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

A 16-port LSI 9305-16i-compatible HBA pre-flashed to IT Mode, ready for ZFS and TrueNAS drive passthrough right out of the box

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Overview

The Lemon Tree HBA card targets a specific and increasingly popular audience: home-lab operators and NAS builders who want their storage software to see raw disks. Built to the LSI 9305-16i specification with an SAS3224 controller, it arrives flashed in IT Mode, the non-RAID firmware that passes each drive straight through to the operating system. For anyone assembling a ZFS array or a TrueNAS box, that passthrough behavior is the whole point. The card advertises compatibility with FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, and ESXi, covering most of the platforms a storage enthusiast is likely to run.

On the connectivity side, the numbers are generous. Four internal SFF-8643 ports each break out to four drives, so a single card can directly attach sixteen disks, and a compatible SAS expander extends that ceiling further. Data moves at up to 12Gb/s for SAS or 6Gb/s for SATA across a PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface. The bundle sweetens the deal with four SFF-8643 to 4x SATA cables, enough to wire a full SATA build immediately. The catch is clearly stated: those cables serve SATA drives only. SAS drives call for SFF-8643 to SFF-8482 cables purchased on their own, or the vendor's matched kit. It's a sensible package for JBOD and software-RAID storage servers, provided buyers match their cabling to their drive type.

Key Features

Compatible with: LSI 9305-16i; Controller: SAS3224. Designed as a 16-port internal SAS/SATA HBA for direct-drive storage connections.

Firmware (FW): HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID); Data Transfer Rate: 12Gb/s SAS or SATA 6Gb/s. Supports drive passthrough for JBOD and software RAID storage.

Host Interface: PCIe 3.0 x8; Internal Connectors: 4x SFF-8643. Direct attach up to 16 drives, expandable via compatible SAS expander.

Perfect for: ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, ESXi home-lab & NAS storage. Suitable for JBOD, software RAID, and storage server builds.

Packing List: HBA Card: 1; SFF-8643 to 4x SATA Cables: 4. Cables in box are for SATA drives. They are not compatible with SAS drives. To connect SAS drives, use SFF-8643 to SFF-8482 SAS cables (sold separately) or our matched HBA + cable kit.

Specifications

Compatible With
LSI 9305-16i
Controller
SAS3224
Firmware
HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID)
Ports
16-port internal SAS/SATA
Data Transfer Rate
12Gb/s SAS or 6Gb/s SATA
Host Interface
PCIe 3.0 x8
Internal Connectors
4x SFF-8643
Max Direct-Attach Drives
16 (expandable via SAS expander)
Included Cables
4x SFF-8643 to 4x SATA
In the Box
1x HBA Card, 4x SATA breakout cables

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. It ships in HBA IT Mode (Non-RAID) firmware, which passes drives through directly for JBOD, ZFS, and software RAID setups rather than creating hardware RAID volumes.
No. The four bundled SFF-8643 to 4x SATA cables support SATA drives only. For SAS drives you need SFF-8643 to SFF-8482 cables sold separately, or the vendor's matched HBA and cable kit.
It directly attaches up to 16 drives through its four SFF-8643 connectors. That ceiling can be extended further by pairing the card with a compatible SAS expander.
It uses a PCIe 3.0 x8 host interface and supports transfer rates of 12Gb/s for SAS drives or 6Gb/s for SATA drives through its SAS3224 controller.
It's aimed at ZFS, FreeNAS/TrueNAS, unRAID, Proxmox, and ESXi home-lab and NAS builds, making it a fit for JBOD and software RAID storage servers.

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