DR-0002

2U Rack Mount with PCIE NVME Board for Raspberry Pi 5

Description

The 2U Raspberry Pi Rack is a versatile and efficient solution for housing up to ten Raspberry Pi units, compatible with Raspberry Pi 5 Only. This rack is designed to optimize space and functionality, making it an ideal choice for creating a Raspberry Pi cluster. It features a robust construction that allows for vertical mounting, ensuring a compact and organized setup.

Features

• Compatibility:Supports Raspberry Pi 5 ONLY.
• Vertical Mounting: Allows for the vertical placement of up to 10 Raspberry Pi units.
• M.2 NVMe SSD Expansion: Includes 10 PCIex1 expansion boards for M.2 NVMe SSDs in sizes 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 (compatible with Raspberry Pi 5).
• PoGOPin Power Supply: Utilizes PoGOPin connectors to supply power to the Raspberry Pi units through GPIO pins.
• I2C and Serial Port Accessibility: Redirects I2C and serial ports to the edge of the board via a Groove interface, enabling the connection of compatible I2C and serial devices.
• UID Indicator: Equipped with a GPIO-controlled LED light at the back, serving as a user identification (UID) indicator for easy management and device identification.
• Space-Saving Design: The 2U size makes it a space-efficient solution for large-scale Raspberry Pi deployments.

Specifications

• Rack Size: 2U (Standard Rack size，Usually: 1.75 inch or 44.45mm).
• Compatibility: Raspberry Pi 5.
• SSD Support: 10 x M.2 NVMe SSD slots (2230, 2242, 2260, 2280).
• Power Supply: PoGOPin connectors for power through GPIO.
• I/O Redirection: I2C and serial ports redirected to the board's edge via Groove interface.
• LED Indicator: GPIO-controlled LED for user identification.
• Material: Durable metal construction suitable for server environments.
• Mounting: Vertical mounting mechanism for Raspberry Pi units.
• Package Dimensions: 510x131*102mm
• Weight: 1.4Kg

Gallery

• Product Outlook

• Comparation

• Features

• FPC connection detials

• Accessories Dimentions

• PogoPin must contact with soldering point of GPIO on Raspberry Pi

• About this Item

• PCIe Expansion board (Support Raspberry Pi 5 Only)

 NOTE: This expansion board supports Raspberry Pi 5 Only. 

How to assemble it?

Please refer to folowing figure to assemble your devices.

Package Includes

• Details of package.

How to enable PCIe function on Raspberry Pi 5?

• To enable PCIe functionality on the Raspberry Pi 5, follow these steps:

1. Enable the PCIe External Connector:

By default, the PCIe connector on the Raspberry Pi 5 is not enabled. To enable it, you need to add a configuration parameter to the `config.txt` file located in the `/boot/firmware` directory. You can use either of these lines:

dtparam=pciex1

After adding the line, reboot your Raspberry Pi for the changes to take effect.

2.Enable PCIe Gen 3.0 (Optional):

The Raspberry Pi 5's PCIe connection is certified for Gen 2.0 speeds. However, if you want to attempt using Gen 3.0 speeds, add the following line to the `config.txt` file as well:

dtparam=pciex1_gen=3

Be aware that the Raspberry Pi 5 is not certified for Gen 3.0 speeds, and using this setting may result in instability .

3.Booting from PCIe:

If you intend to boot from a device connected via PCIe, such as an NVMe SSD, you will need to modify the boot order in the EEPROM. Use the following command to edit the EEPROM configuration:

sudo apt update 
sudo apt upgrade -y 
sudo rpi-eeprom-config --edit

Then, change the `BOOT_ORDER` line to include NVMe in the boot order:

BOOT_ORDER=0xf416

This setting will make the Raspberry Pi attempt to boot from an NVMe device connected to the PCIe port .

4. Kernel Compilation (Advanced):

If you need to compile the kernel to add support for specific PCIe devices, you can follow the steps outlined in the Raspberry Pi documentation. This involves cloning the Raspberry Pi kernel repository, configuring the kernel with `make menuconfig`, and enabling the necessary modules for your devices . Remember to always check the compatibility of the devices you intend to use with the Raspberry Pi 5's PCIe interface, as not all devices may be supported out of the box.

How to light up identical LED?

To light up UID LED indicator on a Raspberry Pi 5, you'll make sure the GPIO Pin of the UID LED connected to.

GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins on the Raspberry Pi.

Steps

• 1. Identify GPIO Pins: GPIO4
  

• 2. Power On:

Make sure your Raspberry Pi is powered off before connecting the LED. Once everything is connected, you can power on your Raspberry Pi.

• 3. Software Setup:

You'll need to write a small program to turn the GPIO pin on and off to control the LED. You can use Python with the `gpiozero` library or `RPi.GPIO` library to control the GPIO pins.

Example Python Code with gpiozero:

from gpiozero import LED
from time import sleep


led = LED('GPIO4')

while True:
    led.on()
    sleep(1)
    led.off()
    sleep(1)

Example Python Code with RPi.GPIO:

import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time

# Set the GPIO mode
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)

GPIO_PIN = 4

# Set up the GPIO pin as an output channel
GPIO.setup(GPIO_PIN, GPIO.OUT)

while True:
    GPIO.output(GPIO_PIN, GPIO.HIGH)  # Turn on the LED
    time.sleep(1)
    GPIO.output(GPIO_PIN, GPIO.LOW)   # Turn off the LED
    time.sleep(1)

# Clean up the GPIO pins before exiting the program
GPIO.cleanup()

Safety Tips:

• Be careful not to short any pins on the Raspberry Pi.

Keywords

• 2U Rack Mount with PCIE NVME Board for Raspberry Pi 5, rackmount, rackmount for Raspberry Pi.