Brechel Raspberry Pi SPE HAT Adds 10BASE-T1S and 10BASE-T1L Networking

Raspberry Pi 10BASE T1S SPE HAT

Germany-based developer Brechel Electronic has introduced the Raspberry Pi SPE HAT series, consisting of the BE-IIS-HPP-T1S and BE-IIS-HPP-T1L expansion boards. Designed for evaluating Single Pair Ethernet (SPE), industrial network prototyping, and educational laboratory use, these HATs work with standard Raspberry Pi SBCs and provide 10 Mbit/s Ethernet communication over a single twisted pair.

The BE-IIS-HPP-T1S is based on the Microchip LAN8651 10BASE-T1S MAC-PHY and supports IEEE 802.3cg Single Pair Ethernet over multidrop networks with up to eight nodes, offering communication distances of up to 25 meters on a shared bus. The BE-IIS-HPP-T1L, built around the Analog Devices ADIN1110 MAC-PHY, is designed for longer-distance point-to-point links. Both boards are part of the BE-IIS HAT++ ecosystem, allowing multiple industrial communication HATs to be stacked on a single Raspberry Pi without SPI or GPIO resource conflicts.

Raspberry Pi 10BASE T1L SPE HAT

Brechel Electronic BE-IIS-HPP-T1L & BE-IIS-HPP-T1S Specifications:

• Platform Compatibility:
  • Fully compliant with the Raspberry Pi HAT+ specification.
  • BE-IIS-HPP-T1L: Compatible with Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5, and Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
  • BE-IIS-HPP-T1S: Supports Raspberry Pi 2, Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi Zero, and Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
• Ethernet MAC-PHY Controller:
  • BE-IIS-HPP-T1L: Powered by the Analog Devices ADIN1110 10BASE-T1L MAC-PHY transceiver
  • BE-IIS-HPP-T1S: Integrates the Microchip LAN8651 10BASE-T1S MAC-PHY controller.
• Single Pair Ethernet Connectivity:
  • Based on the IEEE 802.3cg Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) standard.
  • 10BASE-T1L: Provides long-distance point-to-point Ethernet communication.
  • 10BASE-T1S: Enables multidrop networking with support for at least eight nodes across cable lengths of up to 25 meters.
• Electrical Isolation:
  • T1L Version: Transformer-based galvanic isolation rated at 2250V DC for 60 seconds.
  • T1S Version: Capacitive isolation with a minimum of 5 mm creepage/clearance distance.
• Communication Features:
  • Delivers 10 Mbps Ethernet over a single twisted-pair cable.
  • T1L: Supports automatic negotiation between 1.0 Vp-p and 2.4 Vp-p transmit amplitudes.
  • T1S: Implements CSMA/CD together with Physical Layer Collision Avoidance (PLCA) for reliable multidrop communication.
• Connection Interfaces:
  • Available with either a 3.5 mm terminal block or PCB header connection.
  • T1L: Features a single SPE network port.
  • T1S: Includes dual parallel multidrop connectors (J4000 and J4001) for convenient daisy-chain installations.
• Host Interface:
  • Connects through the standard 40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO header.
  • Supports high-speed SPI communication via SPI0.0, SPI0.1, and SPI0.2.
• HAT++ Expansion Support:
  • Compatible with the BE-IIS HAT++ stacking ecosystem.
  • Allows stacking of up to five different HAT++ boards or three identical HATs within a single Raspberry Pi system.
• Board Management and Configuration:
  • Dedicated push-button for persistent Instance ID assignment.
  • Bus termination configuration jumper.
  • Three selectable board interconnect modes:
    • Mode I: Default
    • Mode II: Stacking Option II
    • Mode III: Stacking Option III
  • Integrated management controller with Detect and Stack capability and persistent configuration storage.
• Status Indicators:
  • Equipped with seven onboard LEDs for system monitoring, including:
    • SPI activity
    • Link status
    • General operational status
• Power Features:
  • Powered directly from the Raspberry Pi’s 5V supply.
  • Typical current consumption:
    • ~35 mA at 5V
    • ~9 mA at 3.3V
  • Supports optional Power over Single Pair Ethernet (PoSPE) through an expansion HAT.
  • Accepts 9V to 33V input while delivering up to 1A of power.
• Mechanical Specifications:
  • Form Factor: Raspberry Pi HAT+ compatible.
  • Board Dimensions: 65 × 56 mm.
  • Recommended Stack Height: 15 mm.

Raspberry Pi 10BASE T1L SPE HAT Hardware Overview

The BE-IIS installer supports both HATs, automatically installing the necessary Linux drivers, Device Tree overlays, and system services on Raspberry Pi OS. Once installed, the boards appear as standard Linux network interfaces and can be configured and tested using standard networking tools such as ethtool . The company makes open-source software and documentation available on GitHub.  

Raspberry Pi 10BASE T1S SPE HAT Hardware Overview

Brechel Electronic’s new HATs bring 10BASE-T1S and 10BASE-T1L Single Pair Ethernet to Raspberry Pi, plus galvanically isolated interfaces and HAT stacking support. The Raspberry Pi 10BASE-T1S and 10BASE-T1L HATs are available from DigiKey or the company’s Tindie store. The 10BASE-T1S model will cost €95.54 ($115) and the 10BASE-T1L model will cost €113.07 ($135). Both products ship from Germany. Refer to the respective product pages for additional information. 

Images used courtesy of BE-IIS.