Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ Only for Raspberry Pi 5

Description

 

The official Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ unlocks the true potential of the Raspberry Pi 5 by leveraging its new PCIe interface. This innovative add-on board transforms your Raspberry Pi into a high-performance computing powerhouse, thanks to its compatibility with M.2 NVMe SSDs. The Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ enables you to connect M.2 peripherals such as NVMe SSD and AI accelerators (if it is compatible) to Raspberry Pi 5‘s PCIe 2.0 interface, supporting fast (up to 500 MB/s) data transfer to and from the NVMe drives and other PCIe accessories.

As many of us know, Raspberry Pi 5’s single-lane PCIe 2.0 interface is exposed on a 16-pin, 0.5mm-pitch FPC connector: the M.2 HAT+ M-key is a mechanical adapter board that converts between this connector and a subset of the M.2 standard. It supports devices that have the M.2 M-key edge connector, in the 2230 and 2242 form factors. It is capable of supplying up to 3A to connected M.2 devices.

The Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ conforms to the Raspberry Pi HAT+ specification and is autodetected by the latest Raspberry Pi software/firmware. It is supplied with a 16mm stacking header and threaded spacers, so it can be fitted to a Raspberry Pi 5 with the Raspberry Pi Active Cooler in place.

Fast booting and improved responsiveness: The Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ paired with an NVMe SSD offers faster boot times, allowing your Raspberry Pi 5 to run in a flash. This translates to improved responsiveness across the entire system, whether launching applications, opening files, or multitasking between different tasks. Your Raspberry Pi will feel snappier and more efficient than ever before.

Fast data transfers: Ditch the sluggishness of traditional storage solutions. The Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ harnesses the power of PCIe, offering significantly higher bandwidth than the Raspberry Pi’s standard USB interface. This translates to dramatically faster data transfer speeds, ideal for large file transfers, and database management applications. NVMe M.2 SSDs, with their lightning-fast read and write speeds, further amplify the performance gains, making the Raspberry Pi a true contender for resource-intensive tasks. Using Raspberry Pi Diagnosis, we managed to get super fast speed on this HAT with 128GB MakerDisk NVMe SSD, across all three speeds:

• Sequential Write Speed: ~368 MB/s, Raspberry Pi’s requirement for the microSD card is only > 10 MB/s. That is > 36 times faster.
• Random Write Speed: ~88500 IOPS, Raspberry Pi’s requirement for the microSD card is only > 500 IOPS. That is > 177 times faster.
• Random Read Speed: ~44100 IOPS, Raspberry Pi’s requirement for the microSD card is only > 1500 IOPS. That is > 29 times faster.

Flexibility and expandability: The Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ isn’t just about speed. It also offers a level of flexibility and expandability that opens up a world of possibilities for your Raspberry Pi projects. The shield remains compatible with other HATs, allowing you to stack functionalities like cameras (CSI), sensors, and displays (DSI) on top of the storage boost.

 

Can you get PCIe Gen 3.0? That is possible! Do some tweaks, and we managed to get super fast speed on this HAT with 128GB MakerDisk NVMe SSD, across all three speeds:

• Sequential Write Speed: ~728 MB/s, Raspberry Pi’s requirement for the microSD card is only > 10 MB/s. That is > 72 times faster.
• Random Write Speed: ~109000 IOPS, Raspberry Pi’s requirement for the microSD card is only > 500 IOPS. That is > 210 times faster.
• Random Read Speed: ~51800 IOPS, Raspberry Pi’s requirement for the microSD card is only > 1500 IOPS. That is > 34 times faster.

Installation of the NVMe SSD and the M.2 HAT+ are quite straightforward. However, we strongly recommend getting the active cooler to cool the CPU properly. You can get:

• Raspberry Pi 5 Heatsink and Active Cooler (official Raspberry Pi)

 

 

• Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ Only
  • 1 x M.2 HAT+
  • 1 x PCIe FPC Cable (30mm), pre-assembled to the M.2 HAT+
  • 1 x 2×20 16mm stacking header
  • 4 x M2.5 Spacer and screw(short) set
  • 4 x M2.5 long screw
  • 1 x M.2 mount/locking screw