NASBOX314 : make a NAS with xbox360’s case and raspberry pi

***update 04.dec.2014*** by syrus77

****The howto file for system's configuration is now downloadable at below of this page***

******please comment here if you think i have made a mistake***

Hello from France,

I want to share with you my NAS project pi based.

I use for a few months a few Raspberry Pi for various projects at home, one is a NAS with RAID1 disks, to store my important personal data. ***(Raid 1 given up since 12.2014 update)***

After configuring the NAS, I wanted to store it all in a clean box and use a reliable power supply,

I have therefore chosen to use external USB enclosures with power supply for my hard drive to avoid electrical overload on the USB port of my Raspberry Pi.

make a NAS with xbox360's case and raspberry pi

After much research, I find a solution corresponding exactly to what I was looking for:

a xbox360, for several reasons:

– The case has a nice look

– The dimensions are compatible in every way with my project.

– The external power supply avoids the presence of 230V in a metal box.

– The power supply provide 12v and 5v DC

so I called it NASBOX314

***(update 12.2014)***The howto file for system's configuration is now downloadable at below of this page***

/ ! \: I will describe only the part concerning the assembly parts in this tutorial, information about software and configuration are easily accessible on the web, but here's my hardware and software:

***(update 12.2014)***The howto file for system's configuration is now downloadable at below of this page***

The hardware configuration is as follows :

– 1 Raspberry Pi model B

– 1 carte SD Class10 8 Go ***(128MB depuis update 12.2014)***

– 2 HDD Toshiba 3 TB formatted in ext3

– 2 external enclosure for SATA HDD 3.5 ” with USB port

– 1 XBOX360 down

– 1 ethernet wire

– 1 * 3-pin and 2 * 2-pin connectors, recovering in an old computer

– 2 LED for HDD activity LED and 1 LED for the power display

– 3 resistance of 300 Ω.

the software configuration is as follows:

– OS: Debian Wheezy Raspian

– RAID: mode 1 with mdadm ***(given up since 12/2014 update)***

– files sharring with Samba

– HDD in standby after 20 min with hdparm

***UPDATE : 12/2014***

because of various problems:

– Stability with software RAID (multiple crash recovery)

– Reliability with SD cards (not boot after a certain period of time)

– Performance due to abandonment of raid1 solution

I chose for a classical mount for hdds, but my system is now installed and running from one of the hard drives, the SD card is only used for boot, while the OS has been transferred to the first hard drive,

for backup, i launch a rsync monthly task with crontab for conducts a monthly copy of my documents, performances are worth the same as with the RAID mount. but a disc stays on power (over entering sleep)

HOWTO CONFIG FILE HERE => http://www.petit-fichier.fr/2014/12/04/config-nas…

Please, if necessary comment the file

Step 1: Empty the xbox's case

disassemble and completely empty the inside of the xbox.
retain all plastics, but dismantles all the components (motherboard, fan, optical drive)

/ ! \ Be careful : the metal edges are very sharp

Step 2: Insulate the case

insulate the metallic enclosure, by sticking with neoprene glue, with a layer for laying wood flooring (polystyrene foam layer)

place a weight on the entire surface to bond the entire surface of the insulating web. (i have used a plastic bag with sand)

Step 3: Kill the xbox !!!

extract “properly and carefuly” the power supply port and the usb/ethernet port.

I have not managed to melt the solder with a soldering iron, i have used a dremel tool for digging the back surface of the motherboard,but i have broken one pin of the power supply, (isolated with a piece of wood, fixed with glue)

remove any component in place on the Ethernet Port, remove all traces of glue, and any remaining copper wire on the ethernet pcb.

you can also extract the front usb panel for create in front, a administration/debug panel, for this one use the cable usb to TTL serial.

Step 4: Adapt the power supply port

make a polarity control before cutting the cables to ensure the correct polarity

cut both 12V connector of your external hard disk, leaving available 50cm (20 inches) of cables minimum, and provide the same length for the 3-pin connector (for raspberry pi supply)

make a control before soldering to ensure the correct polarity

Solder the hard disk's positive cables on the 12v power sockets

solder the raspberry's positive pin on the 5V output, and make a bridge between the +5V power socket and the “PWR_Enable” socket : is it for activate the power supply when the connector is inserted into the socket.

make a NAS with xbox360's case and raspberry pi schemetic

solder all the ground wires to ground sockets.

remove the SD card of the raspberry pi.

make a powering test on the disks, and the raspberry pi.

fill moderately the back with neoprene glue for fixing the electrical pins and isolate the solder for any possibility of short circuit with vinyl tape.

 

For more detail: NASBOX314 : make a NAS with xbox360's case and raspberry pi


About The Author

Ibrar Ayyub

I am an experienced technical writer holding a Master's degree in computer science from BZU Multan, Pakistan University. With a background spanning various industries, particularly in home automation and engineering, I have honed my skills in crafting clear and concise content. Proficient in leveraging infographics and diagrams, I strive to simplify complex concepts for readers. My strength lies in thorough research and presenting information in a structured and logical format.

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