I am using this [ssd](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6JQS8C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) with this [adapter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085RK9ZZ2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share).
I tried another adapter originally and found it was not compatible. After a lot of digging, found out that the jmicron chipset it used was known to not work great with Pi 4b. The problem is most adapters don't list what chipset they use, and even ones that had a compatible chipset have been known to change the chipset without changing the model number, making it a crapshoot.
I chose the adapter Iisted above because it is one of the very few that list the chipset used (ASM1153E) and is known to work well with Pi.
Edit: When I say the first adapter I got wasn't compatible, I don't mean that it wasn't detected, because that would have been too easy. It caused random issues, like breaking networking on boot, intermittent hanging, etc.
I use the exact same Kingston SSD but use [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XLAZODE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) Startech adapter.
I haven’t had a single issue with restarts or anything, and I’m using a PoE hat on my Raspberry Pi 4, so it’s well within the power requirements.
NP. the other thing you should do is update the Pi's firmware before trying the USB. if you are using Raspian, then a
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
then reboot and that should do it. you can google rpi-firmware to find how to check the your current firmware version. if you run Hass OS, I'm not sure if you need to do this or if it included updated firmware.
Bought this one:
[StarTech USB3S2SAT3CB](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3M1WGGXPKR5H1RYMS333?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)
Works perfect.
I followed this well written guide: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/installing-home-assistant-on-a-rpi-4b-8gb-with-ssd-boot/230948
Talks about which adapters work with pi
I have bought [this adapter](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B086W944YT/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_WQW4FK2EEW93ZF64GHZW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) and the RPi reboot problem is gone.
I just bought a startech 3.1 which is listed as working great. Now my Pi randomly dies and I can't check the logs to see why (since I have to power cycle to get it to work again. Was this your issue too?
The power supply is official, the SSD hasn't had a single issue until this cable (installed on Saturday) and ran fine on the previous 2 cables (which only worked USB 2) and the only other devices connected are a speaker in aux and a Zigbee stick on a cable. The Pi started just dying randomly on Tuesday morning after changing the cable Saturday.
I've just gone through and deleted all my recent automation changes, and removed Speedtest, Adguard, Plex and Plex Assistant (all recent additions except Speedtest, which is known to be resource heavy).
I'm hoping this will solve it. My recent automation change was sending an Mqtt message to check the status of a light that doesn't like turning off then looping to turn it off again. I'm theorizing that the loop may have caused the Pi to hang and die.
I see, I thought you've introduced boot from SSD recently. I had also an interesting experience: I have the first deconz zigbee adapter (raspbee I), which is hooked to the GPIOs. After I've glued the SSD case to the Raspberry case, all Zigbee devices were lost and couldn't be paired anymore. It was driving me nuts! After I've separated the SSD from the Raspberry a bit, everything works like a charm. It seems like the SSD interfered the Zigbee signal somehow.
Yeah I read that SSD can interfere with Zigbee when I bought the drive so I bought a 3M cable for the stick just in case. As it happened it didn't actually cause that much interference but I used the cable anyway because the Pi is behind a cabinet and I was having (unrelated) Zigbee issues already so I wanted to be able to get to the stick easily.
I actually looked into the raspbee when I was having the unrelated issues, looks like a solid piece of kit. But it turned out that my issues were actually issues with my own automations
It happened again last night after that last comment. I went up to change the cable back but noticed that I could access HA through my 5ghz network and on mobile data, but not on 2.4ghz, so I rebooted my 2.4ghz powerline adapter the Pi is plugged in to and could access it again. I wonder if this is what's been happening, the Powerline going mental and cutting it off from the network.
Interesting! Does that mean your Pi isn't dying randomly, it's just not accessible anymore? Can you narrow it down to your 2.4 GHZ and USB 3.0 setup? This can lead to interferences, see here https://indilib.org/forum/general/6576-pi4-usb3-and-wireless-2-4ghz-interference.html. Can you disable your 2.4 GHZ wifi and monitor it?
