Raspberry Pi: Transform the single-board computer into a powerful cluster system with the ClusterCTRL Stack

Utilising multiple Raspberry Pi units as one cluster device is nothing new. The CloverPI and Turing Pi come to mind, but a neater solution has been developed by 8086 Consultancy. The ClusterCTRL Stack can stack up to 5 Raspberry Pis, as the image below demonstrates. The Stack is based around a controller that has a 20pin header for power, a 6-pin header for monitoring and a micro USB port for controlling the power, fan, auto power on and voltages of each Raspberry Pi individually.

There is also a 10 A/5.1 V DC-DC regulator and a USB Type-A connector for delivering 5 V of power. The controller is powered by a 12-24 V PSU. 8086 Consultancy has also included a passive backplane for connecting the controller and the Raspberry Pis. The backplane connects to the GPIO BCM18 of each Raspberry Pi.

If that was not enough, then the Stack has two outputs for independent control of two fans. 8086 Consultancy recommends using 70 mm fans. There are several ways to install software, although beginners are advised to prepare a microSD card for each Raspberry Pi.

The ClusterCTRL Stack costs US$99, excluding postage. You can add a 3D printed "frame" case from US$5.30 too.