Raspberry Pi PoE (Power Over Ethernet) Hat

Hi Everybody. I'm sorry but it will not use the 40pin GPIO connector.

Power is taken directly on the RJ45 connector, and on the Pi3 B+, there's a new 4pin connector (close to the USB connectors) called PoE. So, 2 pins for the input voltage from the RJ45 connector (35-56V tolerant I think, so conform with 48V of the 802.3af), and 2 pins for the output voltage (5V@2.5A max)

The HAT will be connected to this connector to do the job, leaving the 40pin connector completely free

So, no additional wires like a short RJ45 patch, or whatever.

The "+" : the Pi3 and the Hat will fit in the standard enclosure !

Price should be around 15 euros I think

Hope I helped !

There appear to be holes in the PCB for a 40pin GPIO pass through header however.

Perhaps there will be two versions - one without a GPIO header that fits inside the existing official R-Pi case and then another with headers (and perhaps a modified case in the pipeline ?). 

It does seem that this has been designed for the single purpose of powering the RPi over Ethernet.

They have provided access to the camera and display connectors, which is nice.

HOWEVER the GPIO has been cast aside, rather than fitting a socket/header like this

   https://uk.pi-supply.com/products/pi-poe-switch-hat-power-over-ethernet-for-raspberry-pi

Personally some questions from the field would have turned this into a much better product.

It's not like it's something new as others have been there before.

Mark

Yeah I think so too, but then this being a HAT, they may have wired up a EEPROM.

Pretty sure it connects through the 40 pin header, if you look at the full diagram, it seems to be the only pins used

I think you're right, it is likely going into the 40-way connector.

Also I cannot see a USB connector although the text says '5V OUT', so maybe they have left a USB connector unpopulated on the other side.

What would have been good (but I'm sure they didn't implement it) is that since they have lots of blank space on the PCB, they could have placed pads for adding a couple of optional RJ45 sockets, and transformers.. so that anyone who soldered them in, could retro-use it with the older Pi, or any SBC. I really wish they would early-field-trial such stuff, to catch use-cases like this.

It is easiest to just connect to the P1 connector. The only drawback would be that there is a current-limiting device between the USB plug and the rest of the system (including the P1 connector). A simple copy of what's on the pi on the POE board would fix that.

Although being "generic and compatible with other applications" is probably not high on the list of requirements for the raspberry pi foundation, A generic "5V out" would be nice, I guess and very easy to add at very little cost. But I would expect the stuff to be "in operational condition" when in pictures like the above marketing images... i.e. the "internal USB cable" between the two boards should be present in such an image, not the extrernal ethernet cable.... But that's maybe a weak argument.

Nice looking board. I wonder if it can be detached and run alongside the Pi board (i.e. not plugged on top), with a few jumper cables to the 4-pin connector. I wonder if the output is onto the 40-way connector, or a small length USB cable (the board has the text '5V OUT' written at the end near where the Pi's power connector is.

Hey Enrico, 

This will provide the Pi with its 5V 2.5A needed as if it were plugged into the official power supply.

More info about upcoming roadtests and more information on the PoE board will be released soon.

Phil