The Raspberry Pi team has launched a Power-over-Ethernet Injector aimed at users who are seeking to add some juice to their network but who lack a network switch capable of doing so.
Power-over-Ethernet is a technology that brings power to devices over the network. It might seem redundant in a home lab environment, but being able to run power through an Ethernet cable, as well as data, opens up a variety of applications in places where plugging into a power oulet isn't an option.
The problem comes with the switch – something capable of supporting Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) is required. Where that's not possible, there is the [Raspberry Pi PoE+ Injector](https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-poe-injector-on-sale-now-at-25/), which supports IEEE 802.3af (PoE, 13 W) and IEEE 802.11at (PoE+, 25 W) standards, and mains voltages between 100 V and 240 V. Plug in a mains lead (not included) and some RJ45 connectors, and away you go.
This is assuming your devices can accept power this way. Raspberry Pi [famously came somewhat unstuck](https://www.theregister.com/2018/09/11/raspberry_pi_poe_hat_issue/) with the Pi 3 Model B+ Power-over-Ethernet adapter. Problems with power to the USB ports were eventually traced to hardware issues that weren't picked up in testing before release.
There are plenty of other Power-over-Ethernet Injectors available from vendors, including TP-Link. The Raspberry Pi unit is priced at $25.
While Raspberry Pi computers since 2018 have been able to function as Powered Devices (PD), drawing from PoE, an optional PoE or PoE+ HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) has been required to make the magic happen. The official PoE+ HAT+ for the Raspberry Pi 5 was absent from the announcement.
Some third-party options exist, or a splitter that breaks out a USB-C power connector is available. However, in the product announcement, Pi supremo Eben Upton wrote: "This promises to be our smallest, most efficient PD accessory, and is in the final stages of development."
We asked Upton what the hold-up was: "The principal cause of delay is that for the first time it features a planar transformer on our own PCB. So a ferrite clamped around the PCB, rather than a separate wound object (like the PoE HAT) or a planar transformer from a third party (like the PoE+ HAT)."
"Lots of engineering challenges!" he added.
"The end product is incredibly Spartan-looking, with very few components, and fits inside the official case, with most of the clever stuff sitting in the space between the fan and the USB and Ethernet connectors." ®