Hello,
I'm relatively new to building nano computers from PIs, besides purchasing one of the numerous basic cases and AC/DC adapters.
I'd like to build a lowcost SATA 6Gbps RAID 5 (soft) NAS (samba, nfs...) (with possible additional media purpose...), I forsaw that the following config might do the trick (here the max config with 10 disks, could be less):
- 1x (~EUR 150.-) Banana PI BPI W2 W2 Spec @BananaPi / W2 Spec @WikiBananaPi (has x2 SATA 6Gbps sockets, needs 12V DC input, seems to have IR (media...));
- 2x (~EUR 20.- (40.-)) JMB575 (SATA 6Gbps 1 -> 5 multiplier) JMB575 spec @JMicron (for more than 5 disks...);
- Options to hold 5-to-8 disks together? I was thinking of an Icy Dock, but it already has electronics, the JMB575 would not be needed anymore, I assume. Maybe an alternative option to consider, but an expensive one, as an Icy Dock x8 2"1/2 SSD/HDD is around EUR 200.-... well, it doesn't seem to match my intent of a lowcost NAS...
- 1x (Probably around EUR 20.- tops) 230V~/12V= AC/DC Power Adapter compatible with "12V @ 2A via DC power 5.0mmx2.0mm jack" as spec says Links?;
- One of the Linux distros Kernel image list @W2 Spec @WikiBananaPi.
- Feasibility: (I did not have the time fully to dig all the subjects around that matter, as I'm still in the early stages)
- Does Linux have the required drivers for the JMB575? Hardware Compatibility
- Does Linux support IR remote control and/or CEC remote control (does the W2 Banana Pi HDMI port support CEC altogether? no? "HDMI out works normally on kernel I have built myself (just no CEC from TV plugged there [...])")?
- Would Soft RAID 5 work with that combination? Linux Raid Wiki
- Media: can this be driven by IR remote and/or from your TV set remote over CEC (hmm...) (HDMI insert needed? Would it work? Does a Linux driver recognize that insert?)?
- Performance: What is the performance of the JMB575 with that many disks per multiplier?
(Approx. Total: EUR 190.- 210.- w/o case)
The issue I can't solve: how do you wrap that up nicely?
Indeed, as building such computers is necessarily custom, the casing needs to be as custom-friendly than your most wicked ideas, if you see what I mean. Of course, the market can't be expected to match each idea one can have, but maybe there's a modular casing approach that exists for example (building blocks, lego... an USB-hole-lego block would be funny... lego casing haha, that would be useful for all these PIs and crasy ideas!).
Open question: what could be a way to hold the disks and a Banana W2 together while still having access to the I/O (USB, HDMI...) and buttons (Power, Reset...)? Could you help here, as I'm a dead stuck?
Thanks in advance for any useful help.