P196 / Storage / Connector
A common SAS drive-side connector combines signal and power sections in a 29-circuit interface.
Also called SFF-8482 SAS drive connector 29 pin SAS
SAS drive connector shape should not be treated as proof that a SATA-only host or cable supports SAS.
Confirm the controller/backplane interface and the drive type; do not infer protocol support from a similar drive-edge outline.
Claim inspection dates: 2026-10-05, 2026-10-13, 2026-10-22 · Independent review pending
Fitted in place Computer-generated illustration with prior AI visual review. Not a photograph, measurement or compatibility check. Independent technical and rights review pending.
Recognition drawing Original schematic, not to scale. Drawing review pending.
Image inspection / P196
1 registered view for this reference. Different part examples are not automatically mates; all remain not to scale and independently unapproved.
(private workspace)P196 / Source-observed physical study
SFF-8482 revision 2.5 device free plug
Two contact-bearing faces of the specification device plug · Other declared component
Not to scale. Technical and rights review pending.
Inspect view & provenance (private workspace)Application notes / Storage / P196
No compatibility conclusion follows from the outline alone. Molex’s 78717-0002 is a named SAS/SATA receptacle example; it does not certify an unknown drive and USB adapter together.
Identify first
Record the drive’s SAS/SATA label and the controller or backplane model, not just the edge shape.
Still unresolved
The selected adapter’s SAS support and the exact controller-to-drive path are not established.
Not established · named example only
Unknown from these sources: the named SATA adapter does not establish a SAS-capable path.
Boundary. Missing support is not relabelled as a tested failure.
Next check. Obtain explicit controller/adapter support for the exact SAS disk.
S201 · S492 · C196A (private workspace) · C029D (private workspace)
C196A (private workspace) — Molex documents a 29-circuit SAS/SATA receptacle example with fourteen signal circuits, fifteen power circuits and SFF-8482/SFF-8680 mating references.
V36 catalogue-expansion identification fact only; not independent technical approval, fabrication data, wiring instruction or end-to-end compatibility proof.
C029D (private workspace) — StarTech USB3S2SAT3CB supports 2.5-inch SATA SSD/HDD use and explicitly excludes 3.5-inch hard drives.
Named USB-to-SATA adapter. Do not generalize this product limitation to every powered SATA dock or infer SAS support.
Source interpretation is not independent engineering review, hardware testing, wiring advice or a public-release approval.
No. The preserved Molex product reference describes a SAS/SATA drive-side connector example but not a universal controller conversion. A SATA-only motherboard connection does not become a SAS initiator by a cable or bay shape. Host protocol, backplane interposers and exact drive support are distinct.
Concluding that a SATA host runs a SAS drive because parts of the physical receptacle look familiar.
Full technical reading, sources and related identities →Claim-specific evidence remains in the canonical record. Concept diagrams do not show any safe wiring or mechanical mating geometry.
Read the view
No physical mating-face or rear view is depicted; check the exact controller, drive and backplane documentation.
Label-led symbol — not interface geometry. Read the exact designation and written reference; do not identify a physical connector by this generic shape.
About the marks: The dots do not represent the actual number or placement of contacts.
What it cannot establish: The dot array is not the documented twenty-nine-circuit interface. Similarity to a SATA label symbol is not SAS support.
Enlargement changes display size only. It does not reveal measured geometry, a pin assignment or an approved mating combination.
Read the underlying references: S201. Artwork interpretation remains review-pending.
How to read connector illustrations →The useful distinction
A common SAS drive-side connector combines signal and power sections in a 29-circuit interface. [C196A]
Molex part 787170002 is a documented SAS/SATA receptacle example in the existing primary-source record; its connector description alone cannot establish whether a given host controller supports SAS. [C196B]
SFF-8482 revision 2.5 distinguishes the device free plug from fixed backplane and fixed cable receptacles; their roles and retention context are not interchangeable labels. [C196C]
SFF-8482 describes two seven-contact signal sets and a fifteen-contact power set; the second signal set is on the opposite side of the device plug. [C196D]
SFF-8482 revision 2.5 section 5.3 describes backplane insertion sequencing but states that cable hot plugging is not supported by that interface; a familiar plug outline is not a live-cable permission. [C196E]
Exact source example 787170002: contacts: 29 loaded:14signal plus15power. construction: Right-angle female SMT connector; PCB locator and retention. recommended pcb mm: 2.36. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. No physical compatibility, pin map or hardware validation is established. [C196F]
PC internals · a documented check
No. A connector description establishes a physical interface, not the controller’s supported protocol. Keep the drive plug, cable receptacle and backplane receptacle distinct, then obtain the exact controller and drive documentation. C196B · C196C
| Check | Documented distinction | Boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Drive-side plug | SFF-8482 describes two seven-contact signal sets and a fifteen-contact power set. C196D | The second signal set is on the other side of the plug; one visible face is not the whole inventory. |
| Cable or backplane | The specification distinguishes a device free plug from fixed cable and backplane receptacles. C196C | Do not label every view as the same component or assume the same retention context. |
| Host support | The Molex 787170002 description is not controller-support evidence. C196B | A passive change in connector shape does not supply the missing controller documentation. |
| Live connection | SFF-8482 revision 2.5 separates backplane sequencing from cable hot plugging. C196E | That interface does not support cable hot plugging. |
Keep this limit: A backplane hot-plug description is not permission to hot-plug a cable. No SAS-to-SATA support verdict is made here. C196E
Each value retains its exact example, role and measurement axis. Facts from different parts must not be combined into an invented component.