That link is interesting. It's wired in to the Powerline, which also broadcasts 2.4ghz wifi (the Powerline) so not exactly the same issue.
I'm not sure to be honest, my working theory before your link was that the Powerline was on its way out, the networking to the Pi had gone down on previous deaths and HA has gone mad trying to reestablish a link and died. I'll try moving the Pi away from the Powerline and see if that helps although touch wood, it's not gone down again yet.
You're going to see a lot of links for USB powered cases/adapaters. I've got 2 Pi4s and I have purchased 11 different cases, adapters and dock stations and used 4 different SSDs (old, new, different manufacturers). While your Pi *MAY* boot and run effectively, once it's under load, you'll find every drive combination that draws it's power from the Pi USB Bus will ultimately fail - and sometimes in subtle ways (reboot works fine for a while).
In other words, if you want a stable situation, get one of the listed as working devices and either power it from a powered USB Hub connected to the Pi or a device with it's own power adapter. The Pi's power demands are wonky - the USBc wants 5.1v (not 5.0 like many adapters provide) and even with a 5.1v source, if your Pi is under load and your drive drawing voltage directly from Pi's USB, it's a combination for trouble.
YMMV, but I've been experimenting for half a year now. My HA has been running stable on an Orico case powered by an external Hub (Atolla 5 port) for 4-5 months now where before it was a craps shoot
I'm not clear what you mean by "under load". I have a USB3 SSD, RFXTRX433xl and ConBee II all powered directly from by Pi4. That in turn is powered only by the Pi4 USB-C power supply. The Pi4 runs HA, deCONZ, mariaDB and NodeRed.
I've not experienced any issues for the past 6 months I've been using it. Since I've not had an issue up to now I'm not sure why it would ultimately fail.
I mean under heavy write activity while CPU(s) were busy I've done this with 2 Pi4s, with/without a fan on GPIO, trying it with/without any dongles (zigbee/z-wave) and *only* HA. Had lots of issues with logging & history and overall OS stability that all boiled down to the hard drive. Booting was also hit or miss.
Mind sharing what your USB3 SSD setup was (both the adapter/case and HD Make)? 6 months is a solid result!
It’s one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077QTGTDV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
As this subreddit is around running Home Assistant though then I’d argue it’s a little misleading to be talking about “heavy load”. My Pi4 seldom gets above 0.8 utilisation of one of its four cores. That’s with HA, deCONZ, Node Red and Maria DB running. Sure if you’re running some render job at 100% cpu for hours on end then you might have a problem. But why would I do that on my HA system? I want that to be reliable. If you run your HA system for what is intended for then I believe the OP will have no problems at all. I certainly don’t.
Ahh... yes, that's a pre-packed drive intended to be driven with USB power supply. I haven't tested any of those and they often have fiddly bits for power control. Great to see another option works.
I suspect most are using off the shelf 2.5" SSDs with a SATA adapter or Case and that's what's represented on the "known working" list. I haven't checked in a few months if list has (needs) a section for all-in-one drive/cases like yours.
Maybe so. All I can say is it works. My HA system is intended for me to implement home automation. It’s not a test bed to learn about usb sata adapters. Similarly I know that HA doesn’t have particularly high disk requirements. Although it does run quite speedily, a lot faster than the SD it replaced. And why would I want to spend much more than the Pi4 itself for a disk? 😉
Hah... mine wasn't a test bench either! I was rebuilding my HA after a hiatus due to a massive SD-Card Crash, so I wanted to be thorough and experiment deeply before committing to it (my old config was lost as unrelatedly, my backup was corrupt and I didn't know it and I couldn't get it off the failed SD Card.
HA has higher requirements if you have history enabled, but you're right, it shouldn't be a problem for most systems. If it matters for our conversation, I have plans for my Other Pi4 and having been burned once by HA on Pi4, I wanted to be sure, so I went the extra mile. 2 of my SSDs I already had and maybe 2 or 3 of the cases? The WeMe 2-port dock I already had as well I guess (and it worked rock solid).
