Eighteen ports across two banks can look like eighteen identical positions on a wiring diagram, but the ASH-S1 does not work that way, and a diagram that treats them as interchangeable will send you looking for a connector that was never going to fit.
Quick Answer
No - the ASH-S1's fan and lighting ports are physically distinct, with different connector sizes and keying, so a fan cable cannot be plugged into a lighting port or the reverse. A wiring diagram should show the two banks separately rather than as one row of eighteen positions, since each bank has its own connector type and its own limits. The hub is R349.
🔩 Two connector types, not one
The fan bank uses nine four-pin PWM connectors, matched to standard case fan cables. The lighting bank uses nine 5V 3-pin addressable connectors, a different size and pin arrangement entirely. Keying on both sides means a cable genuinely will not seat in the wrong bank's port - there is no ambiguity to sort out mid-build, which is reassuring, but it also means planning needs to respect that split from the start rather than treating all eighteen positions as one pool.
📋 Why separating them on a diagram matters
A wiring diagram or notes list is only useful if it makes capacity planning easier, and lumping fan and lighting ports together defeats that. The two banks fill at different rates and against different limits - the fan bank is capped simply at nine, while the lighting bank carries both the nine-port limit and the separate 377-LED total. Keeping two lists, one per bank, means checking either limit is a glance rather than a recount every time a device is added.
🔗 Noting chains, not just single connections
Where a lighting port feeds a chain of several devices rather than one, that is worth marking clearly on the diagram too, since a chained port affects both the LED total and any later fault-finding on that branch. A rough sketch with each port numbered and the connected device or chain named against it is enough - nothing elaborate is needed, just something that survives longer than memory does. Draw up the fan-bank side of the plan with Evetech's case fan range in front of you, and if the build would genuinely suit a simpler port layout, the NZXT fan controller is worth weighing up as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do the two banks differ physically?
One carries four-pin PWM fan connections and the other 5V 3-pin addressable lighting connections, which are different connector types.
Can a cable accidentally go in the wrong bank?
Connector size and keying differ between the two banks, so a fan lead will not seat in a lighting port or the reverse.
Why bother separating them on paper if they cannot be mixed up?
Because planning capacity is easier when the two totals are kept apart, since each bank fills at a different rate.
Does using every fan port limit the lighting bank?
No. A build can use every fan port and two lighting ports, or the reverse, since the banks are independent.
What limits apply to each bank specifically?
The fan bank is limited by its nine ports, while the lighting bank carries both a port limit and the 377-LED total.
Should a diagram show chained devices too?
It should, since a chained device on one lighting port affects both the capacity and any later fault-finding.
Sketching out the wiring for a new build?
Browse Evetech's case fan range and keep the fan and lighting counts on separate lists from the start.