3M MiniSAS discrete and combo connectors enable high speed transmission up to 6 Gbps. The connectors are an ideal interconnect solution for the growing server and storage market. MiniSAS significantly reduces the connector size for storage systems currently using SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) 4-lane (4x or 4-lanes of data) and is being widely adopted for next-generation designs. MiniSAS is a second generation SAS connector. Where first generation SAS connectors supported data rates up to 3 Gbps, miniSAS doubles that data rates to 6 Gbps. While previous generation SAS connectors support single and 4-lane capability, miniSAS provides the 4-lane capability at greater densities. MiniSAS also offers designs for internal as well as external configurations. Increasing system and communication speeds require improved signal integrity designs to ensure there is no data loss in transmission.
In order to meet the ongoing industry requirement for higher speed and greater bandwidths, miniSAS was developed to support data rates up to 6 Gbps. This data rate is achieved via the use of high speed differential signals. The 0.8 mm pitch connector provides increased I/O density with greater channel capabilities and requires less space on the PCB boards. One connector supports up to four channels of transmit and receive. Two levels of EMLB contacts support the hot plugging capability. MiniSAS uses the same connector design for both internal and external applications, albeit with different pin counts. Both the internal and external versions come with metal shells or cages. 3M Mini SAS connectors are offered in vertical and right angle internal boardmount versions, and a right angle external boardmount version. The internal combo version is also available in vertical and right angle. These products conform to the SFF 8086, 8087 and 8088 standards. These standards were to support the aggregation and cabling of SAS signals into a high speed 4-lane architecture, providing both internal and external configurations. Different sizes of the same connector are used for the internal and external versions.