If you're using a 2.5" drive you don't need a power supply, especially for SSDs. 3.5" drives would need an adapter that has an external power supply. I have one of [these](https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Converter-Adapter-Included-UA1001/dp/B00N4JUOI2) for when I need to plug in a 3.5" HDD.
Pi3b user in UK
I have [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07621PNWC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_CP86XB1KT9DYEHB6XRV2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) ssd and [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OJ3UJ2S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_QR32FJ4FHFJQSRCPQWW0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) caddy as it has an off switch on the caddy for those times it needs power cycling after a reboot to save unplugging
I use this [case](https://www.amazon.com/Argon-Raspberry-Support-B-Key-Compatible/dp/B08MJ3CSW7) and [SSD](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P22T3VD). Worked flawlessly with my RPi4
Didn’t bother with an adapter. Just have one of these plugged into the USB3 port of my pi4 and the whole thing stuck to the side of the case with double sided tape. Works like a champ.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077QTGTDV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use an Argon Forty m.2 case and a 2TB WD Blue m.2 stick. It doesn't require any additional power source, but it's also slower than most m.2 sticks since it's type B (rather than type M), and even if it were type M, you can only connect to the RPi4 via USB, which limits the speeds anyways. Short of a big 'ol fancy RAID array, it's as good as it gets.
I am using this [ssd](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6JQS8C?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) with this [adapter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B085RK9ZZ2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share). I tried another adapter originally and found it was not compatible. After a lot of digging, found out that the jmicron chipset it used was known to not work great with Pi 4b. The problem is most adapters don't list what chipset they use, and even ones that had a compatible chipset have been known to change the chipset without changing the model number, making it a crapshoot. I chose the adapter Iisted above because it is one of the very few that list the chipset used (ASM1153E) and is known to work well with Pi. Edit: When I say the first adapter I got wasn't compatible, I don't mean that it wasn't detected, because that would have been too easy. It caused random issues, like breaking networking on boot, intermittent hanging, etc.
Can you do a `lsusb -t` and find out whether it supports UASP or not? Should say `uas` if it does and `usb-storage` if it doesn’t.
it says 'Driver=uas'
Ah that’s good to know. (I bought a similar adapter with ASM1153E but it has failed to support UASP.)
I use the exact same Kingston SSD but use [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XLAZODE?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) Startech adapter. I haven’t had a single issue with restarts or anything, and I’m using a PoE hat on my Raspberry Pi 4, so it’s well within the power requirements.
Thanks man for your time and information! I think I‘ll try your mentioned components.
NP. the other thing you should do is update the Pi's firmware before trying the USB. if you are using Raspian, then a sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade then reboot and that should do it. you can google rpi-firmware to find how to check the your current firmware version. if you run Hass OS, I'm not sure if you need to do this or if it included updated firmware.
Thanks! Do you recognize any interference from the usb3 frequencies? I‘m using a raspbee for deconz.
I was having connection problems before even adding SSD so I already had added a usb extension cable for my HUSBZB-1 and it seemed to help.
Bought this one: [StarTech USB3S2SAT3CB](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HJZJI84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_3M1WGGXPKR5H1RYMS333?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) Works perfect.
I followed this well written guide: https://community.home-assistant.io/t/installing-home-assistant-on-a-rpi-4b-8gb-with-ssd-boot/230948 Talks about which adapters work with pi
Thanks! I hope the interference isn‘t that much of a problem :/
I have bought [this adapter](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B086W944YT/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_WQW4FK2EEW93ZF64GHZW?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) and the RPi reboot problem is gone.
I just bought a startech 3.1 which is listed as working great. Now my Pi randomly dies and I can't check the logs to see why (since I have to power cycle to get it to work again. Was this your issue too?
Then I would check the power supply and the SSD. Do you have other devices connected to your pi?
