Waveshare Shrinks Its Raspberry Pi 5 Power-over-Ethernet HAT, Boasts Official Case Compatibility

Waveshare has unveiled a compact Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) accessory for the Raspberry Pi 5, designed to add Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) support with as small a footprint as possible — and while retaining compatibility with the official Raspberry Pi 5 Case.

"The PoE HAT (G) is an IEEE 802.3af/at-compliant PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) HAT for Raspberry Pi 5," the company explains of its latest launch, brought to our attention by CNX Software. "By using with a PoE router or switch that supports the IEEE 802.3af/at network standard, it is possible to provide both network connection and power supply for your Raspberry Pi in only one Ethernet cable."

This isn't Waveshare's first shot at a PoE HAT for the Raspberry Pi 5. In January this year the company unveiled the Waveshare PoE HAT (F), a larger design that incorporated a cooling fan flowing downwards onto the Raspberry Pi 5 beneath. The Waveshare PoE HAT (G), by contrast, lacks active cooling — instead using a smaller PCB, which makes room for the optional cooling fan layer of the official Raspberry Pi 5 Case.

Despite its smaller size, the Waveshare PoE HAT (G) is fully-function, boasting IEEE 802.3af/at compliance and delivering the full 5V 5A supply required to run a Raspberry Pi 5 with USB accessories. The board can accept a PoE input of 38-57V, and if your switch doesn't include PoE capabilities will work with third-party PoE injectors.

The PoE HAT (G) is now available to order on the Waveshare store at $15.99 before volume discounts; a bundle with the official Raspberry Pi 5 Case and cooling fan is also available at $23.99 before volume discounts.