SAS-836A Backplane
USER'S GUIDE
Rev. 1.0a

The information in this user’s manual has been carefully reviewed and is believed to be accurate. The vendor
assumes no responsibility for any inaccuracies that may be contained in this document, and makes no commitment
to update or to keep current the information in this manual, or to notify any person or organization of the updates.
Please Note: For the most up-to-date version of this manual, please see our website at www.supermicro.com.
Super Micro Computer, Inc. ("Supermicro") reserves the right to make changes to the product described in this manualat any time and without notice. This product, including software and documentation, is the property of Supermicro
and/or its licensors, and is supplied only under a license. Any use or reproduction of this product is not allowed,
except as expressly permitted by the terms of said license.
IN NO EVENT WILL SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC. BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL,INCIDENTAL, SPECULATIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR INABILITY TOUSE THIS PRODUCT OR DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
IN PARTICULAR, SUPER MICRO COMPUTER, INC. SHALL NOT HAVE LIABILITY FOR ANY HARDWARE,SOFTWARE, OR DATA STORED OR USED WITH THE PRODUCT, INCLUDING THE COSTS OF REPAIRING,REPLACING, INTEGRATING, INSTALLING OR RECOVERING SUCH HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR DATA.
Any disputes arising between manufacturer and customer shall be governed by the laws of Santa Clara County in theState of California, USA. The State of California, County of Santa Clara shall be the exclusive venue for the resolutionof any such disputes. Supermicro's total liability for all claims will not exceed the price paid for the hardware product.
FCC Statement: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device
pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmfulinterference when the equipment is operated in industrial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and canradiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual,
may cause harmful interference with radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely
to cause harmful interference, in which case you will be required to correct the interference at your own expense.
California Best Management Practices Regulations for Perchlorate Materials: This Perchlorate warning applies only
to products containing CR (Manganese Dioxide) Lithium coin cells. “Perchlorate Material-special handling may apply.
See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate”.

!

WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including
lead, known to the State of California to cause cancer and birthdefects or other reproductive harm. For more information, goto www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.

The products sold by Supermicro are not intended for and will not be used in life support systems, medical equipment,
nuclear facilities or systems, aircraft, aircraft devices, aircraft/emergency communication devices or other criticalsystems whose failure to perform be reasonably expected to result in significant injury or loss of life or catastrophic
property damage. Accordingly, Supermicro disclaims any and all liability, and should buyer use or sell such products
for use in such ultra-hazardous applications, it does so entirely at its own risk. Furthermore, buyer agrees to fully
indemnify, defend and hold Supermicro harmless for and against any and all claims, demands, actions, litigation,and proceedings of any kind arising out of or related to such ultra-hazardous use or sale.

Manual Revision 1.0a							Release Date: March 31, 2020
Unless you request and receive written permission from Super Micro Computer, Inc., you may not copy any partof this document. Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Other products and companies
referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.

Copyright © 2020 by Super Micro Computer, Inc.
All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

Preface

Table of Contents
Contacting Supermicro........................................................................................iv
Returning Merchandise for Service.....................................................................v

Chapter 1 Safety Guidelines
1-1

ESD Safety Guidelines.................................................................................... 1-1

1-2

General Safety Guidelines............................................................................... 1-1

1-3

An Important Note to Users............................................................................. 1-21-4

Introduction to the SAS-836A Backplane......................................................... 1-2

Chapter 2 Jumper Settings and Pin Definitions
2-1

Front Connectors and Jumpers....................................................................... 2-1
Front Connectors............................................................................................. 2-1

2-2

Front Connector and Pin Definitions................................................................ 2-2

2-3

Front Jumper Locations and Pin Definitions.................................................... 2-4
Explanation of Jumpers................................................................................... 2-4
General Jumper Settings ................................................................................ 2-4
Fan Jumper Settings........................................................................................ 2-5
I2C and SGPIO Modes and Jumper Settings.................................................. 2-5
Front LED Indicators........................................................................................ 2-6

2-4

Rear Connectors and LED Indicators.............................................................. 2-7iii

SAS-836A Backplane User's Guide

Contacting SupermicroHeadquarters
Address:

Super Micro Computer, Inc.
980 Rock Ave.
San Jose, CA 95131 U.S.A.

Tel:+1 (408) 503-8000

Fax:+1 (408) 503-8008

Email:

marketing@supermicro.com (General Information)
support@supermicro.com (Technical Support)

Web Site:www.supermicro.comEuropeAddress:

Super Micro Computer B.V.
Het Sterrenbeeld 28, 5215 ML's-Hertogenbosch, The NetherlandsTel:+31 (0) 73-6400390

Fax:+31 (0) 73-6416525

Email:

sales@supermicro.nl (General Information)
support@supermicro.nl (Technical Support)
rma@supermicro.nl (Customer Support)

Asia-Pacific
Address:

Super Micro Computer, Inc.
4F, No. 232-1, Liancheng Rd.
Chung-Ho 235, Taipei County
Taiwan, R.O.C.