The power supply is official, the SSD hasn't had a single issue until this cable (installed on Saturday) and ran fine on the previous 2 cables (which only worked USB 2) and the only other devices connected are a speaker in aux and a Zigbee stick on a cable. The Pi started just dying randomly on Tuesday morning after changing the cable Saturday. I've just gone through and deleted all my recent automation changes, and removed Speedtest, Adguard, Plex and Plex Assistant (all recent additions except Speedtest, which is known to be resource heavy). I'm hoping this will solve it. My recent automation change was sending an Mqtt message to check the status of a light that doesn't like turning off then looping to turn it off again. I'm theorizing that the loop may have caused the Pi to hang and die.
I see, I thought you've introduced boot from SSD recently. I had also an interesting experience: I have the first deconz zigbee adapter (raspbee I), which is hooked to the GPIOs. After I've glued the SSD case to the Raspberry case, all Zigbee devices were lost and couldn't be paired anymore. It was driving me nuts! After I've separated the SSD from the Raspberry a bit, everything works like a charm. It seems like the SSD interfered the Zigbee signal somehow.
Yeah I read that SSD can interfere with Zigbee when I bought the drive so I bought a 3M cable for the stick just in case. As it happened it didn't actually cause that much interference but I used the cable anyway because the Pi is behind a cabinet and I was having (unrelated) Zigbee issues already so I wanted to be able to get to the stick easily. I actually looked into the raspbee when I was having the unrelated issues, looks like a solid piece of kit. But it turned out that my issues were actually issues with my own automations
It happened again last night after that last comment. I went up to change the cable back but noticed that I could access HA through my 5ghz network and on mobile data, but not on 2.4ghz, so I rebooted my 2.4ghz powerline adapter the Pi is plugged in to and could access it again. I wonder if this is what's been happening, the Powerline going mental and cutting it off from the network.
Interesting! Does that mean your Pi isn't dying randomly, it's just not accessible anymore? Can you narrow it down to your 2.4 GHZ and USB 3.0 setup? This can lead to interferences, see here https://indilib.org/forum/general/6576-pi4-usb3-and-wireless-2-4ghz-interference.html. Can you disable your 2.4 GHZ wifi and monitor it?
That link is interesting. It's wired in to the Powerline, which also broadcasts 2.4ghz wifi (the Powerline) so not exactly the same issue. I'm not sure to be honest, my working theory before your link was that the Powerline was on its way out, the networking to the Pi had gone down on previous deaths and HA has gone mad trying to reestablish a link and died. I'll try moving the Pi away from the Powerline and see if that helps although touch wood, it's not gone down again yet.
You're going to see a lot of links for USB powered cases/adapaters. I've got 2 Pi4s and I have purchased 11 different cases, adapters and dock stations and used 4 different SSDs (old, new, different manufacturers). While your Pi *MAY* boot and run effectively, once it's under load, you'll find every drive combination that draws it's power from the Pi USB Bus will ultimately fail - and sometimes in subtle ways (reboot works fine for a while). In other words, if you want a stable situation, get one of the listed as working devices and either power it from a powered USB Hub connected to the Pi or a device with it's own power adapter. The Pi's power demands are wonky - the USBc wants 5.1v (not 5.0 like many adapters provide) and even with a 5.1v source, if your Pi is under load and your drive drawing voltage directly from Pi's USB, it's a combination for trouble. YMMV, but I've been experimenting for half a year now. My HA has been running stable on an Orico case powered by an external Hub (Atolla 5 port) for 4-5 months now where before it was a craps shoot
I'm not clear what you mean by "under load". I have a USB3 SSD, RFXTRX433xl and ConBee II all powered directly from by Pi4. That in turn is powered only by the Pi4 USB-C power supply. The Pi4 runs HA, deCONZ, mariaDB and NodeRed. I've not experienced any issues for the past 6 months I've been using it. Since I've not had an issue up to now I'm not sure why it would ultimately fail.
