This document describes the UCTRONICS Rack Mount Series, SKU: RM0004, an assembly guide for a rack-mountable enclosure designed for Raspberry Pi units, featuring an OLED display and various connectivity options.

Function Description

The UCTRONICS RM0004 is a rack-mount enclosure system designed to house multiple Raspberry Pi units. It provides a structured and organized way to deploy Raspberry Pis in a server rack environment, making it suitable for applications such as home labs, small-scale server clusters, or industrial control systems. The system includes an OLED display for each Raspberry Pi, which can show real-time system information like IP address, CPU usage, RAM usage, disk usage, and temperature. It also integrates a safe shutdown and power-on function via a dedicated power button. The enclosure supports the integration of 2.5" SSDs for expanded storage and includes SD card adapters and USB adapters for each Pi.

Important Technical Specifications

The RM0004 system includes the following components:

Top panel (x1) and Bottom panel (x1): Form the main structure of the enclosure.
RPi Mounting bracket with M3 loose-off hand screw (x4): For securing Raspberry Pi units within the enclosure.
Side rack bracket (x2): For mounting the enclosure into a standard server rack.
Power button (x4): Provides safe shutdown and power-on functionality for each Pi.
LCD display (x4) and LCD sticker (x4): 0.96" OLED displays to show system information.
SD card adapter (x4): Allows external access to the Raspberry Pi's SD card slot.
2.5" SATA shield (x4): Enables the connection of 2.5" SSDs to the Raspberry Pi via SATA.
USB adapter (x4): Facilitates USB connectivity.
Rubber pad (x4): For stability and vibration dampening.
M6*16 rack screw (x4): For mounting the enclosure to a server rack.
M3*5 countersunk screw (x15): Used for various assembly steps, including fixing the metal housing and side brackets.
M3*5 Flat-head screw for SSD (x16): Specifically for mounting SSDs.
M2.5*5 Round-head screw (x32): Used for fixing LCD displays, power buttons, and other components.

The OLED display requires specific configuration:

I2C1 enablement: dtparam=i2c_arm=on,i2c_arm_baudrate=400000 in /boot/config.txt.
Shutdown function: dtoverlay=gpio-shutdown,gpio_pin=4,active_low=1,gpio_pull=up in /boot/config.txt.
Software library: git clone https://github.com/UCTRONICS/SKU_RM0004.git for the display script.

Usage Features

The UCTRONICS RM0004 offers several user-friendly features:

Rack-mountable design: Allows for organized deployment of multiple Raspberry Pis in a standard server rack, optimizing space and cable management.
Individual Raspberry Pi modules: Each Raspberry Pi, along with its associated components (OLED display, power button, SSD, SD card adapter, USB adapter), forms a modular unit that slides into the main enclosure.
OLED display for system monitoring: Each 0.96" OLED display provides real-time feedback on critical system parameters (IP, CPU, RAM, DISK, TEMP), enabling quick status checks without needing to log in remotely.
Safe shutdown and power-on: The integrated power button, configured with a GPIO shutdown script, ensures safe power cycling of each Raspberry Pi, preventing data corruption.
SSD support: The 2.5" SATA shield allows for the integration of SSDs, providing faster and more reliable storage compared to traditional SD cards, which is crucial for demanding applications.
External SD card access: The SD card adapter extends the Raspberry Pi's SD card slot to the front panel, making it easy to insert or remove SD cards without disassembling the unit.
Easy assembly: The guide provides clear, step-by-step instructions with diagrams for assembling the enclosure and integrating the Raspberry Pi units and peripherals.
Pre-drilled SSD screw holes: The design simplifies SSD installation, ensuring a tight fit into the SATA shield.

Maintenance Features

Modular design: The individual Raspberry Pi modules can be easily removed and reinserted, simplifying maintenance, upgrades, or troubleshooting of specific units without affecting others in the rack.
Accessible components: The front-panel design allows easy access to the power button, OLED display, and SD card slot for each Raspberry Pi.
Software-based configuration: The OLED display and shutdown functions are configured via software scripts, allowing for flexible customization and updates.
Clear labeling: The LCD stickers help identify each display.
Robust construction: The metal housing, secured with M3*5 countersunk screws, provides a durable and protective environment for the Raspberry Pis.
Spring-load pins for GPIO connection: Ensures a tight and reliable connection between the Raspberry Pi's GPIO pins and the SATA shield, which is critical for power supply and data transfer. Users are specifically warned to ensure this connection is tight to avoid power issues.
Dedicated support: UCTRONICS provides contact information (website and email) for support, ensuring users can get assistance with any problems encountered during installation or operation.

Uctronics RM0004 - Connect SD Card Adapter to Raspberry Pi