Tel:+886-(2) 8226-3990

Fax:+886-(2) 8226-3991

Web Site:www.supermicro.com.tw

Technical Support:
Email:

support@supermicro.com.tw

Tel:886-2-8226-1900

iv

Preface

Returning Merchandise for Service
A receipt or copy of your invoice marked with the date of purchase is required before any warranty service will be rendered. You can obtain service by calling yourvendor for a Returned Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number. When returning
to the manufacturer, the RMA number should be prominently displayed on theoutside of the shipping carton, and mailed prepaid or hand-carried. Shipping andhandling charges will be applied for all orders that must be mailed when service
is complete.
For faster service, RMA authorizations may be requested online (http://www.supermicro.com/support/rma/).
Whenever possible, repack the backplane in the original Supermicro box, using theoriginal packaging materials. If these are no longer available, be sure to pack thebackplane in an anti-static bag and inside the box. Make sure that there is enoughpackaging material surrounding the backplane so that it does not become damaged
during shipping.
This warranty only covers normal consumer use and does not cover damages incurred in shipping or from failure due to the alteration, misuse, abuse, or improper
maintenance of products.
During the warranty period, contact your distributor first for any product problems.

vSAS-836A Backplane User's GuideNotes

viChapter 1: Safety Guidelines

Chapter 1
Safety Guidelines

To avoid personal injury and property damage, carefully follow all the safety steps
listed below when accessing your system or handling the components.

1-1

ESD Safety Guidelines

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can damage electronic com­ponents. To prevent damage to your system, it is important to handle it very carefully. The following measures
are generally sufficient to protect your equipment from ESD.

• Use a grounded wrist strap designed to prevent static discharge.
• Touch a grounded metal object before removing a component from the antistaticbag.

• Handle the backplane by its edges only; do not touch its components, peripheral
chips, memory modules, or gold contacts.

• When handling chips or modules, avoid touching their pins.
• Put the card and peripherals back into their antistatic bags when not in use.
1-2

General Safety Guidelines• Always disconnect power cables before installing or removing any components
from the computer, including this backplane.

• Disconnect the power cable before installing or removing any cables from thebackplane.

• Make sure that the backplane is securely and properly installed on the motherboard to prevent damage to the system due to power shortage.

1-1

SAS-836A Backplane User's Guide

1-3

An Important Note to Users• All images and layouts shown in this user's guide are based upon the latestPCB revision available at the time of publishing. The card you have received
may or may not look exactly the same as the graphics shown in this manual.

1-4

Introduction to the SAS-836A Backplane

The SAS-836A backplane has been designed to utilize the most up-to-date technology available, providing your system with reliable, high-quality performance.
Always refer to the Supermicro Web site at www.supermicro.com for the latest
updates, compatible parts, and supported configurations.

1-2

Chapter 2: Jumper Settings and Pin Definitions

Chapter 2
Jumper Settings and Pin Definitions

2-1Front Connectors and Jumpers
811110111114 96713111149959101111431142

Figure 2-1. Front Connectors

Front Connectors
1. Activity LED Header ACT_IN#07: JP26

7. I2C Connector#3 JP52
8. I2C Connector#4 JP96

2. Activity LED Header ACT_IN#815: JP47

9. Power Connectors (4-pin): JP10,JP13, JP46, and JP48

3. Chip: MG9072

10. Upgrade Connectors: JP69 andJP78

4. Fan Connectors: JP54, JP56,JP58, and JP60

11. IPASS Connectors JSM1, JSM2,JSM3, and JSM4

5. I2C Connector#1 JP37
6. I2C Connector#2 JP95

2-1

SAS-836A Backplane User's Guide

2-2

Front Connector and Pin Definitions#1 - #2. Activity LED Header
The activity LED headers, designated JP26and JP47, are used to indicate the activity
status of each SAS drive. These activity LED
headers are used by the host controller for
the SATA drives that previously had no activity status output. If using a SAS drive, andfor most SATA drives, these activity headers
are not required. The Activity LED Header
is located on the front panel. For the Activity
LED Header to work properly, connect using a10-pin LED cable.

SAS Activity LED Header
Pin Definitions (JP26)
Pin #Definition

1ACT IN#06Pin #ACT IN#4Definition

2ACT IN#1

7ACT IN#53ACT IN#28ACT IN#64ACT IN#3

9ACT IN#7

5Ground

10Empty

SAS Activity LED Header
Pin Definitions (JP47)
Pin #Definition

1ACT IN#8

6Pin #ACT IN#12Definition

2ACT IN#97ACT IN#13

3ACT IN#10

8ACT IN#14

4ACT IN#11

9ACT IN#15

5Ground

10Empty#3. MG9072 Chips
The MG9072 chips are enclosure managementchips that support the SES-2 controller andSES-2 protocols.