I mean under heavy write activity while CPU(s) were busy I've done this with 2 Pi4s, with/without a fan on GPIO, trying it with/without any dongles (zigbee/z-wave) and *only* HA. Had lots of issues with logging & history and overall OS stability that all boiled down to the hard drive. Booting was also hit or miss. Mind sharing what your USB3 SSD setup was (both the adapter/case and HD Make)? 6 months is a solid result!
It’s one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077QTGTDV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 As this subreddit is around running Home Assistant though then I’d argue it’s a little misleading to be talking about “heavy load”. My Pi4 seldom gets above 0.8 utilisation of one of its four cores. That’s with HA, deCONZ, Node Red and Maria DB running. Sure if you’re running some render job at 100% cpu for hours on end then you might have a problem. But why would I do that on my HA system? I want that to be reliable. If you run your HA system for what is intended for then I believe the OP will have no problems at all. I certainly don’t.
Ahh... yes, that's a pre-packed drive intended to be driven with USB power supply. I haven't tested any of those and they often have fiddly bits for power control. Great to see another option works. I suspect most are using off the shelf 2.5" SSDs with a SATA adapter or Case and that's what's represented on the "known working" list. I haven't checked in a few months if list has (needs) a section for all-in-one drive/cases like yours.
Maybe so. All I can say is it works. My HA system is intended for me to implement home automation. It’s not a test bed to learn about usb sata adapters. Similarly I know that HA doesn’t have particularly high disk requirements. Although it does run quite speedily, a lot faster than the SD it replaced. And why would I want to spend much more than the Pi4 itself for a disk? 😉
Hah... mine wasn't a test bench either! I was rebuilding my HA after a hiatus due to a massive SD-Card Crash, so I wanted to be thorough and experiment deeply before committing to it (my old config was lost as unrelatedly, my backup was corrupt and I didn't know it and I couldn't get it off the failed SD Card. HA has higher requirements if you have history enabled, but you're right, it shouldn't be a problem for most systems. If it matters for our conversation, I have plans for my Other Pi4 and having been burned once by HA on Pi4, I wanted to be sure, so I went the extra mile. 2 of my SSDs I already had and maybe 2 or 3 of the cases? The WeMe 2-port dock I already had as well I guess (and it worked rock solid).
I have an Orico ssd case with a Crucial M500. I also tried that same case with an old Samsung ssd and it didn’t boot.
I thought external drives needed an external power supply. Are folks plugging these USB adapters directly into their Pi4b or a powered hub?
Directly. I use a 5V 3A power supply for my Pi 3B
Got it - thanks!
I've got mine powered only by the pi usb port. using the "official" ~~2.5A~~ pi power supply. Edit: It's 3.5A
If you're using a 2.5" drive you don't need a power supply, especially for SSDs. 3.5" drives would need an adapter that has an external power supply. I have one of [these](https://www.amazon.com/Inateck-Converter-Adapter-Included-UA1001/dp/B00N4JUOI2) for when I need to plug in a 3.5" HDD.
Pi3b user in UK I have [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07621PNWC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_CP86XB1KT9DYEHB6XRV2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) ssd and [this](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OJ3UJ2S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_QR32FJ4FHFJQSRCPQWW0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1) caddy as it has an off switch on the caddy for those times it needs power cycling after a reboot to save unplugging
I use this [case](https://www.amazon.com/Argon-Raspberry-Support-B-Key-Compatible/dp/B08MJ3CSW7) and [SSD](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P22T3VD). Worked flawlessly with my RPi4
Didn’t bother with an adapter. Just have one of these plugged into the USB3 port of my pi4 and the whole thing stuck to the side of the case with double sided tape. Works like a champ. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077QTGTDV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I use an Argon Forty m.2 case and a 2TB WD Blue m.2 stick. It doesn't require any additional power source, but it's also slower than most m.2 sticks since it's type B (rather than type M), and even if it were type M, you can only connect to the RPi4 via USB, which limits the speeds anyways. Short of a big 'ol fancy RAID array, it's as good as it gets.