| Nominal contacts | 29S201Cited product example has 29 loaded circuits; V36 does not publish signal assignments. |
|---|---|
| Positions / cavity span | 29 (Claim C196A)S201Recorded source-scoped values; named examples do not describe every family variant or establish compatibility. V36 catalogue-expansion identification fact only; not independent technical approval, fabrication data, wiring instruction or end-to-end compatibility proof. |
| Contact rows | 2 (787170002)S201Named source examples retain separate role, part, view and axis limits; values are not a universal family specification. 787170002. Documented role: socket. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. |
| Contact pitch | 0.8 mm one listed mating-interface pitch; combined signal/power part (787170002); 1.27 mm other listed mating-interface pitch; combined signal/power part (787170002)S201Named source examples retain separate role, part, view and axis limits; values are not a universal family specification. 787170002. Documented role: socket. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. |
| Connector role | socket (787170002)S201Named source examples retain separate role, part, view and axis limits; values are not a universal family specification. 787170002. Documented role: socket. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. |
| Keying / polarization | Keyed and polarized to mating part and PCB; no mating lock (787170002)S201Named source examples retain separate role, part, view and axis limits; values are not a universal family specification. 787170002. Documented role: socket. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. |
| Manufacturer | Molex (787170002)S201Named source examples retain separate role, part, view and axis limits; values are not a universal family specification. 787170002. Documented role: socket. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. |
| Series | 78717 (787170002)S201Named source examples retain separate role, part, view and axis limits; values are not a universal family specification. 787170002. Documented role: socket. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. |
| Exact part / implementation | 787170002 (787170002)S201Named source examples retain separate role, part, view and axis limits; values are not a universal family specification. 787170002. Documented role: socket. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. |
Not recorded: Populated contacts, Dimensions / axis, Contact gender / arrangement, Mounting, Coupling / latch, Shell / form, Recorded markings, View convention. Unknown fields stay unknown; illustrations supply no measurements or pin assignments.
Report a correction to these facts →Bounded facts, visible unknowns
| Documented identification | 29 circuits in the cited SAS/SATA receptacle example: 14 signal + 15 power. [C196A] |
|---|---|
| Source-scoped role and recognition | The backplane and cable receptacles are different roles. The second signal set is on the opposite face. [C196C] [C196D] [C196E] |
| Mechanical dimensions | No independently reviewed mechanical drawing in V36; do not use this page for fabrication, fit testing or tolerance work. |
| Engineering pinout | Source-checked engineering profile available; independent review pending. Open engineering profile → |
| Verified device list | Not included. Check exact device and accessory documentation. |
Use the source-backed form or position count only for identification. Resolve ratings, protocol, direction, wiring, cable construction and exact device support from the relevant equipment and component documentation.
Before you connect
This field note does not approve a connection, adapter, cable assembly, rewiring scheme or fabricated part. It intentionally omits unsupported pin assignments and mechanical tolerances.
Identify the drive, controller and fixed connector role. Use the equipment instructions for insertion, removal and power state. No installed-system support, reciprocal SATA/SAS compatibility, current cable assembly or hot-plug permission is established. Sources: C196C, C196D, C196E. Original qualitative study; independent technical and rights review pending.
Your next step
The source trail
AI-assisted inspection is not independent engineering review. Source scope and access limitations are disclosed below. Procedural checklists are editorial requirements, not hardware measurements.
Molex documents a 29-circuit SAS/SATA receptacle example with fourteen signal circuits, fifteen power circuits and SFF-8482/SFF-8680 mating references.
Molex · 78717-0002 SAS/SATA receptacle product page ↗S201: full source recordInspect review dependencies → (private workspace)Molex part 787170002 is a documented SAS/SATA receptacle example in the existing primary-source record; its connector description alone cannot establish whether a given host controller supports SAS.
Molex · 78717-0002 SAS/SATA receptacle product page ↗S201: full source recordInspect review dependencies → (private workspace)SFF-8482 revision 2.5 distinguishes the device free plug from fixed backplane and fixed cable receptacles; their roles and retention context are not interchangeable labels.
SNIA · SNIA SFF-8482 Unshielded Dual Port Serial Attachment Connector, revision 2.5 ↗S598: full source recordInspect review dependencies → (private workspace)SFF-8482 describes two seven-contact signal sets and a fifteen-contact power set; the second signal set is on the opposite side of the device plug.
SNIA · SNIA SFF-8482 Unshielded Dual Port Serial Attachment Connector, revision 2.5 ↗S598: full source recordInspect review dependencies → (private workspace)SFF-8482 revision 2.5 section 5.3 describes backplane insertion sequencing but states that cable hot plugging is not supported by that interface; a familiar plug outline is not a live-cable permission.
SNIA · SNIA SFF-8482 Unshielded Dual Port Serial Attachment Connector, revision 2.5 ↗S598: full source recordInspect review dependencies → (private workspace)Exact source example 787170002: contacts: 29 loaded:14signal plus15power. construction: Right-angle female SMT connector; PCB locator and retention. recommended pcb mm: 2.36. Molex marks part as not formally published and limited information. Both pitches are listed without per-contact axis mapping; do not assign one to signal or power without drawing. No physical compatibility, pin map or hardware validation is established.
Molex · 78717-0002 SAS/SATA receptacle product page ↗S201: full source recordInspect review dependencies → (private workspace)Follow the connection
SATA data and SATA power are separate interfaces even when combined in one drive-side assembly.
Open field note
The family name does not identify one universal contact count or lane configuration.
Open field note
A shared drive-edge family does not mean every host, backplane and drive supports the same transport mode.
Open field noteCandidate selection does not confirm the identity or capabilities of your physical item.
