‘M.2 HAT+ Compact’, as it will be known, therefore allows a 30mm NVMe SSDs to be fitted inside the case, or other 30mm PCI Express devices – unlike its earlier, larger, Raspberry Pi ‘M.2 HAT+‘ which also accepts 2242 cards and forms the basis of the company’s SSD and AI kits.
“It lets you hook up a 2230 M.2 solid state drive up to your Raspberry Pi 5, for up to 450Mbyte/s storage,” according to Pimoroni, which is stocking the part. “SSD support is now built into Raspberry Pi OS, so it’s super easy to get going.”
“To help us fit into the incredibly tight available space, the Compact variant replaces the FPC cable and socket with a single flex-rigid PCB – this is the first time we’ve used this technology, and we’re rather pleased with how it’s turned out,” said Raspberry Pi CEO Eben Upton. “The new M.2 HAT+ has been a personal favourite since I got my prototype unit earlier in the year.”
However, the Compact version will not work with the Raspberry Pi’s Active Cooler, while the earlier one will – even it it will not fit inside the official case at the same time.
