EP-0265

5-Bay SATA Storage Expansion for Raspberry Pi 5

SKU: EP-0265

Description

The 5-Bay SATA Storage Expansion for Raspberry Pi 5 is a compact storage expansion board designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi 5. By utilizing the Raspberry Pi 5 PCIe interface, the board expands the system with 4 onboard SATA ports and 1 external eSATA port, allowing users to connect up to five storage devices simultaneously.

The 5-Bay SATA Storage Expansion for Raspberry Pi 5 is ideal for building:

• Home NAS servers
• Personal cloud storage systems
• Media streaming servers
• Backup appliances
• Development and testing environments
• IoT data logging platforms

The board adopts a stacked HAT design and connects directly to the Raspberry Pi 5 through the included PCIe FPC cable. A dedicated 12V power input provides stable power delivery for multiple hard drives while also supplying power to the Raspberry Pi 5 through the GPIO header.

Features

Storage Expansion

• Supports up to 5 storage devices
• 4 × SATA ports for internal HDD/SSD connections
• 1 × eSATA port for external storage expansion

Raspberry Pi 5 Native PCIe Connectivity

• Direct PCIe connection to Raspberry Pi 5
• High-speed storage access
• Optimized for NAS and data-intensive applications

Flexible Power Input

• 12V DC 5525 barrel jack input
• 4-pin Molex power connector
• Can power both the storage board and Raspberry Pi 5 simultaneously

Compact Stacked Design

• HAT-style mounting structure
• Space-efficient installation
• Suitable for DIY NAS projects

Easy Integration

• Includes PCIe FPC cables
• Includes GPIO stacking header
• Tool-free drive replacement structure, only removes several screws

Reliable Operation

• Stable power distribution for multi-drive systems
• Designed for 24/7 storage applications
• Supports active cooling solutions

Technical Specifications

Specification	Details
Product SKU	EP-0265
Product Name	5-Bay SATA Storage Expansion for Raspberry Pi 5
Storage Interfaces	4 × SATA + 1 × eSATA
Maximum Drives	5
Host Interface	PCIe
Compatible Board	Raspberry Pi 5
Power Input	12V DC 5525 / 4-Pin Molex
Form Factor	HAT
Application	NAS, Backup Server, Media Server, Data Storage
Operating Mode	24/7 Continuous Operation Supported

Home NAS Server

Build a personal NAS system using software such as:

• OpenMediaVault
• TrueNAS SCALE (experimental on ARM)
• CasaOS
• Samba Server
• Nextcloud

Applications:

• Personal cloud storage
• Family file sharing
• Photo and video backup
• Remote access

Media Server

Create a multimedia center using:

• Jellyfin
• Plex
• Emby

Applications:

• Movie libraries
• Music collections
• Home theater systems
• Multi-device streaming

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Backup Server

Use multiple hard drives for:

• Automatic PC backups
• Mac Time Machine backups
• Mobile phone backups
• Security camera recordings

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Development & Testing Platform

Suitable for:

• Database testing
• Storage benchmarking
• Docker volume storage
• Kubernetes persistent storage
• Software validation

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IoT Data Logging

Store large amounts of:

• Sensor data
• AI inference logs
• Industrial monitoring records
• Smart home data

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Gallery

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Package List

| Item | Quantity | | ------------------------------------------ | -------- | | EP-0265 5-Bay SATA Storage Expansion Board | 1 | | PCIe FPC Cable | 2 | | 2×20-pin Female Header | 1 | | Acrylic Baffle | 2 | | M2.5×27+6 mm Brass Standoff | 4 | | M2.5×5+6 mm Brass Standoff | 4 | | Hand-tightened Brass Nut | 4 | | M3×4 mm Screw | 14 | | M2.5 Screwdriver | 1 | | eSATA 2-in-1 Data Cable | 1 |

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6. Installation Steps

Step 1 – Install the Standoffs

1. Power off the Raspberry Pi 5. 2. Install the four M2.5 brass standoffs onto the Raspberry Pi 5 mounting holes.

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Step 2 – Install the GPIO Header

1. Insert the included 2×20 female GPIO header onto the Raspberry Pi 5 GPIO pins. 2. Ensure the header is fully seated.

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Step 3 – Connect the PCIe Cable

1. Open the PCIe FPC connector lock on the Raspberry Pi 5. 2. Insert the PCIe cable with the correct orientation. 3. Connect the other end to the 5-Bay SATA Storage Expansion board. 4. Lock both connectors securely.

