EXAVIZ Cruiser is a mini-ITX-compatible carrier board for the Raspberry Pi CM5 featuring up to nine Ethernet ports (one 2.5GbE port, and up to eight GbE PoE+ ports) designed for Network Video Recorders (NVRs), Smart Home gateways, and edge AI applications.
The board also features two 4K-capable HDMI 2.0 video outputs, two SATA ports, an M.2 PCIe Gen2/3 x1 socket for an NVMe SSD, an AI accelerator, or a SATA expansion module, three USB 3.0 ports, and four USB 2.0 interfaces. It also supports 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, and Zigbee connectivity through an ESP32-C6 module, and you can also add eight extra 10/100Mbps PoE+ RJ45 interfaces through an additional expansion board for up to sixteen PoE-capable Ethernet ports in total.
EXAVIZ Cruiser specifications:
- Supported SoM – Raspberry Pi CM5 and CM5 Lite. note: Raspberry Pi CM4 and Banana Pi CM4 are explitly not supported
- Storage
- M.2 Key-M slot (PCIe Gen 2 x1) suitable for 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280 SSDs
- 2x SATA III ports via JMS561 USB 3.0 to SATA bridge
- MicroSD slot
- Hardware RAID – RAID 0/1/Span/JBOD (DIP switch)
- Video Output – 2x HDMI 2.0 ports up to 4K @ 60Hz, HDCP 2.2 support
- Networking
- 2.5GbE RJ45 port via RTL8156BG USB 3.0 controller tested up to 2.35 Gbps downloads and 1.93 Gbps uploads with iperf3; note: odd results, as I have a RTL8156BG dongle tested up to 2.34 + 2.29 Gbps in bidirectional test, but it’s implemented through a USB hub, which may explain it see USB section)
- 4x to 8x GbE ports via RTL8367RB Gigabit Ethernet switch
- Optional PoE – IEEE 802.3at (PoE+), 802.3af compatible (Cruiser/Lite only)
- ESP32-C6 SDIO wireless module (200 Mbps) for 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and Zigbee (Thread and Matter not supported by Exaviz firmware)
- USB
- 3x USB 3.0 Type-A port via VL817 hub
- 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
- 2x USB 2.0 interfaces via header
- Raspberry Pi CM5 USB 3.0 interfaces’ connection:
- Port #1 → VL817 hub → 3x external USB 3.0 + RTL8156BG (2.5GbE)
- Port #2 → JMS561 (dedicated) → 2x SATA ports
- Expansion
- 2x Qwiic/STEMMA I2C connectors (3.3V default, or 5V via solder bridge)
- M.2 Expansion for AI accelerators, SATA adapters
- Misc
- 4-pin PWM fan header
- 2x 3-pin case fan headers
- Power Supply
- 13V to 60V via 5.5/2.1mm DC jack (24V+ recommended for Cruiser Keel, 48V+ required for Cruiser/Lite)
- PoE Power – 48V to 57V DC input, up to 30W per port (Cruiser/Lite only)
- PoE Controller – Texas Instruments TPS23861 (Cruiser/Lite only)
- 40-pin FFC connector for Interceptor PoE Board (+8 ports @ 100Mbps)
- 4-pin (12V/5V) connector for hard drives
- Power Consumption (Typical) on Cruiser board
- CM5 only – Idle: ~10W, under load: ~15W
- CM5 + NVMe – Idle: ~13W, under load: ~20W
- CM5 + NVMe + 2x HDD – Idle: ~25W, under load: ~35W
- CM5 + NVMe + 2x HDD + 8x (10W) PoE devices – Idle: ~105W, under load: ~115W
- Dimensions – 170 x 120mm (mini-ITX compatible with standoff spacers)
- Weight – TBD
- Temperature Range – Operating: 0°C to +70°C; storage: -40°C to +85°C
- Humidity – 10-90% non-condensing
- Compliance – NDAA (Section 889), IPC Class 2 PCB standard
As you may have noticed in the specifications above, three different versions of the Cruiser carrier board are available:
- Cruiser – 8x GbE ports with PoE+ support
- Cruiser Lite – 4x GbE ports with PoE+ support
- Cruiser Keel – 4x GbE ports without PoE support
The Cruiser is an upgrade to the earlier Axzez Interceptor carrier board for Raspberry Pi CM4, with built-in PoE+ support, 2.5GbE and WiFi 6 networking, additional USB port, and more. The new board does come with fewer SATA ports (2x vs 4x), but you could also use the M.2 socket to add extra SATA ports.
The board is designed for Raspberry Pi OS with no custom images required, but it’s also supported by Ubuntu 25.10 or greater, since the Linux distribution includes a kernel with the Raspberry Pi RP1 SDIO driver. More details about the hardware, software, and ESP32 firmware can be found on the documentation website.
While it’s not a 170 x 170mm mini-ITX carrier board, the Cruiser carrier board should be compatible with mini-ITX chassis thanks to its 170 x 120 mm form factor. However, the company decided to design a custom desktop case so that it could also fit two 3.5-inch SATA drives next to the board. along with two cooling fans. As a side note, if you ever need a proper mini-ITX carrier board for the Raspberry Pi CM5, the EDATEC ED-SBC3300 is another option, but geared towards industrial applications rather than NVR setups.
The Cruiser carrier board starts at $89 for the Keel version, $109 for the Lite version, and $139 for the full version. The optional desktop case goes for $129, and they also offer 48V power supplies for $64 and up, and the Interceptor PoE expansion board for $59. You’ll find all those on the EXAVIZ store. You’d need to source the Raspberry Pi CM5 separately since it’s not offered as an add-on.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress. We also use affiliate links in articles to earn commissions if you make a purchase after clicking on those links.
