Raspberry Pi Foundation introduces PoE + extension for $ 20

The Raspberry Pi Foundation comes with a new Power-over-Ethernet module. This new HAT implements the 802.3at standard for PoE +, where the first generation only supported the regular PoE standard. The suggested retail price of $ 20 remains unchanged.

The new Raspberry Pi PoE + module will be available alongside the 2018 original, the Raspberry Pi Foundation said in a blog post. The older variant used a particular chip that is poorly available due to shortages. The new PoE + variant should be available to resellers in early June, the company reports. The old variant also remains in production.

Users can put the PoE + extension on top of their Raspberry Pi 3B + or Pi 4B. This allows users to supply their Pi with power and internet via the built-in RJ45 Ethernet connection, provided they have a PoE switch or router. Users can also use a PoEinjector use. The module comes with a 25mm fan for cooling.

Images via the Raspberry Pi Foundation

Thanks to the support for the 802.3at standard, the PoE + module can handle an input with a maximum power of 25.5W. According to the Raspberry Pi Foundation, that’s enough to power a Raspberry Pi 4, but may not be enough to power USB accessories that use a lot of power at the same time. The new module also retains support for the regular 802.3af standard. This means that the PoE + extension also works with regular PoE switches, routers or injectors.

In addition to support for 802.3at, the new extension also offers a built-in current sensor. The module also receives a planar transformer, which must be more efficient and compact than the wire-wound transformer from the original PoE extension.