Waveshare's Nano Base Board Turns Raspberry Pi's Compute Module 5 Into a Tiny Computer
Compact carrier, with a footprint barely larger than the CM5 alone, creates a pseudo-single-board computer (SBC) in miniature.
Embedded and hobbyist electronics specialist Waveshare has launched a carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 that delivers the smallest possible footprint — taking up, as it does, no more room than the Compute Module 5 itself, bar a little overhang on some peripheral connectors.
"[The] Nano Base Board for CM5 [is] suitable for evaluating the Raspberry Pi CM5 or being integrated into end products," the company claims of its creaton. "Compact size and fully functional, with multiple peripheral interfaces, suitable for narrow application environments."
The board, brought to our attention by CNX Software, isn't strictly speaking a new design: it's a follow-up to the Nano Base Board for CM4, designed for Raspberry Pi's last-generation Compute Module 4 system-on-module. Like its predecessor, it's designed around a compact footprint: the PCB itself matches the size of the Compute Module 5 exactly, though protruding USB and analog audio ports mean it takes up slightly more room overall.
Hosting any model of Compute Module 5, the "B" variant of the carrier brings out both dual-mode MIPI Display Serial Interface/Camera Serial Interface (DSI/CSI) connectors, a gigabit Ethernet port, a single mini-HDMI port, a microSD Card slot for Compute Module 5 boards without on-board eMMC storage, an analog audio jack, real-time clock (RTC) battery header, fan header, a user-definable button, a single USB 3.2 Gen. 1 Type-A port, and a 40-pin general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header. The Raspberry Pi's single PCI Express Gen. 2 lane is also brought out, ready for use with high-speed peripherals.
For those on a budget or with a specific project in mind, Waveshare has also launched a cost-reduced "A" variant. This packs in most of the features of the B version, but drops the HDMI port, Ethernet port, and PCI Express connectivity, and is designed primarily for embedded use with a DSI display or two.
The Nano Base Board B is available to order on the Waveshare store at $17.99 before volume discounts; the Nano Base Board A is cheaper at $14.99 before volume discounts.
