EN-Labs SATA 3.0 5-Port Expansion Card Splitter

SATA 3.0 5-Port Expansion Card

This EN-Labs add-on card turns a single SATA host connection into five SATA 3.0 ports running at 6.0Gb/s. It draws power from a 15-pin SATA or a DC 2.5V connector and requires the host to support the SATA Port Multiplier function. Without that host support only one drive will be visible. The card is new and aimed at builders who need extra internal drive connections.

Who this suits and who it does not

Suits builders whose motherboard or controller explicitly supports SATA Port Multiplier and who need five drives on one port. Not for systems where the host lacks that multiplier capability, because only a single drive will then be recognised. Also not for anyone needing an external interface or a different protocol, since the card provides only internal SATA connections.

Deciding specification — host Port Multiplier

The single specification that decides compatibility is whether the motherboard or host controller implements the SATA Port Multiplier function. If it does, all five ports can operate at 6.0Gb/s each. If it does not, the card will still work but only one attached drive will be detected, making the expansion ineffective for multi-drive arrays.