#4. Fan Connectors
The 4-pin connectors, designated JP54, JP56,JP58, and JP60, provide power to the fans.
See the table on the right for pin definitions.
These 4-pin connectors are compatible with
3-pin and 4-pin fans.

2-2

Fan Connectors(JP54, JP56, JP58,and JP60)
Pin#Definition

1Ground

2+12V

3

Tachometer4No connection

Chapter 2: Jumper Settings and Pin Definitions#5., #6., #7., #8. I2C Connectors
The I C connectors, designated JP37, JP52,
JP95, and JP96, are for enclosure management of the I2C mode connection. See thetable on the right for pin definitions.

I2C Y-CableConnector
Pin Definitions(JP37, JP52, JP95,and JP96)

2

Pin#Definition

1

Data

2

Ground3

Clock4No Connection#9. Backplane Main Power Connectors
The 4-pin connectors, designated JP10,
JP13, JP46, and JP48, provide power to thebackplane. See the table on the right for pin
definitions. All four of these connectors must
be used at the same time.

#10. Upgrade Connectors
The upgrade connectors are designated JP69(for U19) and JP78 (for U40). Upgrade connectors are for manufacturing use only.

2-3Backplane
Main Power
4-Pin Connector(JP10, JP13, JP46,and JP48)
Pin#Definition

1+12V

2 and 3Ground4+5V

SAS-836A Backplane User's Guide

2-3

Front Jumper Locations and Pin Definitions
JP84
JP35
JP50
JP100
JP99

JP61
JP98
JP97

JP62

JP63
JP64

Figure 2-2. Front Jumpers

Explanation of Jumpers
To modify the operation of the backplane,
jumpers can be used to choose between
optional settings. Jumpers create shorts
between two pins to change the functionof the connector. Pin 1 is identified witha square solder pad on the printed circuitboard.

Connector
PinsSetting

General Jumper Settings
Jumper Settings

Note

JP35

Open: Default
Closed: Reset

9072 Chip Reset #1

JP50

Open: Default
Closed: Reset

9072 Chip Reset #2

2-4

2

1

3

2

1

JumperNote: On two pin jumpers, "Closed" means
the jumper is on and "Open" means thejumper is off the pins.

Jumper3

Chapter 2: Jumper Settings and Pin Definitions

Fan Jumper Settings
The SAS-836A backplane can use up to four fans. To utilize each fan, both jumpers
must be configured as instructed below.

Fan Jumper Settings
JumperJumper Settings

Note

Closed: With fan (default)
Open: No fan

JP61
JP54

Fan#1 Enable/Disable
Fan#1 Connector

Closed: With fan (default)
Open: No fan

JP62
JP56

Fan#2 Enable/Disable
Fan#2 Connector

Closed: With fan (default)
Open: No fan

JP63
JP58

Fan#3 Enable/Disable
Fan#3 Connector

Closed: With fan (default)
Open: No fan

JP64
JP60

Fan#4 Enable/Disable
Fan#4 Connector

JP97

1-2 With fan (default)
2-3 No fan

Fan #1 Selection for MG907X
MonitorJP98

1-2 With fan (default)
2-3 No fan

Fan #2 Selection for MG907X
MonitorJP99

1-2 With fan (default)
2-3 No fan

Fan #3 Selection for MG907X
MonitorJP100

1-2 With fan (default)
2-3 No fan

Fan #4 Selection for MG907X
MonitorI2C and SGPIO Modes and Jumper Settings
This backplane can utilize I2C or SGPIO. SGPIO is the default mode and can beused without making changes to your jumpers. The following information details
which jumpers must be configured to use SGPIO mode or restore your backplaneto I2C mode.

SGPIO/I2C SettingJumperJP84

SGPIO Jumper Setting
1-2 (default)

I2C Jumper Setting
2-32-5SAS-836A Backplane User's Guide

Front LED Indicators

POWER LEDS

FAN FAILURE LEDS

ALARM LEDS

Figure 2-3. Front LEDs

Front LEDs
LEDState

Fan #1 FailOn

Failure in Fan #1

Specification

Fan #2 FailOn

Failure in Fan #2

Fan #3 FailOn

Failure in Fan #3

Fan #4 FailOn

Failure in Fan #4

Alarm #1

On

Overheat/fan failure/drive failure inChannel 1

Alarm #2

On

Overheat/fan failure/drive failure inChannel 2+5VOffBackplane power failure. Light is on
during normal operation.

+12VOff

Backplane power failure. Light is on
during normal operation.

