VSC7161XHK - 10-Port SAS Expander 1.5/3.0 Gbps | Analog Devices
Référence : VSC7161XHK ✓ ActifVSC7161XHK Présentation
A SAS expander is a semiconductor switch that sits between a SAS host adapter (HBA) and one or more disk drives or expander-enclosed disks. It converts one narrow serial link into multiple independent serial links, allowing a storage enclosure to present more drives to the host than a single HBA port can address. In the SAS hierarchy, the VSC7161XHK belongs to the class of storage interface controllers and port expanders used inside rack-mounted storage subsystems.
Key characteristics include ten SAS ports operating at 1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps, support for both SAS and SATA devices behind the expander, an evolutionary upgrade path for storage systems that later adopt 6 Gbps host adapters, and low-power operation suited to always-on storage appliances. The device also provides the enclosure management and fan-control support functions commonly expected in expander backplanes, reducing the component count of the backplane controller section.
Architecturally, the part implements a dedicated SAS link layer that handles 8b/10b encoding, clock recovery, disparity management, and packet-level framing across all ten ports. Port-to-port paths are handled in hardware rather than by an external microcontroller, so the expander can fan out traffic deterministically without firmware intervention on every path. Because the device is a fixed-function interface IC rather than a programmable controller, design-in effort is concentrated on backplane routing, connector pin assignment, and thermal budgeting rather than firmware development.
Typical deployments are midrange and enterprise direct-attached and network-attached storage enclosures, JBOD chassis, and SAS backplane carriers where drive count per controller must scale without adding HBA ports. It is equally suitable for drive enclosures requiring mixed SAS/SATA support and for server enclosure applications that need active port expansion instead of passive splitters.
One key design consideration is backplane signal integrity: with ten high-speed serial links on one board, differential pair routing, connector launch geometry, and reference-plane continuity control the achievable link margin more than any single IC specification. Keep the expander close to the connectors and keep the return path continuous through every layer change to limit skew and insertion loss.
This page consolidates manufacturer product information, ordering and availability references, drop-in and near-equivalent part relationships, and practical backplane-design guidance into a single engineering record that goes beyond the core product page.
Alternatives de remplacement direct pour VSC7161XHK — même boîtier, compatible broche à broche. Les références à boîtier différent nécessitant une retouche du PCB sont exclues.
Variantes de cette série
Modèles de la même série directement compatibles avec VSC7161XHK (même facteur de forme et même empreinte) — différant par Package, Product Type, Supported Data Rates.
VSC7161
✅ Remplacement direct ⚠️ Spécifications non vérifiées📋 Alternative de référence (hors catalogue)
VSC7161XHK+T
✅ Remplacement direct ⚠️ Spécifications non vérifiées📋 Alternative de référence (hors catalogue)
VSC7161XHK Spécifications
| Device Type | 10-port SAS expander |
| Number of SAS Ports | 10 ports |
| Supported SAS Link Rates | 1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps |
| Package Type | TQFP-176 (XHK), surface mount |
| Nombre de broches | 176 leads |
| Protocol Support | SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) and SATA device support |
| Primary Application | Server and enclosure storage systems for midrange and enterprise storage |
| Fonction | Active SAS port expansion for storage enclosures |
| Upgrade Path | Evolutionary path to higher-rate SAS host adapters |
| AEC-Q100 Qualification | Not applicable (storage interface IC, not automotive grade) |
| Standard Configuration | 10-port SAS expander at 1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps |
Guide de configuration des broches du VSC7161XHK tqfp-176 (xhk), surface mount
Configuration des broches du VSC7161XHK (boîtier tqfp-176 (xhk), surface mount). La numérotation des broches, les fonctions et les schémas de connexion sont définis dans la fiche technique du fabricant. Consultez-la pour l'empreinte exacte et les directives de soudage.
Aucune donnée de brochage détaillée disponible pour VSC7161XHK.
Consultez la fiche technique pour la configuration complète des broches.
Applications typiques
VSC7161XHK convient pour 6 applications: Enterprise Direct-Attached Storage Enclosure, JBOD Multi-Bay Drive Chassis, Mixed SAS/SATA Storage Backplane, Network-Attached Storage Controller Card, Video Surveillance Storage Array, Hyperscale Storage Enclosure Management.
Enterprise Direct-Attached Storage Enclosure
The VSC7161XHK lets a single SAS host bus adapter reach drives across ten expander ports inside a rack storage chassis. With 10 SAS ports running at 1.5 Gbps or 3.0 Gbps, the enclosure can populate more bays without adding HBA ports to the server, and because the fan-out is handled in hardware the host sees a single deterministic topology. Support for both SAS and SATA devices also allows mixed-population enclosures to ship without a second controller board, which shortens qualification cycles for midrange and enterprise storage systems.
Recommandé
JBOD Multi-Bay Drive Chassis
In a JBOD configuration the VSC7161XHK is the natural fit because each enclosure exposes a defined set of drives to the host as one logical pool. Ten SAS ports per expander cover typical multi-bay chassis densities, and the 3.0 Gbps rate option preserves throughput as spindle and SSD populations increase. The trade-off is backplane complexity: differential routing must hold margin across the full connector-to-expander path, and enclosure management functions are usually assigned to a companion controller rather than handled inside the expander.
