Comparing Dell H200e Cards: A Comprehensive Guide to Crossflashing for Enhanced Performance

The Dell H200e cards, while originally designed for specific Dell systems, can be crossflashed to unleash their full potential and compatibility with a wider range of hardware. This guide provides an enhanced set of instructions for crossflashing your Dell H200e card, drawing from community expertise and aiming for clarity and SEO optimization for English-speaking audiences. This process allows users to effectively transform their Dell H200e into a versatile LSI 9200-8e controller, often preferred for its broader compatibility and feature set.

Step-by-Step BIOS Flashing Guide for Dell H200e Cards

This guide leverages the BIOS toolset and incorporates both P5 and P20 versions of sas2flsh for a robust flashing process. It is assumed you have a FreeDOS bootable USB drive prepared with the necessary files. Ensure you have backed up any critical data before proceeding with firmware modifications.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

A bootable USB drive with FreeDOS.
The flashing utilities (P5 and P20 versions of sas2flsh, megarec).
The firmware files: 6GSASA10.FW (Dell A10 firmware for H200e), 2008et.bin (LSI 9200-8e P7 firmware), and 9200-8e.bin (LSI 9200-8e P20 firmware).
sbrempty.bin (empty SBR file).
LSI-P20.rom (LSI P20 BIOS, optional).
All files should be placed in the root directory of your bootable USB drive for easy access.

Flashing Procedure

Identify Card SAS Address: Boot into FreeDOS from your USB drive. At the command prompt, type the following command to list your SAS card and note down its SAS address:
```
s2f_p20 -c 0 -list
```
Backup Original SBR (Precautionary): Create a backup of your original SBR. This step is crucial if you ever need to revert to the original Dell firmware. Execute the command:
```
megarec -readsbr 0 FILENAME.BIN
```
(FILENAME.BIN will be created on your USB drive)
Erase and Prepare the Card: Completely erase the existing firmware on the card to prepare it for the new firmware. Run these commands sequentially, rebooting after the megarec -cleanflash 0 command:
```
megarec -writesbr 0 sbrempty.bin
megarec -cleanflash 0
```
Reboot your system after the clean flash command.
Flash Dell A10 Firmware (P5): Utilize the P5 version of sas2flsh to initially flash the Dell A10 firmware. This step can sometimes improve compatibility for subsequent flashing stages. Execute:
```
s2f_p5.exe -c 0 -o -f 6GSASA10.FW
```
Flash LSI 9200-8e P7 Firmware (P5): Immediately after flashing the Dell firmware, flash the LSI 9200-8e P7 firmware using the P5 version of sas2flsh:
```
s2f_p5.exe -c 0 -o -f 2008et.bin
```
Reboot your system.
Flash LSI 9200-8e P20 Firmware (P20): Now, use the P20 version of sas2flsh to flash the desired LSI 9200-8e P20 firmware:
```
s2f_p20.exe -c 0 -o -f 9200-8e.bin
```
Restore Original SAS Address: Restore the card’s original SAS address that you noted down in Step 1. Replace "5......SASaddressFromAbove..." with the actual SAS address without quotes:
```
s2f_p20.exe -c 0 -o -sasadd "5......SASaddressFromAbove..."
```
Flash LSI P20 BIOS (Optional): If you require boot visibility for devices connected to the H200e card, flash the LSI P20 BIOS. This step is optional and skipping it will result in faster boot times, but devices might not be visible during the boot process.
```
s2f_p20.exe -c 0 -o -b LSI-P20.rom
```
Reboot your system one last time to finalize the flashing process.

Verify Flashing Success

After rebooting, you can verify the successful crossflash by using the following command with the P20 version of sas2flsh:

s2f_p20.exe -c 0 -list

This command will display detailed information about your card, confirming that it is now running the LSI 9200-8e P20 firmware.

Conclusion

Successfully crossflashing your Dell H200e card to LSI 9200-8e firmware provides enhanced flexibility and broader compatibility, effectively transforming it into a more universally usable HBA. By following these detailed steps, users can confidently update their Dell H200e cards for improved performance and functionality in various systems. Remember to always exercise caution when flashing firmware and ensure you have the correct files and procedures before proceeding. This guide aims to provide a clear and comprehensive approach to crossflashing, making the process accessible to a wider audience seeking to optimize their hardware.