[SOLVED] Build my own HDD enclosure with USB connection

[PrinceCharmin]

Hi Guys,

I have a left over Acer H340 Home Server which I want to recycle into an external HDD enclosure with USB connector.

The Plan is to keep the bays for the HDDs, remove the moverboard and add a piece of hardware that connects all drives to an USB port to use the whole thing as external Storage.
I searched the net all afternoon for something like a “usb to multiple sata“ adapter but was not successful.
Maybe I am searching for the wrong term?

Such a piece must exist behause what is in all this external cases you can buy off the shelf?
Any ideas?

thanks
Matthias

 

[TerryLaze]

That doesn't work because each sata disk has to be its own separate channel.

What you can do is to get a sata to usb board for each sata drive in the case put a usb hub with that many inputs in the back of the case and then connect that usb hub to your main pc.

 

[USAFRet]

4 bay external, USB or eSATA:
https://www.amazon.com/Mediasonic-ProBox-HF2-SU3S2-SATA-Enclosure/dp/B003X26VV4

I've not seen anything 'generic', probably because it also needs wall power and the associated control board.

 

[PrinceCharmin]

@USAFRet this is exactly the enclosure I am looking at if my "home grown" solution will not work.
But I do not want to throw away the remains of the H340. :-(
I will not belive that the technology of such USB cases can not be replicated.

@TerryLaze if this is not working, what is the magic behind enclosure like the one, USAFret linked to?

 

[USAFRet]

Whats wrong with just continuing to use the H340?

The multi drive external cases like the MediaSonic (I have one, along with a TR-004) have the circuitry and brain to do 2 things....

1. Distribute the wall power between the drives.
2. Consolidate and negotiate the data stream to and from the drives, via a single USB cable to the PC.

 

[PrinceCharmin]

The motherboard is broken ...

 

[USAFRet]

The motherboard is broken ...

ahhhh....

And that motherboard is what does all that magic stuff, managing the various drives.


Buy a couple of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Duplicator-Function-EC-HD2B/dp/B0759567JT

Disassemble and extract the circuitry to build into your own case.

 

[PrinceCharmin]

ahhhh....

And that motherboard is what does all that magic stuff, managing the various drives.


Buy a couple of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-External-Duplicator-Function-EC-HD2B/dp/B0759567JT

Disassemble and extract the circuitry to build into your own case.

Actually the H340 is (was) a headless pc running Windows Home Server (a Windows Server 2003 version) and all drives are directly connected to the motherboard.
Even if the mb was still working, I would not recommend such an old OS in my network.
Have already upgrade to small server running OMV on Proxmox. (besides some VMs for other stuff)

 

[USAFRet]

Actually the H340 is (was) a headless pc running Windows Home Server (a Windows Server 2003 version) and all drives are directly connected to the motherboard.
Even if the mb was still working, I would not recommend such an old OS in my network.
Have already upgrade to small server running OMV on Proxmox. (besides some VMs for other stuff)

Right.
The H340 with a busted motherboard is just an old plastic and metal box.

 

[PrinceCharmin]

Right.
The H340 with a busted motherboard is just an old plastic and metal box.

Yes and no
It still is a well ventilated home for 4 working HDDs if I manage it to magically connect the 4 SATA cables to a USB or eSATA port to connect it as external storage to my new server.

 

[TerryLaze]

@TerryLaze if this is not working, what is the magic behind enclosure like the one, USAFret linked to?

I'm not sure but I would guess it has a microcontroller or mini pc something like a raspberry pi with a sata controller board.

Wiretrustee designs a Four-port SATA Raspberry Pi CM4 carrier board for low-power NAS - Electronics-Lab.com

Wiretrustee has designed an ultra-compact x4 SATA Raspberry Pi CM4 carrier board with up to 220MB/s...

www.electronics-lab.com

The commercial boxes like USAFret linked probably have some custom controller that is cheaper and does the same thing.