The CM5 MINIMA is a compact carrier board for the Raspberry Pi CM5, which includes an M.2 M-Key slot for Hailo AI accelerators or SSDs. Developed with Pierluigi Colangeli, it is suitable for AI camera traps, smart devices, home automation, and other space-constrained projects.
The carrier board also features USB-C Power Delivery, Gigabit Ethernet, and a standard HDMI port for video output. It includes CSI/DSI combo connectors for cameras or displays, USB 2.0, I2C, and SPI connectors, as well as an LIS3DH accelerometer for automatic camera orientation. Other onboard components include status LEDs, a power switch, and a boot switch for flashing the CM5 OS directly.
CM5 MINIMA carrier board Specifications
- Compatibility – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5)
- Storage – M.2 M-Key 2230/2242 slot
- Display and Camera
- HDMI port for video output
- MIPI CSI/DSI combo connector for display or camera
- Audio – Via HDMI only
- Networking
- Gigabit Ethernet low-profile RJ45 jack
- Optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 on Raspberry Pi CM5
- USB
- USB 2.0 Type-C port
- USB Type-C PD port for power and data
- Expansion
- M.2 M-Key (2230/2242) socket for Hailo AI accelerator or NVMe SSD
- I2C (3.3V) connector
- SPI connector with 3 extra GPIOs
- Misc
- Power button
- nRPI boot switch
- LIS3DH onboard accelerometer
- RTC with battery connector
- Fan header
- PWR and ACT LEDs
- Power Supply – 5V via USB-C port
- Dimensions – 65 x 62 x 13 mm
- Operating Temperature – -20°C to 85°C
The company mentions that the board fully supports the Raspberry Pi OS and other Linux distros compatible with the Raspberry Pi CM 5 module. The onboard nRPI boot switch can place the module into USB boot (rpiboot) mode to let you flash the OS directly. Other than that, not much information is available about software. Since the board is open-source hardware, you’ll find the KiCad hardware design files on GitHub.
Previously, we have written about other compact carrier boards for the Raspberry Pi CM5, including the Waveshare CM5-NANO-B, a compact board with USB-C power, HDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, and M.2 expansion options for AI or storage. There was also the BentoIO CMX1 carrier board, which is a low-profile carrier board that’s just 11mm thick.
The CM5 MINIMA carrier board is available on AliExpress for $66.83 and Seeed Studio for $65.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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