Icy Dock EXLink MB308A PCIe 4.0 x16 HBA Featuring Two SlimSAS 8i Ports for Direct NVMe Connectivity

Icy Dock announced the EXLink MB308A, a PCIe 4.0 x16 adapter card featuring 2 SlimSAS 8i (SFF-8654) ports for direct NVMe connectivity.

Engineered with an integrated redriver IC and PCIe clock buffer, the MB308A maintains signal integrity across longer cable runs, ensuring stable PCIe Gen4 speed and reliability. Validated with the company’s NVMe mobile racks and enclosures, the MB308A provides a dependable foundation for servers, workstations, and validation labs where consistent NVMe storage performance is mission critical.

The MB308A requires the host motherboard to support PCIe bifurcation (x4, x4, x4, x4) in order to access up to 4 NVMe SSDs. This adapter does not provide bifurcation by itself.

Optimized PCIe 4.0 x16 Connectivity for NVMe Storage

With a PCIe 4.0 x16 interface delivering up to 256Gb of total bandwidth, the MB308A is designed to work with motherboards that support lane bifurcation (x4, x4, x4, x4). When enabled, this feature allows the adapter to connect up to 4 NVMe SSDs across its 2 SlimSAS 8i ports. If the motherboard does not provide bifurcation, only a single SSD may be recognized.

Redriver for Stable High-Speed Signals

In high-speed NVMe environments, PCIe signals can degrade over longer PCB traces or external cables. The MB308A’s built-in redriver equalizes and amplifies signals, enabling SlimSAS connections to sustain full PCIe Gen4 speed even with qualified long-reach cables. This ensures reliable throughput for demanding workloads such as AI/ML training, data validation, and scientific simulations.

PCIe Clock Buffer and SMBus Management

To maintain timing accuracy across connected devices, the MB308A integrates a 100MHz PCIe clock buffer for SlimSAS-based NVMe storage. Built-in SMBus switching and reset management enhance stability and provide out-of-band control, ensuring reliable operation in enterprise-grade applications.

Validated NVMe Compatibility with Icy Dock Mobile Racks

The MB308A has been validated with the company’s NVMe mobile racks and enclosures, ensuring reliable interoperability for enterprise and workstation deployments. This reduces integration risk for system builders and provides customers with a fully tested solution for high-speed removable NVMe storage.

To simplify cable and interface selection, Icy Dock provides an NVMe Selection Tool, which helps user filter by connector type, host card, and enclosure to find the right combination, see NVMe Storage Selection Guide. User can also browse the full list of qualified NVMe cables, see NVMe Cable Catalog

Universal PCIe Adapter Card Support (Gen2/3/4/5)

The EXLink MB308A is designed to operate in any PCIe x16 slot, supporting PCIe 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 platforms (operating at PCIe Gen4 speed). Its universal compatibility makes it a fit for diverse system environments, from enterprise servers to R&D labs.

Key Features :

• 2 x SlimSAS 8i (SFF-8654) ports, compliant with SFF-9402 Rev 1.1
• PCIe 4.0 x16 interface supporting up to 256Gb total bandwidth
• Integrated redriver IC for long-reach, high-integrity PCIe Gen4 NVMe signaling
• 100MHz PCIe clock buffer for stable enterprise timing
• Requires motherboard PCIe bifurcation (x4, x4, x4, x4) to access 4 SSDs (This adapter card itself does not perform bifurcation)
• Validated compatibility with Icy Dock NVMe mobile racks and cables
• Universal PCIe slot support: PCIe 2.0 / 3.0 / 4.0 / 5.0 (runs at Gen4 speed)
• Full-height bracket, CE/UKCA/RoHS/REACH compliant
• 2-year limited warranty

Specs :