> **Important:** Incorrect cable orientation may prevent the board from being detected.

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Step 4 – Mount the Expansion Board

1. Align the 5-Bay SATA Storage Expansion board with the GPIO header. 2. Carefully lower the board onto the header. 3. Secure the board using the supplied brass nuts.

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Step 5 – Install Storage Devices

1. Insert SATA SSDs or HDDs into the SATA slots. 2. Tighten the acrylic side brackets if required. 3. Verify all drives are firmly seated.

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Step 6 – Connect Power

Choose one of the following power methods:

Option A – DC Power Input

• Connect a 12V DC adapter to the 5525(means 5.5mm x 2.5mm) barrel jack.

Option B – Molex Power Input

• Connect a standard 4-pin Molex power source.

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Step 7 – Boot and Verify

1. Power on the system. 2. Boot Raspberry Pi OS or your preferred NAS OS. 3. Verify storage detection:

lsblk

or

sudo fdisk -l

4. Initialize and format the drives if necessary.

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Important Notes

Power Requirements

The startup current of HDDs can be significant.

Recommended power supplies:

| Drive Count | Recommended Power Supply | | ------------------- | ------------------------ | | 1~2 SSDs | 12V 36W or higher | | 2~3 HDDs | 12V 48W or higher | | 4~5 HDDs | 12V 60W or higher | | Mixed HDD/SSD Setup | 12V 72W or higher |

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Cooling

For long-term operation:

• Use active cooling fans.
• Ensure adequate airflow around the drives.
• Monitor drive temperatures regularly.

Recommended HDD operating temperature:

• 30°C ~ 45°C

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PCIe Cable Installation

• Verify cable orientation before power-on.
• Ensure connector locks are fully engaged.
• Avoid excessive bending of the FPC cable.

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Data Protection

• Always shut down the system properly.
• Do not disconnect power during disk activity.
• RAID is **not** a substitute for backup.
• Maintain external backups of important data.

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Hot Plugging

Unless your operating system and storage configuration explicitly support hot swapping:

• Do not insert drives while powered on.
• Do not remove drives while powered on.

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Common Disk Application Examples and Recommendations

Scenario 1 – Home NAS

Configuration:

| Drive Type | Quantity | | ---------- | -------- | | 4TB HDD | 4 | | System SSD | 1 |

Recommended RAID:

• RAID 5
• RAIDZ1

Advantages:

• Good capacity utilization
• Single-drive fault tolerance
• Suitable for family storage

Capacity Example:

• 4 × 4TB HDD ≈ 12TB usable (RAID5)

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Scenario 2 – Media Server

Configuration:

| Drive Type | Quantity | | ---------- | -------- | | 8TB HDD | 4 | | SSD Cache | 1 |

Recommended Software:

• Jellyfin
• Plex

Advantages:

• Large media library
• Fast metadata access
• Smooth streaming experience

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Scenario 3 – Surveillance Storage

Configuration:

| Drive Type | Quantity | | ---------------- | -------- | | Surveillance HDD | 4~5 |

Recommended HDD Series:

• WD Purple
• Seagate SkyHawk

Advantages:

• Optimized for 24/7 recording
• Better write endurance
• Stable long-term operation

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Scenario 4 – SSD Development Server

Configuration:

| Drive Type | Quantity | | ---------- | -------- | | SATA SSD | 5 |

Recommended Use Cases:

• Docker
• Kubernetes
• Databases
• CI/CD environments

Advantages:

• Low latency
• Silent operation
• Lower power consumption

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Scenario 5 – Backup Appliance

Configuration:

| Drive Type | Quantity | | --------------------------- | -------- | | Large Capacity HDD | 4 | | External eSATA Backup Drive | 1 |

Applications:

• Daily backup
• Weekly snapshots
• Off-site synchronization

Advantages:

• High reliability
• Large storage capacity
• Easy expansion

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