PCIe to 3.0 Gbit/s SAS Host Adapters User’s Guide 1-1
Version1.0 Copyright© 2006 by LSI Logic Corporation. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1IntroductionThis chapter describes the LSI Logic PCI Express to 3.0 Gbit/s SAS host
adapters and consists of the following sections:
•Section 1.1, “Overview”
•Section 1.2, “Features”
•Section 1.3, “PCI Performance”
•Section 1.4, “Software”
1.1 Overview
The LSI PCIe to SAS host adapters provide four or eight serial ports for
connection to SAS/SATA(Serial ATA) devices.Each por t is capableof
3.0 Gbit/s SAS link rates and 3.0 Gbit/s SATA link rates.The PCI Express
transmission and reception data rate is 2.5 Gbits/s in each direction,
yielding a total bandwidth of 5.0 Gbits/s foreach full-duplex lane. The LSI
PCIe to SAS host adapters are implemented using four or eight PCI
Express phys, which provide possible host-side maximum transmission
and reception rates of up to 4.0 Gbytes/s.
The LSI PCIe to SAS host adapters contain Flash ROM for storing the
BIOS and firmware, and NVSRAM for storing nonvolatile RAID
information. The LSISAS3442E, LSISAS3442EL, LSISAS3443E,
LSISAS3443EL, LSISAS3444E, LSISAS3444EL, LSISAS3800E,
LSISAS3801E, and LSISAS3801EL host adapters provide a 128 K x
36-bit PBSRAM memory device forstoring SAS Address Port information
allowing for connection to more than 128 devices.The LEDs on the host
adapters report a heartbeat, activity, and fault conditions when detected
by firmware. Fusion-MPT™ firmware operates the host adapter.