Add fast M.2 SATA SSD storage to your Argon ONE M.2 case with a USB 3.0 bridge and built-in power management.
The Argon ONE M.2 Expansion Board (SATA) is a dedicated add-on board designed to work inside the Argon ONE M.2 case, giving your Raspberry Pi 4 access to M.2 SATA solid-state storage. The board connects to the case via a USB 3.0 bridge, presenting your M.2 SATA SSD to the operating system as a fast external USB 3.0 storage device — no soldering, no custom cables, and no complex configuration required.
Beyond raw storage, the expansion board integrates power management features that go well beyond what the Raspberry Pi 4 offers out of the box. A jumper-selectable power mode lets you choose between a button-press-to-boot default mode and an always-on mode that automatically resumes after a power outage — making this board equally at home in a desktop workstation, a home media server, or a headless IoT gateway. A dedicated power button provides soft shutdown, forced shutdown, and reboot functions, while automatic fan speed control keeps your Raspberry Pi 4 cool based on live CPU temperature readings.
This wiki page covers assembly, power mode configuration, thermal management, software setup, and troubleshooting for the expansion board. If you are looking for full case assembly instructions, see the Argon ONE M.2 Case Assembly Guide.
📝 Note: The expansion board is designed exclusively for use inside the Argon ONE M.2 case with a Raspberry Pi 4. It is not a standalone product and is not compatible with the Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi 5, or any other Raspberry Pi model.
📝 Note: The following list is based on available catalog and manual data. [TODO: Verify complete box contents against physical retail packaging — confirm whether a USB 3.0 bridge cable, M.2 retention screw, and printed quick-start guide are included.]
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Model Number | A20-007-AR-MDT-EB |
| SKU | ARG-ONE-M2-SATA |
| UPC / EAN | 670924947059 |
| Product Family | Argon ONE V2 |
| Dimensions | 10.80 × 9.60 × 0.80 cm |
| Weight | 52 g (0.052 kg) |
| Host Connection | USB 3.0 bridge |
| Storage Interface | M.2 SATA |
| Power Modes | 2 (jumper-selectable) |
| Fan Control Thresholds | 55 °C → 10% / 60 °C → 55% / 65 °C → 100% |
| HTS Code | 8471.70.5095 |
| Reference Manual | AR1_M.2_INSTRUCTION_MANUAL_20200922.pdf |
📝 Note: M.2 form factor support (e.g., 2280, 2242), SATA revision (SATA III / 6 Gbps), USB bridge controller model, maximum supported SSD capacity, operating temperature range, and certifications (CE, FCC, RoHS) are not listed in available sources. [TODO: Retrieve these values from the full manual PDF and product certification documentation.]
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is the quad-core, USB 3.0-equipped single-board computer that powers the Argon ONE M.2 ecosystem. It is the only Raspberry Pi model compatible with this expansion board and the Argon ONE M.2 case.
📝 Note: The specification table below is sourced from the official Raspberry Pi product page. [TODO: Confirm all values against https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/ — the researcher was unable to retrieve this page during brief preparation. The values below reflect widely published official specifications but must be verified before this page is published.]
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor | Broadcom BCM2711, quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz |
| RAM | 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, or 8 GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM |
| Onboard Storage | microSD card slot |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz IEEE 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0, BLE |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet |
| USB | 2× USB 3.0, 2× USB 2.0 |
| Display Output | 2× Micro HDMI (up to 4Kp60) |
| GPIO | 40-pin GPIO header |
| Power Input | USB-C |
| Recommended PSU | 5 V / 3 A (15 W) USB-C power supply |
| OS Support | Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, and other ARM Linux distributions |
| Dimensions | 85.6 × 56.5 mm |
Source: https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/
⚠️ Warning: Always power off and unplug the Raspberry Pi 4 and the Argon ONE M.2 case before handling the expansion board or inserting/removing an M.2 SSD. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) or hot-swapping can permanently damage the board or your SSD.
📝 Note: The reference manual (AR1_M.2_INSTRUCTION_MANUAL_20200922.pdf) contains numbered diagrams 1–11 and labeled assembly sections A–D. The steps below reflect the assembly sequence described in available manual excerpts and catalog data. [TODO: Review the full manual PDF to verify each step, fill any gaps, and add corresponding diagram references and photographs before publishing.]
