Hardkernel updates Odroid NAS platform
Jan 23, 2018 — by Eric Brown 4,620 views
Hardkernel has launched a Linux-powered, open source $54 “Odroid-HC2” NAS platform with an SBC based on the octa-core Odroid-XU4 that features SATA III, plus a stackable metal frame to store a 2.5 inch HDD/SSD or 3.5-inch HDD.
The Odroid-HC2 Home Cloud 2 network attached storage (NAS) device updates a previously released Odroid-HC1, and similarly lets you share and stream multimedia files to mobile and desktop devices with support for multiple users. Compared to the HC1, the HC2 has a larger, stackable metal frame, and adds support for 3.5-inch HDDs in addition to 2.5-inch HDD/SSDs. The 197 x 115 x 42mm case supports storage of up to a height of 27mm, up from 15mm.
Odroid-HC2 (left) and earlier Odroid-HC1
(click images to enlarge)
Otherwise the systems and the underlying single-board computers appear to be identical. Like the $49 Odroid-HC1, the Odroid-HC2 SBC is a smaller, stripped-down, headless version of the open-spec Odroid-XU4 SBC, but with one big addition: a USB 3.0-based SATA port. Hardkernel has removed the XU4’s HDMI port, 2x USB 3.0 ports, optional eMMC, and the 30- and 12-pin GPIO connectors.
Like the Odroid-XU4, the Odroid-HC2 SBC is equipped with the Samsung Exynos5422 SoC with four Cortex-A15, four Cortex-A7 cores, and Mali-T628 GPU. It similarly provides 2GB LPDDR3 (in a PoP configuration), as well as a GbE port, USB 2.0 host port, and a bootable microSD slot with UHS-1 support.
Odroid-HC2 with case, WiFi dongle, and cables
(click image to enlarge)
Options include a $5.90 12V/2A Power Supply, 8GB microSD card with OS, an Ethernet cable, and a $5 acrylic case. (The aluminum frame lacks a top in order to enable stacking configuration, so you’ll need the case if you want an enclosed device.) You’ll probably also want one of several optional USB WiFi dongles, some of which include an external antenna.
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Other options include an RTC backup battery, USB-to-UART module, and various cables. You will also need a router.
The Odroid-HC2 can run any distribution that runs on the Odroid-XU4, including Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, and OMV. Linux server images based on an up-to-date Linux 4.14 LTS kernel are available that can run Samba, FTP, NFS, SSH, NGINX, Apache, SQL, Docker, WordPress and other server packages. The product is backed up by the same Odroid community that supports the XU4 and other popular open source SBCs such as the Odroid-C2.
Further information
The Odroid-HC2 is available now for $54, with worldwide shipping. More information may be found on Hardkernel’s Odroid-HC2 product and shopping page.
The SATA port is implemented using a USB3-to-SATA chip.
Probably not a big problem since being a single port there’s no RAID syncing involved and there would be the LAN bottleneck anyway; two or more native SATA ports would be a much better choice for a serious NAS. Hardkernel, do you hear?
Expensive for only a single port USB 3 to sata bridge…
I was given an HC2. I have a extra 2TB drive. I’m a total newbie to these devices.. I understand Windows, not Linux (but that’s on my bucket list).
What do I need to do to make this into an ethernnet based shared storage device that anybody in the house can access? (just one big volume)
I have an ASUS router on the cable modem. I’d like to reserve this shared storage to my household, and not make accessible to the world. .