Recommandé
Mixed SAS/SATA Storage Backplane
The VSC7161XHK supports SAS and SATA devices behind the same expander, which simplifies legacy-to-SSD migration in installed storage enclosures. A backplane can therefore retire SATA-only drive bays incrementally while new SAS capacity is added, without redesigning the host-side interface. The engineering caution is thermal and airflow: adding solid-state drives alongside spinning media changes the power profile of the enclosure, so the enclosure-management and fan-control functions must be validated against the real drive population rather than the worst-case datasheet number.
Recommandé
Network-Attached Storage Controller Card
In a NAS platform the VSC7161XHK can provide internal SAS expansion behind a network controller card, letting a single board present multiple disks to a network file system. Its 10-port, 1.5/3.0 Gbps capability suits the aggregated throughput of a multi-drive NAS enclosure while keeping the card area manageable because one expander replaces several discrete controllers. Designers should confirm the host-side interface and firmware expectations of their chosen NAS chipset, since the expander is a transparent path element and does not itself implement a file system.
Recommandé
Video Surveillance Storage Array
Surveillance arrays are write-heavy, always-on systems that benefit from the VSC7161XHK's ability to fan a single host link out to ten drive ports while supporting SATA devices common in this market. Consolidation of many drive streams behind one adapter reduces per-chassis host adapter count and simplifies rack cabling. The design constraint in this segment is sustained write throughput and vibration margin, so link rate selection should be matched to the encoder bitrate rather than to the headline 3.0 Gbps capability of the expander.
Recommandé
Hyperscale Storage Enclosure Management
Large-scale storage systems use expander-based enclosures to scale drive counts predictably, and the VSC7161XHK sits in that architectural tier by providing ten ports per device with an evolutionary upgrade path for future host-adapter speeds. This lets infrastructure designers standardise a backplane today while preserving a path to faster host links later. Because the part is a fixed-function interface IC, fleet-level management functions such as telemetry, predictive failure monitoring, and firmware policy are handled by the enclosure controller and management software rather than by the expander.
Recommandé
Récapitulatif des produits recommandés
Données de référence d'ingénierie pour VSC7161XHK — comparaison, recommandations de conception et informations de conformité.
Guide de sélection
Comparaison avec les alternatives
| Paramètre | Ce produit | VSC7161 | VSC7161XHK+T |
|---|---|---|---|
| Package | TQFP-176 (XHK) | TQFP-176 (XHK) | TQFP-176 (XHK) |
| Brand | Analog Devices | Analog Devices | Analog Devices |
| Device Type | 10-port SAS expander | 10-port SAS expander | 10-port SAS expander |
| Number of SAS Ports | 10 ports | 10 ports | 10 ports |
| Supported Link Rates | 1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps | 1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps | 1.5 Gbps and 3.0 Gbps |
| Pin Count | 176 leads | 176 leads | 176 leads |
| Device Support Behind Expander | SAS and SATA | SAS and SATA | SAS and SATA |
| Target Application | Midrange and enterprise server and enclosure storage | Midrange and enterprise server and enclosure storage | Midrange and enterprise server and enclosure storage |
Principaux différenciateurs
- Ten SAS ports per device in a single 176-lead TQFP (vs PSB2163T-V3.1)
- Transparent, hardware-managed fan-out reduces host-side complexity (vs Passive SAS splitters)
- Supports SAS and SATA devices behind the same expander (vs Enclosure designs requiring separate SAS and SATA controllers)
Notes de conception
Ten differential SAS links running to 3.0 Gbps make connector launch geometry and reference-plane continuity the dominant design variables. Route each differential pair as a tightly coupled pair over a continuous plane, keep length mismatch between pair members small, and avoid layer transitions that force a return-path discontinuity directly under the pair. Provide generous via stitching around the expander and connector region, and treat connector and via stub length as a matched component of the channel budget rather than as an afterthought.
Place the VSC7161XHK as close to the SAS connectors as the pin assignment allows, so that the longest traces in the channel belong to the connector and backplane structure rather than to the IC. Keep the expander's high-speed ball or lead exits away from noisy enclosure-management and fan-control switching nodes, and provide dedicated quiet return paths for the supply and ground pins adjacent to the serial links. Following the manufacturer reference layout for decoupling and pin assignment reduces risk in first-article builds.
Two mistakes recur in SAS expander designs. First, the expander is often treated as a transparent wire, but drive presence, fault, and activity signalling must be routed to an enclosure controller and to the host adapter through the correct management path; omitting those lines yields drives that enumerate but cannot be monitored. Second, mixed SAS and SATA populations change the enclosure power and thermal profile, so validate airflow and hot-swap behaviour against the final drive mix instead of a datasheet maximum.
Estimated: with ten links active at 3.0 Gbps, the serial link current is the dominant term, but the expander's own core supply and termination power determine the total rail current. Because the specific supply voltages and dissipation figures are not published on the product page, take the core and I/O rail requirements from the manufacturer datasheet before sizing the supply, and budget for the local decoupling network specified there. Confirm the regulator's transient response against the simultaneous link-training current step that occurs when all ten ports negotiate.
Informations de conformité
The manufacturer product page confirms the device function and ordering configuration but does not publish RoHS, REACH, or lead-free statements in the indexed content; confirm these on the current Analog Devices product page before release.
