
PRODUCT DETAILS
Expansion Board
› HARDWARE OVERVIEW
- The X1009 supports up to five SATA 3.0 devices (HDDs or SSDs), potentially offering dozens of terabytes of storage (e.g., 5x 16TB HDDs = 80TB). This is ideal for data-heavy tasks like NAS setups, media servers, or large-scale data logging—far beyond what the Pi 5’s microSD or single-drive options can handle.
- It leverages the Pi 5’s PCIe 2.0 x1 interface (5 Gbps theoretical max), delivering up to ~430 MB/s for SSDs and ~100 MB/s for HDDs (per tests with Samsung EVO 750 SSD and Seagate Barracuda). While bandwidth splits across five ports, it’s still faster and more efficient than USB for multi-drive setups, suiting tasks needing parallel access.
- With a 12V DC jack and high-efficiency DC/DC converters, it powers both the Pi 5 and up to five drives (e.g., ~11A for five 3.5” HDDs, ~7A for five 2.5” HDDs). It supports separate PSU powering for drives if needed, ensuring stability for power-hungry configurations—key for data-heavy reliability.
- Cheap USB hubs often lack sufficient power (relying on the Pi’s 3A USB-C limit), causing instability with multiple drives. The X1009’s dedicated power design handles five drives effortlessly, while USB alternatives might need external PSU hacks—less elegant and reliable
- Mounted on top of the Pi 5 via GPIO header and PCIe FFC cable, it’s compact, GPIO-friendly, and supports HAT+ STANDBY mode (auto-off when the Pi shuts down). This suits permanent, high-capacity builds like home media centers or backups.
- Think storing/streaming vast video libraries, running a multi-user NAS, or archiving datasets—scenarios where capacity and multi-drive access shine.
› APPLICATIONS
This expansion board is ideal for developers and hobbyists looking to create network-attached storage (NAS) systems, media servers, or data backup solutions using the Raspberry Pi 5. Its capacity to connect multiple HDDs or SSDs opens up opportunities for creating robust storage solutions with RAID configurations for data redundancy. Customization options include the use of different case forms to accommodate the additional drives, optimizing fan speeds for cooling, and expanding GPIO usage for additional functionalities like LED indicators for drive status or system health monitoring. This board enables enthusiasts to push the limits of what's possible with Raspberry Pi, turning it into a compact yet powerful storage solution.
› DOCUMENTATION
Below are the relevant documentation resources for this product. Expand this section to view the links.