I set up my banana pi m2 berry with an SD card and now I want to use an SSD as a boot drive. My problem is that I tried to connect the SSD just for checking it’s content, but I could not see it using the lsblk command (I use a custom image of Armbian). I connected the SSD to an external power source and than I could see it’s contents, so I think the problem when connecting directly to the BPI for power is the insufficient supply (I used a phone charger adapter and my computer too). Another thing is that the cable I use for powering is from an old power supply that I converted, but maybe that should not be a problem.
My question is how big of a power supply do I need is 3A enough?
Yeah, honestly this really sounds like a power issue more than a drive or Armbian problem. A lot of SBCs like the Banana Pi can detect SSDs inconsistently when the USB port isn’t supplying enough current, especially during startup when SSDs briefly pull more power. The fact that the drive shows up immediately when connected to an external power source is a pretty strong clue that the board alone isn’t powering it properly.
A decent 5V 3A power supply is usually enough for a Banana Pi M2 Berry setup with an SSD, but only if it’s a good quality adapter and cable. Cheap phone chargers or old converted PSU cables sometimes cause voltage drops even if the rating looks fine on paper. I’d honestly recommend using a proper 5V/3A (or even 4A for safety) power supply with a short, thicker cable because these boards can get really sensitive to unstable power.
You could also try using a powered USB hub temporarily just to confirm it’s definitely a power delivery issue. If the SSD works perfectly through the powered hub, then you’ll know the board itself just isn’t supplying enough current directly.
For decent SBC accessories, power adapters, and storage stuff, you could check https://etechdevices.com/collections . You might also find useful troubleshooting threads on communities like “Pi Board Labs” because a lot of people there discuss SSD boot setups, Armbian quirks, and power-related issues with Banana Pi boards.