Updating AliExpress LSI 9305-16i Firmware on Linux

If you bought an LSI 9305-16i HBA from AliExpress, you might be in for a surprise: these cards actually use the SAS3216 controller instead of the SAS3224. This means they're essentially LSI 9305-16e cards, and you'll need different firmware than what you'd expect.

Most LSI 9305-16i cards use the SAS3224 controller, but the AliExpress versions typically come with the SAS3216 controller. This is a critical difference when it comes to firmware updates, as using the wrong firmware can brick your card.

Why Update?

Keeping your HBA firmware up-to-date ensures:

Improved stability and compatibility
Better drive support (especially newer models)
Performance optimizations and bug fixes
Security patches

What You'll Need

1. Firmware Package

Download the firmware and flashing utility from Supermicro:

3216_FW_PH16.00.11.00.zip

2. USB Flash Drive

Critical: The USB drive must be formatted with FAT32 file system, as the EFI shell cannot read other filesystems.

# Replace sdX with your USB drive identifier (check with lsblk)
mkfs.fat -F32 /dev/sdX1

⚠️ Warning: This will erase all data on the USB drive. Back up any important files first!

Step-by-Step Update Process

1. Prepare the USB Drive

Extract the firmware and flashing utility and copy files to your USB drive:

# Extract the firmware package
unzip 3216_FW_PH16.00.11.00.zip

# Navigate to the UEFI folder
cd 3216_FW_PH16.00.11.00/UEFI/

# Copy all files to your FAT32-formatted USB drive
# Replace /dev/sdX1 with your actual USB drive partition
sudo mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt/usb
sudo cp * /mnt/usb/
sudo umount /mnt/usb

2. Boot into EFI Shell

Plug the USB drive into your server
Reboot your system
Enter your BIOS/UEFI settings (common keys: F2, F10, F12, or Del - check during POST)
Look for an option to boot into EFI Shell or UEFI Shell
Select it and boot

Sometimes there's no direct way to enter the EFI shell from BIOS. I recommend keeping a bootable USB with something like Arch Linux around, as it typically includes both a memory tester (often useful) and EFI shell access built in.

3. Navigate to Your USB Drive

Once in the EFI Shell, you'll see a command prompt. Your USB drive will be mounted as a filesystem (fs0:, fs1:, etc.).

# List all available filesystems
map

# Try fs0: first (most common for USB drives)
fs0:

# List files to verify you're on the correct drive
ls

# If you don't see the firmware files, try other drives:
fs1:
ls

# Continue until you find the correct filesystem
fs2:
ls

Tip: The map command shows all available storage devices and their assigned filesystem labels.

4. Verify Your Controller

Important: Check controller type to verify that it is in fact SAS3216. If you see a SAS address, write it down - you'll need it in the next step.

sas3flash.efi -list

You should see SAS3216 in the controller information. If you see SAS3224 instead, stop - you have a different card and need different firmware.

5. Run the Firmware Update

To update firmware, run the update script:

SMC3216T.NSH

The update process will start automatically. When prompted for a SAS address:

Enter the address you wrote down from step 4
OR simply enter: 000000000 (nine zeros) (worked for me lol)

The flashing process will take a short while. Do not interrupt it or power off the system.

6. Verify and Reboot

After the firmware update completes successfully:

# Verify the update
sas3flash.efi -list

# Check that the firmware version has been updated

Once verified, exit the EFI shell and reboot:

exit
# Or simply press the power button

Verification After Reboot

Once your system boots back into Linux, verify the update:

# Check dmesg for LSI controller information
dmesg | grep -i mpt3sas

# Look for firmware version information in the output

Additional Resources

For more context on LSI HBA firmware updates:

Updating AliExpress LSI 9305-16i Firmware

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