Raspberry Pi has revealed the latest generation of its popular Power over Ethernet (PoE) HAT, delivering more power and running cooler than the previous gen. Better still, the PoE+ HAT price isn't increasing, remaining at its current price of $20.
So, how is the new Raspberry Pi PoE+ HAT generation shaping up?
New Raspberry Pi PoE+ HAT, Same Great Price
Despite the global semiconductor shortage forcing prices to soar in other sectors, Raspberry Pi has managed to launch a new Power over Ethernet HAT without a price increase—good news for those considering an upgrade.
The original PoE HAT will remain in production for the time being, but the specific silicon the first-gen model uses is in particularly short supply. The supply issues have prompted Raspberry Pi to move forward with the launch of the upgraded second-generation PoE+ HAT, which should alleviate pressure on those waiting to upgrade.
In Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton's official announcement explained that:
The original PoE HAT implements the 802.3af standard, and can deliver a guaranteed minimum of 13W to the Raspberry Pi. This is enough to power a Raspberry Pi 4 at maximum load, but not quite enough to power the hungriest USB peripherals at the same time.
The second-generation PoE+ HAT has a core upgrade to its Power over Ethernet standard and will now use 802.3at as well as the original 802.3af.
802.3at comes with several key benefits, with a maximum power of 25.5W (up from 15.4W), a maximum current of 5A (up from 2.5A), and an upgraded planar transformer.
The latter should help with Raspberry Pi devices operating in high-frequency switching situations, delivering greater power and voltage efficiency in a much slimmer design, which in turn should deliver better thermal efficiency.
Further aiding the heat dissipating and temperature control is an upgraded diode rectifier. The PoE+ HAT comes with an "ideal rectifier," upgrading to the Microchip PD702241LQ.
Power Over Ethernet Is Incredibly Useful
The PoE+ HAT sits snuggly on the Raspberry Pi's 40 GPIO pins. It supports the two most recent boards, the Raspberry Pi 3B+ and 4, and will allow you to power your projects and other builds without using a specific power source.
That's why PoE is so handy. It removes the need for a power cable, running power through your Ethernet cable instead. You can still use a PSU or other power supply option as a backup, but PoE should suffice.