KKSB Cases has introduced a series of rack panels designed for Raspberry Pi clusters in standard rack enclosures. The lineup includes a 10-inch 1U model for two Raspberry Pi boards, a 19-inch 1U model for five boards, and a 19-inch 2U model for up to ten boards. All the panels support Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 3, Pi 2, and other boards sharing the same mounting hole pattern.
The rack panels are made from powder-coated steel and expose the USB and Ethernet ports on the front of the rack for easier cable management. Each slot provides room for Raspberry Pi HATs and the official Raspberry Pi active cooler. KKSB also includes hex standoffs and 40-pin GPIO headers so HATs can be installed above the SBCs when additional clearance is required. Each Raspberry Pi is first attached to an individual mounting tray, which is then secured into the rack panel before installation in a rack cabinet.
KKSB Raspberry Pi Rack Panels key features and specifications:
- SBC compatibility – Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4, Pi 3, Pi 2, and other SBC’s with an identical form factor and mounting holes
- Form factors
- 19-inch 2U Rack Panel – Supports up to 10x Raspberry Pi boards
- 19-inch 1U Rack Panel – Supports up to 5x Raspberry Pi boards
- 10-inch 1U Rack Panel – Supports up to 2x Raspberry Pi boards
- Expansion – Space allocated for Raspberry Pi HATs
- I/O Access – Front-facing design with access to USB ports and Ethernet
- Misc – Supports the official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler
- Dimensions
- 19-inch 2U – 482.6 mm x 88.9 mm
- 19-inch 1U – 482.6 mm x 44.45 mm
- 10-inch 1U – 254 mm x 44.45 mm
- Build – All-steel body with a black textured powder-coated finish
- Rack compatibility – Fits standard 19-inch and 10-inch rack cabinets; can also be paired with KKSB’s own range of racks
Unlike some Raspberry Pi rack systems, these panels are only designed for mounting the boards. So you need to provide your own Raspberry Pi boards, rack cabinet, power supplies, HATs, and cables.
Assembly is very simple. You just need to attach each Raspberry Pi to an individual tray using the included standoffs. If required, you can install a 40-pin GPIO header, a HAT, and an active cooler before securing the tray into the rack panel. The completed panel is then mounted into a standard rack using cage nuts. Detailed assembly instructions for the 19-inch 2U, 19-inch 1U, and 10-inch 1U rack panels are available on the KKSB website.
Over the years, we have covered several rack-mount solutions for the Raspberry Pi. For instance, we previously looked at MyElectronics’ 19-inch rack supporting up to 12 or 16 Raspberry Pi 4 boards. We’ve also seen specialized high-density setups like the Uptime Lab Compute Blade for the Raspberry Pi CM4, as well as more recent desktop-like enclosures like the DeskPi RackMate T1. KKSB’s new rack panels are different because they provide built-in vertical clearance for both the official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler and standard HATs, addressing the thermal and expansion needs of the more power-hungry Raspberry Pi 5.
The KKSB Rack Panels are available on Amazon, where the entry-level 10″ 1U Rack Panel is priced at $22.9, the 19-Inch (19″) 1U rack sells for $42.60, and the 19-Inch (19″) 2U rack is goes for $69.80. Alternatively, you’ll find all three on the KKSB store.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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