PCIe 3.0

The Vicharak-Axon board includes a dedicated M.2 expansion slot that supports NVMe solid-state drives using the PCI Express (PCIe) Gen 3 interface with four lanes (x4)

../../../../_images/axon-PCIE3.0.webp

Specifications

  • Interface: PCIe 3.0 x4

  • Protocol: NVMe

  • Form factors supported: M-keyed NVMe drives (natively: 2280 and various lengths with hats: 2230/2242/2260 supported), more detailed info is provided below

  • Software support: Linux kernel with NVMe enabled (kernel 5.10 and 6.1.75)

Hardware installation notes

  • Ensure the board is powered off before handling.

  • Insert the NVMe drive into the M.2 socket at a ~30-degree angle, aligning the notch with the keying, then press down to seating position and secure with the mounting screw.

  • Use a heatsink (optional) if your drive is likely to sustain sustained write workloads to maintain performance and longevity.

  • Re-seat if the drive is not detected after the initial insertion.

  • If you inserted the NVMe drive while the board is on, reboot the board if you can’t detect the NVMe drive.

Usage and management

Note

The commands below assume the device is /dev/nvme0n1 and the partition is p1. Run lsblk to confirm your device.

  • Installing NVME Cli Tool

    sudo apt-get install nvme-cli

  • Detecting the device

    sudo nvme list
lsblk -o NAME,MODEL,SIZE,MOUNTPOINT

  • Checking how many lanes are used by PCIe host interface

    sudo lspci -vv -d ::0108 | grep LnkSta

  • Partitioning and formatting

    sudo fdisk /dev/nvme0n1
# create partitions as needed
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/nvme0n1p1

  • Mounting

    sudo mkdir -p /mnt/nvme
sudo mount /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/nvme

Form factors supported for PCIe

../../../../_images/axon-pcie-2230-2242-2260-2280.webp

  • M.2 M-key PCIe Adapter Board(hat)

    This adapter board provides an M.2 M-key interface for connecting NVMe SSDs to the SBC via PCIe.

    Features:

    • M.2 M-key socket for NVMe (PCIe) SSDs

    • Form 2280 is directly supported natively on board

    • Supports SSD form factors: 2230, 2242, 2260 through adapter board

    • Direct PCIe lane routing (no onboard PCIe switch or SATA controller)

    • Passive adapter design

Troubleshooting

  • Not detected by the OS or BIOS

    • Verify the M.2 drive is correctly seated; reseat it if necessary.

    • Update the system firmware/BIOS to the latest version.

    • Try a different NVMe drive to isolate a potential drive issue.

    • Check system logs for NVMe-related messages:

      dmesg | grep -i nvme

  • Drive appears but is not mountable

    • Ensure partitions exist and are correctly formatted.

    • Verify file system integrity with fsck or leaved partitions.

    • Confirm proper mounting points and permissions.