Bitluni, Burgduino Showcase the RPoE, a Raspberry Pi RP2040 Board with Ethernet and PoE Support
Based on the same microcontroller as the Raspberry Pi Pico, this compact board could be ideal for wired IoT projects.
Bitluni has entered the RP2040 fray, working with a colleague to design a compact board built around the Raspberry Pi microcontroller but boasting an on-board Ethernet port with Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) support.
The Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, the first product of the company's in-house application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design time, had barely launched before third-parties including Adafruit, Arduino, Pimoroni, and SparkFun were confirming their own boards based on the chip. In the months since, there's been little sign demand for the chips will slow down — and now the noted YouTuber is on the bandwagon.
Currently in the debugging stage, Bitluni's board — designed by fellow maker Burgduino — borrows the same gumstick form factor as the Raspberry Pi Pico but adds a wealth of new functionality. The key addition: an on-board Ethernet PHY, powering a wired Ethernet port with support for Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) for installation on a single cable.
The other end of the board includes a USB Type-C connector for power and data, an upgrade from the Raspberry Pi Pico's somewhat outdated micro-USB, while 2.54mm pin headers along both edges give it breadboard compatibility.
Neither Bitluni nor Burgduino have unveiled launch details for the board, such as pricing or availability, but Bitluni is running regular livestreams on YouTube for people to follow along with the debugging process. The last, which took place over the weekend, is now available to view in recording on Bitluni's YouTube channel.