2-6

Chapter 2: Jumper Settings and Pin Definitions

Rear LED Indicators
Hard Drive Activity

Failure LED

SAS #0

Rear LEDD12

D5SAS #1

D13

D6SAS #2

D14

D7

SAS #3

D15

D8SAS #4

D18

D19SAS #5

D21

D20SAS #6

D22

D23

SAS #7

D24

D29

SAS #8D25

D30

SAS #9D26

D31

SAS #10

D27

D32

SAS #11

D28

D33

SAS #12

D40

D37

SAS #13

D41

D38

SAS #14

D42

D39

SAS #15

D87

D88

2-7

D37

SAS/SATA HDD #15

R213

SAS/SATA HDD #14SAS #15

ASAS #14

SAS/SATA HDD #7

FAIL#12

SAS/SATA HDD #6

SAS #7ACSAS #6R250

SAS/SATA HDD #13

C

SAS/SATA HDD #12

SAS #13

D40R219

SAS #12

SAS/SATA HDD #5

R389

SAS/SATA HDD #4

SAS #5

Q42

SAS #4

ACT#12

SAS/SATA HDD #11

Q40

R145

SAS/SATA HDD #10

SAS #11

Q41A
D38 FAIL#13

SAS #10

SAS/SATA HDD #3

R214

SAS/SATA HDD #2

SAS #3

R390Q45A
CSAS #2

R146

R251

SAS/SATA HDD #9

Q43

D41 C
R220

SAS/SATA HDD #8

SAS #9Q44

ACT#13

SAS #8

SAS/SATA HDD #1

Q33

SAS/SATA HDD #0

SAS #1

R385

A
D39 FAIL#14
R215

SAS #0

R221

D30A

R179

SAS Drive
NumberACA
C

FAIL#8R174

RearConnector

R158
R395
R141

Q31 Q32

C

D25

ACT#8R192

A

SAS Drive
Number

Q54
D42 C
R253

R380

R96

FAIL#4

D19

RearConnector

ACT#14

R384
Q18

AC

Rear SAS/SATA Connectors

D88

R180

Q17 Q16

R95

FAIL#0

D5A

R85

J21

SAS

#12R435

D31A

FAIL#9

R109

D18A
CJ17

SAS

#8SAS#13

D41
D38
D40
D37A

A
C

R193

R175

C

ACT#4R101

R188

J27

FAIL#15

D26C

ACT#9#9R379

R83#4SASR115

D12R375

R151
CJ9SASA
D20R149

Q4

REV 1.00

FAIL#5SAS#5SAS836A#14R428

D32ASAS #14J28

D42D39ACR217

FAIL#10

R176 R181

R189

Q24 Q23

AC

R382

R150

Q14ACT#0

D26
D31
D25
D30AC

ACT#10C

D21ACT#5Q3

R314
R308

C261

J18Q22

J28

D87
D88CC

D27A

R165A
D6J11

J31SAS#15

D87

R182

D23FAIL#6

D27
D32A

FAIL#11

SAS #15
J31

ACT#15

R218
AC
D33ACR164#10R177

D22ACT#6C

SAS #10J19J19SAS

D28#11R190

D28
D33ACT#11J20SASSAS #9SAS #5SAS #13
J18J11J27SAS #8SAS #4SAS #12J17J9J21
Figure 2-4. Rear Connectors and LEDs
R92C262

R91

D21D20D18D19R381

D22D23D29FAIL#7

D50

SAS #11
J20
R178

R202

RT2R87

FAIL#1

R195
R198

AC

R84

R376

AC

D13ACT#1

Q6

R191

R199

Q7

R173

#6C150

R157

Q5

D24CJ13SAS

D24
D29ACT#7

SAS #6J13CJ1

SAS#0J15

SAS#7A#1A

SAS #0J1SAS

D13D6D12D5R90

SAS #1J2J2

D14D7SAS #7J15
D8R442

FAIL#3#2R443

SAS #2J3J3SASACC89

R187

R105

D15D8ACT#3#3R88C94

R345 R346
R301 R347
R456
R102 R108
R310SAS

D15J4RP3C

SAS #3J4C

Rear Connectors and LED Indicators
A2-4

SAS-836A Backplane User's GuideDisclaimer (cont.)
The products sold by Supermicro are not intended for and will not be used in life support systems, medical equipment, nuclear facilities or systems, aircraft, aircraft devices,
aircraft/emergency communication devices or other critical systems whose failure to perform be reasonably expected to result in significant injury or loss of life or catastrophic
property damage. Accordingly, Supermicro disclaims any and all liability, and shouldbuyer use or sell such products for use in such ultra-hazardous applications, it does soentirely at its own risk. Furthermore, buyer agrees to fully indemnify, defend and holdSupermicro harmless for and against any and all claims, demands, actions, litigation,and proceedings of any kind arising out of or related to such ultra-hazardous use orsale.

2-8