Before you begin, confirm you have the following on hand:
The expansion board has a three-pin jumper header that controls how the board behaves after a power outage. Select your mode before seating the board in the case, as the jumper may be difficult to access once assembled.
| Jumper Position | Mode | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Pin 1–2 (default) | Mode 1 — Button Required | After power loss, the board waits for a manual button press before powering on the Raspberry Pi. |
| Pin 2–3 | Mode 2 — Always ON | After power is restored, the Raspberry Pi powers on automatically without a button press. |
To set the jumper:
📝 Note: Mode 1 (default) is recommended for desktop and personal use. Mode 2 is better suited for always-on servers, media centers, and headless IoT deployments where an unattended reboot after a power outage is desirable. See Power Management for a full discussion of trade-offs.
⚠️ Warning: In Mode 2, you cannot power off the device using the power button alone — you must physically disconnect the power supply to cut power. Make sure this behavior is acceptable for your deployment before selecting Mode 2.
📝 Note: [TODO: Add a clear photograph or labeled diagram showing the jumper header location and both pin positions — Pin 1 orientation should be explicitly marked.]
⚠️ Warning: M.2 SATA and M.2 NVMe drives may share similar physical connectors but are electrically incompatible. Check your SSD's label or product page to confirm it is a SATA drive before inserting it. Inserting an incompatible NVMe drive may prevent boot or damage the board.
📝 Note: [TODO: Confirm M.2 form factors supported (e.g., 2280, 2260, 2242) from the full manual PDF. Verify whether a retention screw is included in the box.]
📝 Note: [TODO: Add specific diagram references from manual sections A–D and numbered diagrams 1–11 to guide users through case-to-board alignment.]
📝 Note: [TODO: Clarify from the manual whether the USB 3.0 bridge cable is internal (routed inside the case) or requires a user-visible external connection.]
The three-pin jumper header on the expansion board defines the system's behavior on power restoration. Refer to Step 2 of the Assembly Guide for instructions on setting the jumper.
| Mode 1 — Button Required (Pin 1–2) | Mode 2 — Always ON (Pin 2–3) | |
|---|---|---|
| Power after outage | Requires manual button press | Powers on automatically |
| Button can power off | Yes | No |
| Best for | Desktops, personal workstations | Servers, media centers, IoT gateways |
| Risk | Device stays off after unattended power outage | Cannot soft-power-off via button |
The following button actions are available regardless of jumper mode, except where noted:
| State | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| OFF | Short press | Power ON |
| ON | Short press (< 3 s) | No action |
| ON | Long press (≥ 3 s) | Soft shutdown, then power cut |
| ON | Double tap | Reboot |
| ON | Long press (≥ 5 s) | Forced shutdown (immediate power cut) |
⚠️ Warning: A forced shutdown (≥ 5 s press) cuts power immediately without allowing the operating system to unmount filesystems gracefully. Use this only if the system is unresponsive. Frequent forced shutdowns can corrupt the filesystem on your SSD or microSD card.
📝 Note: In Mode 2 (Pin 2–3), the long-press soft shutdown (≥ 3 s) and forced shutdown (≥ 5 s) functions are not available via the power button. To power off the device, you must physically disconnect the power supply.
The expansion board includes automatic fan speed control that monitors the Raspberry Pi 4's CPU temperature and adjusts the fan accordingly. This is a hardware-level feature — no additional configuration is required for the default fan curve to operate.
| CPU Temperature | Fan Speed |
|---|---|
| Below 55 °C | Fan OFF (0%) |
| 55 °C | 10% |
| 60 °C | 55% |
| 65 °C and above | 100% |
📝 Note: Fan speed steps between thresholds are not documented in available sources. [TODO: Confirm from the full manual PDF whether the fan curve is continuous/interpolated between thresholds or stepped. Also confirm whether the fan curve is customisable via software.]
📝 Note: It is not confirmed in available sources whether the fan controller is integrated on the expansion board itself or is part of the Argon ONE M.2 case firmware. [TODO: Clarify from the full manual or Argon 40 engineering documentation.]
The expansion board presents the M.2 SATA SSD to the Raspberry Pi 4 as a standard USB 3.0 mass storage device via the USB 3.0 bridge. Modern Linux kernels (as shipped with Raspberry Pi OS) include built-in USB mass storage drivers (usb-storage / uas) that should recognise the drive automatically at boot without additional installation steps.
📝 Note: [TODO: Confirm whether the specific USB 3.0 bridge controller used on this board requires any driver patches, udev rules, or kernel module parameters on current versions of Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm and later). Also confirm whether the UAS (USB Attached SCSI) driver provides