Waveshare CM5-DUAL-ETH-4G/5G-BASE is an industrial carrier board for the Raspberry Pi CM5. It features dual Ethernet (GbE + 2.5GbE), 4G/5G options, and includes an optional metal enclosure, active cooling fan, and power supply, which is an upgrade from the previous CM5-DUAL-ETH-BASE carrier board.
The board also offers two HDMI outputs supporting 4K displays, two MIPI DSI/CSI connectors for displays and/or cameras, two USB 3.2 ports, a 40-pin GPIO header, M.2 slots for both NVMe SSDs and 4G/5G modules, and PoE support via an add-on module. The board supports 7V–36V DC input, a PWM fan header, and RTC battery backup, with precise cutouts and labeled connectors for easy integration. Its main benefits over the CM5-DUAL-ETH-BASE are its more compact size and neatly arranged ports on the rear panels, while adding optional support for 4G LTE or 5G connectivity.
CM5-DUAL-ETH-4G/5G-BASE specifications:
- Compatibility – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5)
- Storage
- Optional NVMe SSD via M.2 M-Key slot (See Expansion section)
- MicroSD card slot for Raspberry Pi CM5 Lite only
- Display
- 2x HDMI ports up to 4K
- 2x MIPI DSI interfaces multiplexed with MIPI CSI
- Camera – Up to 2x MIPI CSI interfaces multiplexed with MIPI DSI
- Audio – Via HDMI, no dedicated audio jack
- USB
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports, up to 5Gbps
- USB 2.0 Type-C port for power and data (e.g., flash the eMMC)
- Networking
- Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port (10/100/1000 Mbps) with PoE header (802.3af-compliant, 5V/2.5A)
- 2.5Gbps Ethernet RJ45 port (10/100/1000/2500 Mbps)
- Optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 on Raspberry Pi CM5
- Optional 4G LTE/5G cellular connectivity via M.2 B-Key socket (for SIM7600G, SIM8200EA-M2, or SIM8262E-M2 module) and Nano SIM card slot
- Expansion
- M.2 M-Key slot (PCIe Gen 2/3 x1) for NVMe SSDs or AI accelerator modules
- M.2 B-Key slot for 4G/5G communication modules
- 40-pin GPIO header with I2C, UART, etc…
- Misc
- Slider BOOT switch
- ON: burning mode
- OFF: system normal startup mode
- Power push button (Long press to force power off, short press to soft power off or on)
- 4x LEDs for system and M.2 status indicator
- RTC battery holder (supports CR/ML1220 button cell)
- 4-pin JST-SH PWM fan header
- Onboard EEPROM and encryption chip
- Resistor on the back side
- Selects CM5 IO logic levels 3.3V (default) or 1.8V
- Hardware disable function, write protection, and chip address selection
- Slider BOOT switch
- Power Supply
- DC Jack input 7V–36V (5.5×2.1mm)
- USB Type-C input 5V/5A
- PoE power via Gigabit Ethernet port (optional module)
- Dimensions
- Baseboard – 99.6 × 87.0 mm
- With – 104.8 × 90.0 × 29.7 mm
- Mounting – Wall-mount and optional rail-mount support (BOX-A version)
The board works with Raspberry Pi OS, and most of its hardware features, such as PCIe M.2, fan control, DSI/CSI interfaces, and RTC, are configured through the config.txt file. The company also provides instructions for setting up hwclock for the RTC, minicom for 4G/5G setup, rpicam-hello for camera testing, along with instructions for NVMe boot. The 2.5GbE port works without additional drivers, and other technical details can be found on the wiki.
Previously, we have seen Waveshare introduce CM5-DUAL-ETH-BASE (as linked above). Compared to that, the new module adds 4G/5G cellular connectivity via an M.2 B Key slot, while retaining the dual Ethernet (1GbE + 2.5GbE) configuration, dual HDMI 4K outputs, dual MIPI interfaces, and NVMe storage support. It also supports a wider 7V–36V DC input and includes options for a metal case, active cooling, and power supply.
The CM5-DUAL-ETH-4G/5G-BASE is available on AliExpress for $59.88, while the CM5-DUAL-ETH-4G/5G-BOX-A goes for $69.99 on the same page. The BASE version can also be found for $69.99 on Amazon, but not the BOX-A version. Note that a box model for the CM4 with USB power instead of 7V-36V wide DC power input can be found instead, but it’s unclear whether it’s compatible with the CM5 as well. Alternatively, you’ll find both BASE and BOX-A models on the Waveshare store for $55.99 and $69.99, respectively.
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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