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Lemon Tree LSI 9305-16i Compatible IT Mode SAS HBA Card

An IT Mode SAS HBA built around the LSI/Broadcom SAS3224 that hands ZFS and TrueNAS the raw, direct drive access they need

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Overview

This Lemon Tree host bus adapter targets a specific and increasingly popular job: getting drives in front of a software storage stack without a RAID controller getting in the way. It is built on the LSI/Broadcom SAS3224 controller and advertised as compatible with the well-regarded LSI 9305-16i. Crucially, it arrives in HBA IT Mode, the non-RAID firmware that ZFS, TrueNAS and unRAID builders actively seek out. Rather than abstracting disks into logical volumes, it passes each drive through untouched, which is precisely what these filesystems rely on to manage redundancy and detect failures themselves.

On the physical side, the card uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface and carries four internal Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643 connectors. That combination supports direct attachment of up to sixteen drives, and SAS expander compatibility opens the door to considerably larger arrays for those who outgrow a single controller. Transfer rates reach 12Gb/s on SAS and 6Gb/s on SATA. The listing describes it squarely as home-lab and NAS hardware, naming Proxmox and ESXi alongside the usual storage-focused operating systems. One practical note worth flagging: the packing list is just the card, so cables and any expander hardware are separate purchases to plan around.

Key Features

Compatible with: LSI 9305-16i; Controller: LSI/Broadcom SAS3224.

Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: up to 12Gb/s SAS, SATA 6Gb/s.

Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 4× Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643. Direct attach up to 16 drives, and expand via SAS Expander for large arrays.

Perfect for: ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, ESXi home-lab and NAS storage builds.

Packing List: HBA Card ×1

Specifications

Brand
Lemon tree
Controller
LSI/Broadcom SAS3224
Compatibility
LSI 9305-16i
Firmware Mode
HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID)
Host Interface
PCIe 3.0 x8
Internal Connectors
4× Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643
Max Drives (Direct)
16
Expansion
SAS Expander supported
SAS Data Rate
Up to 12Gb/s
SATA Data Rate
6Gb/s
In the Box
HBA Card ×1

Frequently Asked Questions

No, it ships in HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID) already, so drives are presented directly to the OS out of the box for ZFS, TrueNAS and similar stacks.
Up to 16 drives can be direct-attached through its four Mini-SAS HD SFF-8643 connectors, and it supports SAS expanders if you need to build a larger array.
No. The packing list is the HBA card only, so you will need to buy SFF-8643 breakout or expander cables separately to connect drives.
Yes, the listing names ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox and ESXi as intended platforms, and its LSI 9305-16i compatibility means broad driver support.
It supports up to 12Gb/s per SAS lane and 6Gb/s for SATA drives, connected through a PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface for ample bandwidth.
No. It runs IT Mode firmware, which is Non-RAID by design and hands raw disks to the operating system, so redundancy is managed in software rather than on the card.

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