X1015-v1.0 Overview

x1015-v1.0 Overview Product Overview

Giving your Raspberry Pi 5 speedy data transfer and super-fast boot!

The X1015 is a PCIe extension board designed for the Raspberry Pi 5. It adheres to the official Raspberry Pi reference schematic and has the same features as the official M.2 HAT+, guaranteeing ease of use and long-term support through updates to the Raspberry Pi OS. With its sleek and compact design, this shield allows for easy attachment of various M.2 SSD lengths (including 2280, 2260, 2242, and 2230) to your Raspberry Pi 5.

Equipped with a PCIe 2.0/3.0 interface, the X1015 offers lightning-fast data transfer speeds of up to 8Gbps, enabling you to transfer large amounts of data within seconds. Its compatibility with the Raspberry Pi official passive cooler ensures optimal heat dissipation without compromising performance. The inclusion of mounting holes and standoffs provides added protection for your solid-disk drives while effectively dissipating heat.

With the X1015, you no longer need to guess the reading or writing status of your SSD, as it features a built-in LED light that indicates the current activity. This makes it easier for you to monitor your SSD's performance.

Whether you're looking to create a home media center or build a Network-attached storage (NAS) system for storing and streaming your own videos, music, and photos, the X1015 can serve as the perfect storage solution. Furthermore, it supports operating system booting from your SSD, resulting in faster application launches, web serving, and file copying.

Product Features

Compatible With

  • Raspberry Pi 5B
  • Optimal storage solution designed specifically for Raspberry Pi 5 - M.2 NVMe SSD Shield
  • Adheres to the official Raspberry Pi reference schematic
  • Utilized the same key components as the Raspberry Pi official M.2 HAT+
  • Has the same features as the Raspberry Pi official M.2 HAT+
  • Supports single-lane PCIe 2.0 interface (500 MB/s peak transfer rate)
  • Supports devices that use the M.2 M key edge connector
  • Supports devices with the 2230 or 2242 form factor
  • Capable of supplying up to 3A to connected M.2 devices
  • Includes power and activity LEDs
  • Supports high-capacity M.2 NVMe solid-state drives up to 4TB
  • Accommodates various M.2 NVMe SSD form factors, including 2280, 2260, 2242, and 2230
  • Offers fast data transfer speeds with PCIe 2.0 5Gbps / PCIe 3.0 8Gbps
  • Does not compromise cooling performance and is fully compatible with the official active cooler
  • Powering via both GPIO pin header and FFC, ensuring sufficient power supply without any worries
  • Stackable design allows for attachment on bottom of other HATs
Test & Reviews

Test Conditions

  • System board details: Raspberry Pi 5 Model B Rev 1.0, 4G RAM
  • Interface board details: X1005 NVMe Shield
  • Operation system: Raspberry Pi OS with desktop (Debian12 (bookworm), 64bit, Release date: March 15th 2024)
  • Storage details: Netac N930E-PRO M.2 NVMe 128GB

Testing the SSD speed from command line with dd

  • To test the write speed, writing 1 GB of data in 10 blocks of 100 MB.
  • To test the read speed, use dd to read our entire TestingFile file generated from the last command, in 10 blocks of 100 MB each.

Run at PCIe 2.0

Run at PCIe 3.0

As seen above, the final results with the dd command are:

  • Write speed: 379 MB/s at PCIe 2.0, 603MB/s at PCIe 3.0
  • Read speed: 415 MB/s at PCIe 2.0, 781MB/s at PCIe 3.0

Testing disk drive read speed with hdparm

Run at PCIe 2.0, average read rate: 395.5 MB/s (3 samples)

Run at PCIe 3.0, average read rate: 768.3 MB/s (3 samples)

Technical Specification

Power supply: 5Vdc +/-5% power via GPIO pin header and FFC, converted to 3.3V max 3A to power the SSD

Ports & Connectors:

  • PCIe connector - 16-pin pitch 0.5mm
  • SSD connector - M.2 KEY-M 67P

PCIe cable length: 40mm

PCB Size: 87mm x 56.5mm

Package Contents
  • X1005 V1.0 NVMe shield x1
  • Screw pack x1
Important Notes

NVMe SSD Incompatibility List

We recommend refraining from using the following NVMe SSD drives which are equipped with a Phison controller due to their proven incompatibility:

  • WD Blue SN550/SN580 series
  • WD Green SN350 series
  • WD Black SN850 series
  • Other NVMe SSD drivers equipped with the same Phison controller

These specific models have demonstrated compatibility issues, and it is advisable to avoid them when considering NVMe SSD options for the X10xx series NVMe shield. By steering clear of these drives, users can ensure a smoother and more reliable experience with their storage solutions.

Compatibility:

  • Compatible with M.2 NVMe SSDs
  • Not compatible with M.2 SATA SSDs, M.2 PCIe AHCI SSDs, or other M.2 non-NVMe devices
  • Older NVMe drives with less efficient flash media may not perform as well as newer drives
  • New NVMe SSDs are not partitioned and will need to be both partitioned and formatted when first connected to the Raspberry Pi before they will be accessed in the Explorer.

For further assistance or inquiries, please reach out to our support team at info@edgecase.shop or sales@edgecase.shop. We are here to help you with any questions you might have.