Ai Bundle: Expansion board allows for the addition of an SSD and an NPU to the Raspberry Pi 5

Pineboards is now offering a new expansion board for the Raspberry Pi 5. Specifically, the Pineboards Ai Bundle has one M.2 2280 slot in Key M and one M.2 2230 slot in Key A/E. The M.2 2230 slot is already occupied with a Hailo 8L computing chip, which is an NPU for the acceleration of AI applications. The Hailo-8L is an entry-level AI acceleration chip and offers a performance of 13 TOPS.

This performance can be utilized, for example, to power image recognition when using cameras. Object recognition with a webcam, which then triggers corresponding actions when a vehicle approaches, for example, is feasible. According to the manufacturer, the board is fully compatible with rpicam apps, but Hailo also offers its own software solutions. The Hailo-8L is passively cooled via a heat conduction pad located under the board. 

Installing an SSD is possible: M.2 2230, M.2 2242 and M.2 2280 SSDs are supported. The connection to the Raspberry Pi 5 takes place via PCIe and the usual data transfer rate restrictions apply. The Ai Bundle is mounted below and not above the Raspberry Pi 5, so the GPIO pin header is still accessible. The expansion board is available for EUR 90 ($98). Shipping costs depend on the buyer's location.