Feature-rich Raspberry Pi CM5 carrier board offers dual Ethernet, quad RS485, 4G LTE/5G connectivity, and more

Waveshare CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BASE Raspberry Pi CM5 carrier board offers plenty of features such as GbE and 2.5GbE RJ45 jacks, optional 4G LTE/5G connectivity, terminal blocks for RS485, relay, and digital outputs, and more.

The board also features a 4K-capable HDMI output, an M.2 Key-M socket for an NVMe SSD or AI accelerator, two MIPI DSI/CSI connectors, ten status and user LEDs, and a wide 7-36V DC power input.

Waveshare CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BASE specifications:

• Supported system-on-modules – All Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 variants with up to 16GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash, Wireless
• Storage
  • Optional NVMe SSD via M.2 Key-M socket
  • MicroSD card socket for Compute Module 5 Lite only
• Video Output
  • HDMI 2.0 port up to 4K resolution
  • 2x MIPI DSI connectors (multiplexed with MIPI CSI)
• Camera I/F – 2x MIPI CSI connectors (multiplexed with MIPI DSI)
• Networking
  • Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
  • 2.5GbE RJ45 port
  • Optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2 on Raspberry Pi CM5 module
  • Optional 4G LTE/5G via M.2 B-Key module and Nano-SIM card slot;  SIM7600G-H-M2, SIM8260G-M2, or SIM8262E-M2 recommended
  • Two antenna holes on the metal case
• USB
  • 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A port
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-C port for power and flashing firmware
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-A port
• Industrial I/Os
  • Serial – 4x RS485 via terminal block
  • 1x Digital input within 5V ~ 36V
  • 1x Relay – Contact rating: ≤ 10A 250V AC or ≤ 10A 30V DC
• Expansion
  • M.2 M-Key socket (PCIe Gen2/3 x1) for 2230/2242/2280 NVMe SSD or AI module
  • M.2 B-Key socket + Nano-SIM card slot for 4G LTE/5G cellular module
• Misc
  • 10x blue LEDs (2x user, 8x status LEDs for RS485, networking, relay, etc…)
  • 4-pin 5V PWM fan header
  • Buzzer
  • 2-pin RTC battery connector
  • Onboard encryption chip
• Power Input
  • 7V ~ 36V wide voltage range via screw terminal + jack
  • 5V 5A Type-C port
• Dimensions
  • Board – 108 x 100 mm
  • Metal case – 132.50 x 112.20 x 34.50 mm

Waveshare has a (bad) habit of launching the hardware before the documentation is ready. The CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BASE is no different, with the current documentation page pointing to an empty/non-existent page.  We can safely assume the carrier board is designed to run Raspberry Pi OS, and you may refer to the documentation for earlier Waveshare Raspberry Pi CM5 carrier boards, such as the CM5-DUAL-ETH-BOX-B.

The company also designed a fanless metal enclosure for the CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BASE carrier board, whose combination is called “CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BOX”.  It exposes all ports and connectors from the board, including a MIPI opening for display and/or camera flat cables, and can also be mounted to a DIN rail.

The CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BASE and CM5-ETH-RS485-4G-BOX can be purchased for $59.39/$87.29 on AliExpress, plus shipping and eventual taxes. You’ll also find the BASE model on Amazon for $68.15, the BOX version for $93.11, and both variants on the Waveshare store for $55.99/$72.99.

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