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Locate the 10 screws securing the backplane and bracket into the chassis as indicated below.

Picture 23 & 24 - Top screws securing backplane subassembly

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25 &

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26 - sides screws securing backplane subassembly; 2 per side 4 total

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27 - 4 Bottom screws Backplane Subassembly

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28 - 4 Bottom screws removed backplane subassembly

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29 - Backplane Subassembly fully removed from chassis

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30 - Backplane Subassembly removed and placed on workbench

Swapping Backplanes - 

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31 - 4 Screws to remove to release Backplane

After removing the indicated screws the backplane should release from the bracket, the bottom is only held in by tabs and the backplane should rock/pivot out.

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32 - REPLACEMENT/Upgrade Backplane to swap in

Insert the bottom of the backplane into the bracket before securing the backplane via the 4 screws from the previous step.

Reinstall the backplane subassembly back into the system so it can be wired up before restoring all other components to the system. Be sure to secure all 10 screws for the bracket as well as fully reinsert the drives for additional support before wiring.

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33 - Backplane subassembly reinstalled into the chassis

Wiring the newly added backplane - 

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34 - Layout of the backplane bpn-sas3-216EB

If looking at the system from the I/O panel, I typically wire the power connections to the left of the fan assembly that will need to be installed. In practice if pairs are grouped together it allows for easier wiring. Once securely connected, please, secure the loose cable with zip-ties or other methods to minimize damage during transit.

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35 - Location of the two ports that will need to be wired to the add-on card

Please be sure to know which cable is attached to port 1 and which is attached to port 2 as they will need to be connected to the respective ports on the RAID controller. For these cables they tend to run best around the right of the fan assembly much like the originals that were swapped. See picture 13 and 39 for an example for routing. Picture 13 is how the original was routed and picture 39 show how I routed the new cable.

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NOTE: If the fan wiring needs to be reconnected to the motherboard, I find it easier to remove the heatsinks and DIMMs for more access and better cable management.

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36  -  Motherboard diagram indicating fan header location and numbering

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37 -  Fan numbering

Fan number shown in picture 36 for reference to ensure fan wiring is correct.

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These chassis are designed for multiple GPUs therefore the location of the RAID card is critical to ensure the system is used to its fullest potential. Although the card could be installed in any slot it could take away the possibility of a GPU being installed if it is placed anywhere besides slot 6 located in the very center of the machine.

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38 -  Slot 6  Location to install add-on RAID card

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39 - add-on RAID card installed into slot 6

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Outcome - 

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40 - System post Backplane swap and rewiring

At this point of the procedure, the backplane has been accessed, replaced/swapped, and reinstalled. The wiring has been piped leaving the connection of the cable to the add-on RAID card. Once this has been completed the system can be booted to check that not only is the RAID card seen but that all drive bays are now seen.If

IF the system behaves as expected the two top covers can be reinstalled on the system before returning the system to its rightful home.

However, should the system NOT behave as expected, please create a support ticket at www.exxactcorp.com/support. Any pictures and descriptions that you can provide can help us determine the next best steps to take towards identifying the root cause and therefore the optimum solution.