UCTRONICS Pi 5 Rack Pro, 1U Rack Mount with 4 × M.2 NVMe SSD Base, PCIe to NVMe, Safe Shutdown, 0.96" Color LCD Raspberry Pi 5 NVMe Rack

Overview

Elevate your Raspberry Pi 5 experience to new heights with our Raspberry Pi NVMe Rack solution. Designed for seamless integration with the Raspberry Pi 5's PCIe performance, this upgraded rack empowers your projects with lightning-fast data read/write speeds.

Key Features:
- Tailor-made for Raspberry Pi 5, a complete Raspberry Pi NVMe Rackmount.
- Pre-installed LCD and Power Button: The on/Off button and LCD are pre-installed on the bracket before shipment. Easily configured for one-touch safe shutdown and startup.
- 0.96 color LCD screen display: Graphical display of RAM/Disk/Temp/CPU usage, IP address always on, and custom display content supports.
- 19" 1U, fits up to 4 Raspberry Pi 5 and 4 M.2 NVMe SSDs.
- Extended NVMe drive compatibility: Supports NVMe (M-key) drives in M.2 sizes 2230, 2242 and 2280.
- PCIe x1 interface support: Compatible with Gen2 and Gen3 standard PCIe x1 interface.
- LED Indicators: M.2 disk activity ("ACT").
- Compact design (100x60mm), NVMe base mounts underneath the Raspberry Pi and does not need to occupy the GPIO.
- Compliant with M.2 SSD 3.3V/3A power supply standard.
- Versatile power supply options: Power can be supplied directly from the TYPE-C of the Raspberry Pi and NVMe base.

Experience unparalleled speed, versatility, and convenience with the UCTRONICS Raspberry Pi Rack Pro Plus. Upgrade your Raspberry Pi projects today.

Applications

• Raspberry Pi Nas
• Pi-Hole
• Home Assistant Server
• Raspberry Pi Kubernetes Cluster
• Homelab

Features

• Crafted for Raspberry Pi 5: Seamlessly integrating with Pi 5 and PCIe-NVMe M.2 SSDs, it enables swift PCIe to NVMe data transfers. Complete Raspberry Pi NVMe Rack solution makes setting up your Pi as a NAS easy.
• Versatile Compatibility: Supports a range of M.2 NVMe SSD sizes (2230/2242/2280) and adheres to the PCle NVMe protocol with Gen2/Gen3 modes, ensuring swift read/write speeds for diverse applications.
• Space-saving & GPIO Accessibility: The NVME HAT effortlessly fits beneath the Raspberry Pi, preserving GPIO pins for convenient heat sink and POE cap attachment. Up to 4 units can be seamlessly integrated into a rack enclosure for optimal space utilization.
• Safety Shutdown: Festures soft shutdown via 4 power buttons, preventing damage to the Raspberry Pi from hard shutdowns, ensuring system longevity.
• Convenient LCD Display: Provides real-time operational status, including RAM, disk, and temperature usage, along with a constantly visible IP address, enhancing monitoring and customization options.

Package Including

• 1 x Top Cover
• 1 x Base Panel
• 2 x Side Bracket
• 4 x M.2 NVMe Shield (UC-B86 Rev.C)
• 4 x Pi Bracket with Pre-installed Display and Power Button
• 4 x PCIe-NVMe FFC Cable
• 1 x Screw Pack

Notes

• The Raspberry Pi 5, M.2 NVMe SSD, and cooling fan are not included in the package.
• Please follow the tutorial to burn image in you NVMe HAT and enable NVMe to ensure your Raspberry Pi boots from NVMe instead of the SD card or OS.
• This kit exclusively supports M.2 NVMe SSDs and is not compatible with M.2 SATA SSDs, M.2 PCIe AHCI SSDs, or other M.2 non-NVMe devices.
• After discussions in the Raspberry Pi forum, it's been observed that Raspberry Pi may not boot from WD hard disks, possibly due to the Phison controller equipped with this SSD.
• The display and power buttons are preinstalled for protection's sake, but other parts are not preinstalled by default.

Troubleshooting Steps

• 1. OS Compatibility: PCIe is supported only on Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm). It is not supported on Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye.
• 2. Check Hardware Connections: Verify that the FFC is fully seated and properly aligned within the connector. Ensure that the Raspberry Pi is securely mounted onto the HAT, with the Pingo Pins making solid contact with the GPIO solder joints on the reverse side of the Pi. You can try swapping the HAT or FFC cable to troubleshoot.
• 3. Check SSD Compatibility: Only M.2 NVMe (SATA) Key-M SSDs are supported. M.2 NGFF Key-B SSDs are not compatible. Try a different brand of SSD to see if it works.
• 4. Update EEPROM Firmware:

○ Check and update the bootloader firmware to the latest version: Update the bootloader configuration

○ Run the following command to confirm the update was successful: vcgencmd bootloader_version

• 5. Enable PCIe: To boot from an NVMe SSD, it must have an operating system installed, such as Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm). Make sure PCIe is enabled on the NVMe SSD, not on the SD card. Refer to NVMe_User_Guide for more details.
• 6. Set the Correct Boot Order: BOOT_ORDER=0xf416
• 7. Raspberry Pi only supports PCIe 2.0. Enabling PCIe Gen 3 (x3) may cause instability. To fix this, remove the line: dtparam=pciex1_gen=3
• 8. Use the official Raspberry Pi power supply (27w) to avoid low voltage and USB peripheral current limit:

  ○ For power supplies under 25W, enable: usb_max_current_enable=1

  ○ For power supplies with a POE HAT, set: psu_max_current=5000

Documentation

• Assembly Guide 
• LCD Display Configuration
• UCTRONICS Rackmount Catalog