I have looked for a PCI-E x4 to 4x PCI-E x1, or even PCI-E x4 to 2x PCI-E x2, I think I looked about everywhere for several days. Indeed, those kind of cards just don't exist at all...
I have also looked for used PCI-E SATA controller cards, but all models with 12 to 16 SATA ports are RAID cards with a BIOS (and RAM and battery) that won't work for sure here.
Except for this specific IOCrest SI-PEX40097 which looks like a dumb SATA controller, but seems to be too recent to be on the used market yet.
I guess, I'll end up buying one from Amazon, it's a bit more expensive but at least if it doesn't work properly I can still send it back, no question asked.
Anyway, the build won't start before the ROCKPro64 arrives, which seem to be within 30 to 45 days according to Pine64 store shipping policy.
That leaves me plenty of time for planning the build on itself.
Right now, I'm thinking going the DIY way with my 3D printer for most part of the casing.
Using something like twelve ORICO 1106SS and printing independent stackable enclosures to put these in, open on the back for airflow.
Stacking the hard drives 2 wide and 6 high (about 300mm wide, 260mm high and 200mm deep), and putting a regular ATX power supply on top on one side and the ROCKPro64 and SATA controller on the other side (an extra 100mm high maybe) on a specific printed enclosure too.
That would allow me to use six 120mm fans on the back to cool the entire system (2 fans wide, and 3 fans high, which represent 360mm high). I could put the connections on the sides with recessed connectors, or not I don't know yet.
And I'll need to put together some kind of front panel with deported buttons to start/stop the power supply, the ROCKPro64, etc. EasyEDA and JLCPCB are most likely my friends on this one.
I'll try to 3D model a few ideas with Fusion360 in the next few days/weeks to see how those ideas could be implemented.
I have also looked for used PCI-E SATA controller cards, but all models with 12 to 16 SATA ports are RAID cards with a BIOS (and RAM and battery) that won't work for sure here.
Except for this specific IOCrest SI-PEX40097 which looks like a dumb SATA controller, but seems to be too recent to be on the used market yet.
I guess, I'll end up buying one from Amazon, it's a bit more expensive but at least if it doesn't work properly I can still send it back, no question asked.
Anyway, the build won't start before the ROCKPro64 arrives, which seem to be within 30 to 45 days according to Pine64 store shipping policy.
That leaves me plenty of time for planning the build on itself.
Right now, I'm thinking going the DIY way with my 3D printer for most part of the casing.
Using something like twelve ORICO 1106SS and printing independent stackable enclosures to put these in, open on the back for airflow.
Stacking the hard drives 2 wide and 6 high (about 300mm wide, 260mm high and 200mm deep), and putting a regular ATX power supply on top on one side and the ROCKPro64 and SATA controller on the other side (an extra 100mm high maybe) on a specific printed enclosure too.
That would allow me to use six 120mm fans on the back to cool the entire system (2 fans wide, and 3 fans high, which represent 360mm high). I could put the connections on the sides with recessed connectors, or not I don't know yet.
And I'll need to put together some kind of front panel with deported buttons to start/stop the power supply, the ROCKPro64, etc. EasyEDA and JLCPCB are most likely my friends on this one.
I'll try to 3D model a few ideas with Fusion360 in the next few days/weeks to see how those ideas could be implemented.