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

Backup Server

Use multiple hard drives for:

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

Development & Testing Platform

Suitable for:

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

IoT Data Logging

Store large amounts of:

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

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

6. Installation Steps

Step 1 – Install the Standoffs

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

Step 2 – Install the GPIO Header

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

Step 3 – Connect the PCIe Cable

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

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

Step 4 – Mount the Expansion Board

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

Step 5 – Install Storage Devices

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

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.

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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