Icy Dock Rolls Out 3-in-2 Tray-Less SATA Backplane Cage

Icy Dock introduced the FlexCage MB973SP-1B, a 3-in-2 Tray-less SATA Backplane Cage for 3.5" SATA HDDs.

This is a commercially designed product in the FlexCage series for use in server environments, such as towers or rackmounts.

Space Saving and Tray-less Design
The MB973SP-1B has been designed to maximize space use by allowing up to 3 x 3.5" SATA III HDDs, while only consuming two 5.25" device bays. The FlexCage also only requires two 4-pin power ports (or two 15-pin power ports with included 4 pin to 15 pin adapter cables), to power up to three 3.5" HDDs. Tray-less technology is integrated into the cage – no screws or tools are required to insert or eject the drives, making hot swapping a hassle free experience. However, because of the tray-less technology used, maintenance becomes reduced to simply ejecting a failed drive, and then reinserting the replacement.

Flexible Cooling
On the rear of the MB973SP-1B uses a large 80mm cooling fan to pull cool air from the front ventilation slots, over the drives, and exhaust the warm air out through the rear ventilation slots. It also features the Active Power Technology power system, so that the fan used and the individual LED are only powered on if a drive is inserted. The fan also can be replaced and maintained, as the unit is removable and replaceable with most aftermarket cooling fans of the same size. To expand the range of compatible fans, both 2 and 3 pin standard fan power ports are available and can be accessed.

Server Ready
The FlexCage uses company’Flex Fit Design, which accommodates to different tab lengths when installing to a server or tower computer case. This will help reduce the build time, and also adds compatibility for different system builds. In addition, there may be systems that use 15 power connectors exclusively, and so 4 to 15 pin power adapter cables are included to provide better accessibility for various host systems. Each bay includes individual LED indicators, displaying both drive power and activity. Similarly, each drive door has a multi-locking latch mechanism to prevent a door from being opened easily. For best durability, an aluminum panel is used in each of the door latch, making it a solution for systems where IT and non-IT personnel may have access to. Lastly, the FlexCage is backed with our 3 year warranty, equivalent to a HDD’s warranty.

Features:

• Fits 3 x 3.5" SATA HDD into 2 x 5.25" device bays.
• Supports 6Gb SATA HDDs.
• Compact and space saving design to fit multiple drives.
• Commercially designed for servers and rackmounts.
• Screw-less, tool-less design for plug and play and hot swap use.
• Lightweight aluminum body construction for durability and heat dissipation.
• 80mm cooling fan for maximum air flow.
• Fan is replaceable with aftermarket fans that use standard 2-pin or 3-pin connectors.
• Flex Fit Design – accommodates different 5.25" tab lengths for server or tower cases.
• Active Power Technology (APT) – individual blue led and cooling fan only powers up if there is a drive installed in the bay.
• Multi-locking door latches to prevent accidental drive ejection.
• Two 4-pin to 15-pin adapter cable included for 15-pin SATA power ports.
• 3-year warranty equivalent to HDD manufacturer warranty.

Estimated release date: mid March 2013