SAS panel mount connector cable assembly with LEDs and a system including the same

• US 7,892,019 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Rao, Deepak, Winick, Alan L., Dayal, Gurpreet S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilman; Alexander
• Application Number:
  US12/265,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20100112850A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 439/492, 439/490, 439/502, 439/626, 439/637, 439/638
• US Class Current: 439/492
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/59 for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7175 Light emitting diodes (LEDs)
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/06 for computer periphery
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/005 Intermediate parts for distributing signals

Abstract

A SAS panel mount cable assembly for providing access of target hard-drive resources to an initiator-host includes an initiator-side connector, two target-side connectors, and a wire-harness. Each of the two target-side connectors includes a power-link portion, a signal-link portion, an interface separating the power-link portion and the signal-link portion, and a plurality of LEDs for indicating activity and fault-detection. A plurality of power-wires electrically connects the wire-harness to the power-link portions of the two target-side connectors, and two signal-link cables connect the initiator-side connector to the signal-link portions of the two target-side connectors.

Claims

1. A SAS cable assembly for providing access of target hard-drive resources to an initiator-host, the SAS cable assembly comprising:

an initiator-side connector;

two target-side connectors each comprising;

a power-link portion;

a signal-link portion;

an interface separating the power-link portion and the signal-link portion; and

a plurality of LEDs for indicating activity and fault-detection;

a wire-harness;

a plurality of power-wires electrically connecting the wire-harness to the power-link portions of the two target-side connectors; and

two signal-link cables connecting the initiator-side connector to the signal-link portions of the two target-side connectors.

2. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly further comprises two flat cables connecting the initiator-side connector to the plurality of LEDs on each of the two target-side connectors.

3. The SAS cable assembly of claim 2, wherein the assembly comprises two shielded parallel pairs.

4. The SAS cable assembly of claim 3, wherein a differential impedance of the parallel pairs is 100±

10 ohms.

5. The SAS cable assembly of claim 4, wherein a size of the parallel pairs is one of 26, 28 and 30 according to American Wire Gauge (AWG) standard.

6. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the initiator-side connector is a mini-SAS connector.

7. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal-link portion of the target-side connector comprises seven pins.

8. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the initiator-side connector has at least a number of pins corresponding to four target hard-drives.

9. The SAS cable assembly of claim 2, wherein a plurality of pins on the initiator-side connector is used for a sideband signal LED control.

10. The SAS cable assembly of claim 2, wherein each of the target-side connectors comprises three LEDs.

11. The SAS cable assembly of claim 2, wherein a target-side connector is configured to connect to a SAS hard-drive.

12. The SAS cable assembly of claim 2, wherein a target-side connector is configured to connect to a SATA hard-drive.

13. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the initiator-side connector is configured to connect to a host-bus adapter (HBA).

14. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein a target-side connector is configured to connect to a backplane of a hard-drive.

15. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the target-side connector comprises a cap to cover the power-link, signal-link, and the interface portions for protection purposes in a state of non-connection.

16. The SAS cable assembly of claim 1, wherein the cable assembly is part of a panel mounting.

17. An information transfer system for providing access to target hard-drive resources comprising:

at least one host computer system comprising a host-bus adapter (HBA);

at least two target hard-drives comprising data to be accessed by the at least one host computer system; and

at least one SAS cable assembly to provide access of target hard-drive resources to the at least one host computer system, the cable assembly comprising;

a host-side connector configured to connect to the HBA of the at least one host computer system;

two target-side connectors each configured to connect to one target hard-drive, each target-side connector comprising;

a power-link portion;

a signal-link portion;

an interface separating the power-link portion and the signal-link portion; and

a plurality of LEDs for indicating activity and fault-detection;

a wire-harness;

a plurality of power-wires electrically connecting the wire-harness to the power-link portions of the two target-side connectors; and

two signal-link cables connecting the host-side connector to the signal-link portions of the two target-side connectors.

18. The information transfer system of claim 17, wherein a target hard-drive is a SAS drive.

19. The information transfer system of claim 17, wherein a target hard-drive is a SATA drive.