
PRODUCT DETAILS
Extension Board
› HARDWARE OVERVIEW
- The X1011 supports four M.2 NVMe SSDs (2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 sizes), offering extreme storage capacity. This is a game-changer for AI workloads—like training datasets or inference caching—and NAS systems storing large media libraries or backups, far exceeding the Pi 5’s microSD or single-drive limits.
- It leverages the Pi 5’s PCIe 2.0 x1 interface (5 Gbps theoretical max), split across four drives via an ASMedia ASM1184e switch. Real-world throughput tops out around 400-430 MB/s aggregate (per benchmarks), ideal for parallel data access in AI or multi-user NAS scenarios. NVMe’s low latency and high IOPS also beat SATA or USB alternatives for random read/write tasks.
- Mounted under the Pi 5, it connects via a PCIe FFC cable and pogo pins, freeing the GPIO for other HATs. It includes a DC/DC converter delivering up to 10A for SSD power, supports HAT+ STANDBY mode (auto-off when the Pi shuts down), and offers flexible powering (USB-C via Pi or DC jack). This integration suits compact, permanent setups.
- AI tasks benefit from fast, parallel SSD access for model data, while NAS setups gain from the capacity and speed for file serving—though limited by the Pi’s 1 Gbps Ethernet (or 2.5 Gbps with a USB adapter).
- Please note, the maximum throughput will depend on the Raspberry Pi 5's PCIe lane configuration and the performance of the attached SSDs.
› APPLICATIONS
This extension board is ideal for high-performance computing tasks on the Raspberry Pi 5, such as real-time data analysis, edge computing, and media servers that require extensive, fast storage solutions. Users can leverage the increased storage capacity for machine learning models, large-scale IoT deployments, or multimedia processing and storage. The flexibility in SSD choices allows for customization based on budget, speed, or storage capacity requirements. Although it doesn't support RAID, users can still configure software-based storage solutions to optimize performance and reliability for their specific projects.
› DOCUMENTATION
Below are the relevant documentation resources for this product. Expand this section to view the links.