Raspberry Pi CM5 gets carrier boards with built-in PoE/PoE+

Waveshare has recently launched CM5-PoE-BASE-A, a compact development and evaluation board that supports all variants of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5). While searching for more information about this product I came across Modulo5 IO PoE+, another development board from Pineboards also designed for the RPi CM5 module.

Pineboards’ Modulo5 IO PoE+ offers a premium UK-manufactured PoE+ module capable of delivering 25W continuous power, with support for NVMe storage and compatibility with the Raspberry Pi 5 Active Cooler. On the other hand, Waveshare’s CM5 PoE Base Board features a Gigabit Ethernet port featuring 802.3af/at PoE compliance, peripheral options include dual HDMI, USB 3.2 ports, and NVMe support. Both boards feature specifications similar to the official Raspberry Pi CM5 IO board with the main difference being built-in PoE/PoE+ support, along with some cosmetic changes. While the Raspberry Pi CM5 IO board does come with a 4-pin PoE connector, it requires an additional PoE expansion board.

Waveshare CM5-PoE-BASE-A RPi CM5 IO Board

Raspberry Pi CM5-PoE-BASE-A specifications

• Compatibility – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5)
• Storage
  • M.2 NVMe slot (PCIe Gen2/3) with support for 2230/2242/2260/2280 NVMe SSDs
  • MicroSD card slot (for CM5 Lite variants without eMMC)
• Display – 2x HDMI ports (supports dual 4K output)
• Networking
  • Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 connector
  • 802.3af/at-compliant PoE support (5V/5A)
• USB
  • 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 ports (5 Gbps)
  • 2x USB 2.0 ports
• Expansion
  • 40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO header
  • 2x 4-lane MIPI interfaces (22-pin 0.5mm FPC connector) for DSI/CSI
• Cooling
  • 5V PWM fan connector
  • For case it comes with a cooling fan and airflow vents
• Misc
  • RTC – CR/ML2032 battery holder
  • Power (PWR) and activity (ACT) LEDs
  • M.2 SSD read/write indicator
  • Power button
  • IO-VREF jumper (3.3V/1.8V selection)
  • PoE enable/disable jumper
•  Power
  • Power over Ethernet (PoE) – 5V/5A
  • USB Type-C port (5V/5A input, also for system programming)
• Dimensions
  • Baseboard – 160 x 90 mm
  • Metal case – 200.5 x 97.5 x 31.0 mm
• Mounting: Wall-mount support for the case

The carrier board comes with a standard CM5 socket for the CPU module and a 40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO header for expansion. The company also mentions that the board supports NVMe M-Key and B&M-Key 2230/2242/2260/2280 SSDs. More information about the product can be found on the company’s Wiki page.

Waveshare also sells an enclosure for the development board which is available on AliExpress for $51.87 for the CM5-POE-BOX-A (enclosure with power adapter and cooling fan) and $37.64 for the CM5-PoE-BASE-A carrier board only. While searching I also found multiple purchasing options on AliExpress, so you might want to explore further to find a better deal. The board and the kit with the enclosure are also available on Amazon and the official Waveshare Store.

Pineboards Modulo5 IO PoE+ Carrier Board

While searching for more information about the Waveshare board, I stumbled upon the Pineboards Modulo5 IO PoE+, another carrier board/development board designed for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5) with integrated PoE+ hardware.

The board is mainly built to match the form factor of the official Raspberry Pi IO board but adds some extra features, making it ideal for industrial, commercial, or hobbyist applications. Key features include 25W continuous PoE+ support (with a UK-manufactured module), a full-size M.2 2280 M-key slot for NVMe storage or AI accelerators like the Hailo 8L, and dual full-size HDMI 2.0. Other features include GbE Ethernet (RJ45 with PoE+), two USB 3.0 ports, USB-C for power/OTG, dual MIPI CSI/DSI connectors, a 40-pin GPIO header, and a microSD card slot. It also supports the official Raspberry Pi 5 Active Cooler for thermal management, making it suitable for high-performance computing tasks.

Pineboards Modulo5 IO PoE+ carrier board specifications:

• Compatibility – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5)
• Storage:
  • Full-size M.2 2280 M-key slot for NVMe storage or AI accelerators
  • microSD card slot
• Video and Camera interfaces
  • 2x Full-size HDMI 2.0 outputs
  • 2x 4-lame MIPI CSI/DSI connectors
• Networking – 1x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) with PoE+ support
• USB Ports:
  • 2x USB 3.0 Type-A (stacked)
  • USB-C (Power In/OTG)
• Expansion
  • M.2 2280 M-key slot
  • 40-pin GPIO header
• Cooling – PWM fan header for official Pi 5 Active Cooler
• Misc
  • Power button
  • Boot mode switch (eMMC/SD boot or flashing mode)
  • RTC battery header
  • Debug port
  • Status LEDs
  • HAT support (Standard HAT+ socket)
• Power Supply
  • PoE+ support (25W continuous, 30W peak)
  • USB-C 5V 5A power input
• Dimensions – 160 x 90 mm (Raspberry Pi CM5 IO board dimensions, not confirmed by Pineboards!)
• Enclosure Compatibility – Official CM5 Development Kit enclosure (may require case adjustments due to additional features)

At the time of writing, the Modulo5 IO PoE+ is available for preorder for 47 Euros with shipping expected to begin in early January. Information is currently limited, and the company website doesn’t offer any documentation yet. However, you can find more details and pre-order the board on the product page.

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