Radxa has released a detailed tutorial for their Penta SATA HAT, showcasing its compatibility with the latest Raspberry Pi 5 and their own Rock Pi single-board computers. This cutting-edge device not only offers a range of power options but also supports various RAID configurations, including RAID 0, 1, and 5, enhancing its functionality and adaptability for diverse storage needs.

This board originally covered a few years ago, leverages the M.2/PCIe interface on Radxa’s ROCK Boards, when mounted on the heat sink. It offers up to five SATA ports, supporting a maximum storage capacity of 100TB. This storage capacity is complemented by a unique configuration of four internal SATA and one eSATA port, offering enhanced flexibility, particularly for external disk connections.

Penta SATA HAT board overview
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In addition to its compatibility with Rock Pi models, the Penta SATA HAT also pairs seamlessly with the Raspberry Pi 5, which includes a suitable PCIe port. The user-friendly assembly process is outlined in Radxa’s detailed guide, encompassing everything from installing columns and an FPC to disk installation, followed by system setup using the Raspberry Pi Imager.

At the heart of its performance, the device utilizes two PCIe 2.1 lanes facilitated by a JMB585 controller. This setup is capable of providing up to 10Gbps of bandwidth. In a Raid0 configuration with five SSDs, speeds can reach up to 803 MB/s according to the product page.

Penta SATA HAT main features
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The board boasts versatile power options, supporting DC power for 2.5” drives and an external standard ATX power supply for 3.5” HDDs. Additionally, it’s equipped with various features including HDD suspend mode, support for multiple RAID configurations, an optional PWM control fan for effective thermal management, and an optional OLED display for monitoring IP and storage information.

Radxa’s latest tweet directs users to the Radxa Wiki pages for a detailed installation guide for the Penta SATA HAT with the Raspberry Pi 5, accessible via the link they’ve provided.

Penta SATA HAT boards compatibility
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Further information

The Penta SATA HAT is competitively priced at $49.00 on AllNetChina (note: this might not include Raspberry Pi 5 accessories) and is available for a slightly lower price of $44.99 at Arace Tech’s online store.