiple drives on one port.

[dandragonrage]

You can with a port extender but that is not what I am trying to do. The hard drive cages are longer than usual to account for that adaptor/extender thing, so I want something like it for SATA if it exists (and if it's cheap). I'll take some plexiglass or sheet metal, make some slots and epoxy the SATA connectors in place probably. One for each drive.

But if I can't find it, I'll just run the wires in the cages and hook them up myself. It's worth maybe $10-15 for me to get it working like above, not much more.

[AceGoober]

Searching for SATA to SCSI adaptor comes back with a lot of hits.

Searching for SCSI to SATA adaptor only comes back with hot swap and extender bays.

You might want to check on eBay to see if they have anything such as you are looking for. I'll see what I can come-up with through one of my distributors and let you know if it's going to even come close to your price range.

You might be better off trying to find a used PCI or PCIe SCSI RAID controller and going with that.

[dandragonrage]

?

It's got a SCSI RAID card now. But I'm swapping it out with a SAS/SATA RAID card, putting in new cables, pulling off the SCSI backplane and running SATA drives. SCSI drives are expensive and, more importantly, do not go 500GB+.

[XS Janus]

why just not buy new cages?
It will be much more reliable.

[dandragonrage]

why just not buy new cages?
It will be much more reliable.

I'd have to drill out rivets and there's another bracket that's part of the cage now, so it'd be a pain.

[natopotato]

I am working on this VERY thing right now... lol after ALOT of searching i decieded no one else on the planet ever thought of this... lol then i just noticed your thread. I have a old Proliant fiberchannel storage array i am modding.... i pulled off the scsi backplane (full 19 span) and am hooking up the trays,

If you lucky and you have exactly 1" spacing between drive trays (mine doesnt 1.25" errr) you *should be able to make this work... and this would be PERFECT for what your doing

h**p://cgi.ebay.com/SuperMicro-SATA733-4-port-SATA-Serial-ATA-Backplane_W0QQitemZ110199768091QQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p3286. m20.l1116




This is what i plan on doing, its a bit more work though.

h**p://cgi.ebay.com/SATA-I-II-DATA-POWER-CABLE-ADAPTER-COMBO-FOR-HDD_W0QQitemZ320267484967QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item32026748496 7&_trksid=p3286.m14.l1318

and then just epoxy them in place. so long as your Sata drive are flush with the back of the drive sleghs this should be doable.... you may need to fabricate small metal brackets to get it setup right.

I picked up this 10 bay hotswap rackmount at a yardsale for 5bux... LOL way better then a 500 sata rackmound array box.... WOOT

[dandragonrage]

That guy's wrong about the 1" spacing. Look at the spacing compared to the size of the SATA connectors. That's at least 1.25", but I don't think I'm willing to take the chance

[jmontes4]

I purchased the satam35 which is also for sale by that guy on ebay. His measurements were off. If the sata733 has the same drive spacing as the satam35 then it has a 1 1/16"(1.0625") drive spacing.

If they use the same trays they should have the same spacing but I haven't any information on that.

I purchased 5 satam35 and plan on making the cage and trays out of aluminum sliding door rails offered by 80/20 inc. Unfortunately the rails are 1.125" so I am going to have to run them through a table saw and cut off one of the sides. This will make the rails about 1". Then just space them 1/16" apart. I am at about $171 into the project hopefully I keep this at about $200 for the finish cages. $40/cage isn't a bad price in my book.

Lastly 3.5" drives are 1" tall so his measure has to be off.