🛠 Create a High-Performance NAS with GPIO Automation

Objectives

This tutorial guides you through configuring a NAS (Network Attached Storage) using the exceptional bandwidth of the two 10GbE ports and the NVMe storage of the LattePanda Sigma 2. We will add a physical automation layer: the RP2350 microcontroller will monitor system status and light up an LED in case of service failure, exploiting the GPIO header for tangible interaction with your IT infrastructure.

Required Hardware

• LattePanda Sigma 2 Board (Pre-installed Ubuntu 26.04)
• External HDD or additional NVMe SSD (for storage demonstration)
• Cat6a Ethernet Cable (for 10GbE testing)
• 5V LED, 220Ω resistor, connecting wires
• Client PC on the same network

Steps

Install ZFS to ensure data integrity and leverage NVMe speed.

1. ZFS Storage Configuration

sudo apt update && sudo apt install zfsutils-linux -y
sudo zpool create tank /dev/nvme1n1
sudo zfs create tank/share
sudo zfs set compression=lz4 tank/share

Configure Samba to expose the folder on the local network.

1. Samba Network Sharing

sudo apt install samba -y
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add to the end of the file:

[Share]
   path = /tank/share
   browseable = yes
   writable = yes
   guest ok = no

Create a Samba user and restart the service.

sudo smbpasswd -a user
sudo systemctl restart smbd

Connect an LED to GPIO pin 25 (standard plausibility) and a resistor. Open a serial console on the RP2350 and paste this script to monitor the Samba service.

1. RP2350 Automation Script (MicroPython)

import machine
import utime
import subprocess

led = machine.Pin(25, machine.Pin.OUT)

def check_service():
    try:
        # Checks if smbd is running
        result = subprocess.run(['systemctl', 'is-active', 'smbd'], capture_output=True, text=True)
        if result.stdout.strip() == 'active':
            led.value(0) # Off if OK
        else:
            led.value(1) # On if error
    except Exception:
        led.value(1)

while True:
    check_service()
    utime.sleep(5)

Ensure interfaces are mounted with MTU 9000 for Jumbo Frames if supported by your switch.

1. 10GbE Network Optimization

sudo ip link set dev eth0 mtu 9000

Verification

From another PC, mount the Samba share. Copy a 1GB file and time the transfer to verify speeds close to 10 Gbps. Disconnect the server's network cable: the LED connected to the RP2350 should light up less than 10 seconds after the Samba service stops, confirming the link between the operating system and the microcontroller.

Further Reading

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