Building a custom NAS/Fileserver (RAID1) and multiservice homeserver using the OpenRD-base board.
The OpenRD-base board is a development platform based on the Marvell Kirkwood SoC, including 512MB of flash and ram, sata and minipci-express.
It is an amazingly powerful platform for a correct price (~150$), nearly perfect to build a customfanless and low-power consuming server.
RAID1 and OpenRD: electric hack
As my server was supposed to be (among other uses) a fileserver, RAID1 was somewhat ârequiredâ.
- Problem:
- there is only one SATA port on the board.
- USB disks are not reliable
- I donât want an extra power cable
- Solution: there is a E-SATA port.
An electric hack is achievable to let the OpenRD SATA port power two hard disks. One is connected to the SATA port and the other to the E-SATA port.
+--------------+
| |
| Board |
| |
+_SATA___ESATA_+
/port\ port\
| | |
| pow|er | SATA to ESATA cable
SATA | cab|e \
cable | | | / SATA cable
| | | /
| | | /
[_|_] [_|_]
HDD1 HDD2
Requirements:
- Two power + data SATA extension cables (I got cheap cables from DealExtrem) sata extension cable
- a SATA to E-SATA cable
- Soldering tools
Cut The power lines and solder by-three-lines the two extension cables alltogether (so that two sockets are powered by one plug)
PLUG Socket
-> Board -> HDD1
b r b y y b r b
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Socket
\ \ \ \ / / / / y -> HDD2
\ \ \ \ / / / / / b
\ \ \ \____________________/-/-/-/----' / r
\ \ \______________________/-/-/------' / b
\ \________________________/-/--------' /
\__________________________/----------'