Raspberry Pi: Bring 5G and GPS connectivity to the popular single-board computer with a Snapdragon X55-based HAT

The Waveshare SIM8200EA-M2 5G HAT may look unsightly, but it packs a lot of features. Waveshare advertises its SIM8200EA-M2 HAT for the Raspberry Pi, but it will work with any single-board computer (SBC) that has a 40-pin header. The company has based the HAT on the Snapdragon X55 platform, found in the Snapdragon 855, allowing it to support 5G, 4G and 3G connections.

According to Waveshare, the HAT supports WCDMA, LTE-TDD, LTE-FDD and Sub-6 5G at a maximum speed of 4 Gbps (downloads) and 500 Mbps (uploads). Additionally, the 85 x 57.6 mm HAT supports BeiDou, GPS, GLONASS, and QZSS, should you need location services. Waveshare advises that GNSS is not yet available, but it will be enabled via a firmware update, as will the ability to place and receive phone calls.

Waveshare states that its HAT is controlled using AT commands via its USB 3.1 port. Accordingly, it should work with Android, Linux and Windows. The retailer has priced the SIM8200EA-M2 5G HAT at US$399.99, for which you will also receive five antennas, a plastic case and the necessary accessories to use it as the Raspberry Pi as a 5G router. CNX Software claims that the HAT is the cheapest one of its kind, with comparable units selling for over US$500 on third-party retailers like AliExpress.