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Maybe you missed it? NanoPi M4
The NanoPi M4 is the newest single board computer from FriendlyElec (FriendlyARM), featuring the powerful Rockchip RK3399 board. With a compact form factor similar to the popular Raspberry Pi, this SBC offers impressive features including 2/4 GB RAM, four USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, and an optional, excellent cooling solution with a massive heat sink unit.
NanoPi M4 SATA HAT Extension Board
The M4 offers nearly all the necessary features a user could desire, but it unfortunately does not support hard drive interface through SATA. To rectify this limitation, FriendlyElec has ingeniously developed an expansion board equipped with 4x SATA ports. What’s more, this expansion board boasts a power supply powered by a cutting-edge Marvell 88SE9215 chip.
In conclusion, this add-on board is a fantastic upgrade for the NanoPi M4 board, elevating its functionality and transforming it into a formidable machine capable of serving as an affordable NAS storage device. It would undoubtedly be even more exciting to witness the introduction of newer boards equipped with built-in SATA ports. If you believe this board offers immense value, we encourage you to explore further details on FriendlyElec’s official website/store (link provided below).
Buy It Now from FriendlyElec Store
4x SATA HAT for NanoPi M4 Specifications
- PCIe to SATA Chipset – Marvell 88SE9215 four-port 6Gbps SATA I/O controller.
- USB – 2x 4-pin USB 2.0 host connectors
- Expansion – NanoPi M4 40-pin header exposed
- Misc:
- Power key, unpopulated power key jumper
- Power LED, 4x SATA LEDs
- Heat dissipation – 2x PCB nuts for mounting a heat sink on top of Marvell chipset; 2-pin header for a fan, PWM modulation for 12V output
- Power Supply
- 12V DC input via power barrel jack or 4-pin header; 2A needed for one 3.5″ hard drive or four 2.5″ hard drives; 5A needed for four 3.5″ hard drives
- 4-pin power connector with 12V and 5V output.
- Dimensions – 65 x 56 mm
SATA
- Use Marvell 88SE9215 Four-Port 6 Gbps SATA I/O Controller
- Four SATA Ports. It supports three communication rates: 6 Gbps, 3 Gbps, and 1.5 Gbps
- One 4-Pin power connector. It includes a 12V and a 5V outputs and is able to carry large currents.
- Four LEDs for indicating the status of each SATA port
Power
- Choose between two power input options with a voltage of 12V. It includes a 5.5*2.1 mm DC-Jack and a 5566-04A connector.
- The output current of the 12V to 5V DC/DC regulator is up to 8A
- One PowerKey button and PowerKey jumper
USB
- Two 4-PIN PH2.0 USB 2.0 host connectors.
Heat dissipation
- Two PCB nuts for mounting a heat sink above the PCIe to SATA bridge
- One 2-PIN PH2.0 connector for the fan. The 12V output is modulated by PWM1.
GPIO
- ALL the signals of the NanoPi M4’s 40-PIN connector are populated.
Benchmarking
FriendlyElec team performed a series of benchmarking tests under Ubuntu 18.04.x using a Crucial MX300 SSD (750 GB). On paper, the results look very promising and clearly show that the SATA HAT can provide SATA3 read/write speeds.
