Broadcom MegaRAID 9500-8e SAS Controller

The Broadcom® HBA 9500 series of 12Gb/s SAS/SATA/PCIe (NVMe) Gen4 Tri-Mode storage adapters provides system and server OEMs and data centers with unprecedented flexibility and high performance at the lowest cost. Utilizing Broadcom's Tri-Mode SerDes technology, the HBAs enable the operation of NVMe, SAS, or SATA devices in a single drive bay, allowing for endless design flexibility.

Based on the Broadcom SAS3816 and SAS3808 eight-lane host PCIe to SAS/SATA/PCIe IOC controllers, the 9500 series adapters are the first HBAs to offer both PCIe Gen 4.0 host and PCIe Gen 4.0 storage interfaces. PCIe Gen 4.0 enables these adapters for high bandwidth by delivering twice the bandwidth and 75% more IOPs.

Tri-Mode SerDes Technology

Broadcom's Tri-Mode SerDes technology enables operation of NVMe, SAS, or SATA storage devices in a single drive bay. A single adapter can operate in all three modes concurrently servicing NVMe, SAS, or SATA drives. The adapter negotiates between speeds and protocols to seamlessly work with any of the three types of storage devices. Tri-Mode support provides a non-disruptive way to evolve existing data center infrastructure. By upgrading to a Tri-Mode adapter, users can expand beyond SAS/SATA and use NVMe without major changes to other system configurations. The 9500 series adapters are compatible with existing PCI Express SFF-8639 Module (U.2) backplanes allowing users to boost performance for today's ever increasing bandwidth requirements.

As next-generation systems expand the adoption of Tri-Mode SerDes technology through implementation of the SFF-TA-1001 and SFF- TA-1005 standards, the 9500 series adapters allow users to get the most performance and flexibility. The SFF-TA-1001 specification commonly known as U.3 defines a common bay type and connector for SAS (x1, x2, x4), SATA, and NVMe (x1, x2, x4) devices. The creation of the U.3 standard gives unprecedented flexibility to System OEMs and Data Centers that want to support the latest storage technologies at the lowest cost and system complexity. With a single 9500 series adapter, system implementers can take full advantage of SAS, SATA, and x1, x2, and x4 NVMe drives in U.3-based backplane.

Control and management of multi-protocol (SAS/SATA/NVMe) backplanes has been loosely defined in previous generations of products. Recognizing this, Broadcom worked with key industry members to introduce Universal Backplane Management (UBM) or SFF-TA-1005. UBM builds upon current management frameworks to provide a comprehensive approach to managing SAS, SATA, and NVMe. The 9500 series adapters are UBM ready, and customers can immediately integrate these adapters into their U.3 backplanes utilizing UBM.