CM5 MINIMA Carrier Board Adds AI Acceleration and Display Interfaces for Raspberry Pi CM5

CM5 MINIMA Compact Carrier Board for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5

The Raspberry Pi carrier board ecosystem is growing quickly, and the CM5 MINIMA stands out as a compact yet capable option. Built as an open-source hardware design, it combines M.2 expansion, onboard sensors, and camera/display support in a small form factor. This makes it a strong choice for applications such as IoT devices, remote cameras, or media systems—delivering versatile functionality in a board not much larger than a credit card.

Developed by Pierluigi Colangeli in collaboration with Seeed Studio, the CM5 MINIMA shows how a modern Raspberry Pi carrier board can balance size and performance. With well-selected connectors and expansion options, it is designed to support both simple Compute Module projects and more advanced embedded solutions, making it useful for developers, hobbyists, and engineers alike.

Raspberry Pi CM5 carrier board front and back. Image used courtesy of  Electrotrio.

CM5 MINIMA Raspberry Pi carrier board features:

• SoM support: Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 (CM5)
• System memory/storage: via CM5; plus M.2 M-Key socket (2230/2242) for Hailo AI accelerator or NVMe SSD
• Networking: 1x Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45 with low-profile magjack)
• Display:
  • 1x HDMI output
  • 1x CSI/DSI combo connector for display or camera
• USB:
  • 1x USB-C Power Delivery input
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-A port
• Sensors: LIS3DH accelerometer (orientation detection)
• Expansion:
  • 1x I²C connector (3.3V only)
  • 1x SPI connector + 3x GPIOs
• Misc:
  • 1x Fan header
  • 2x Status LEDs (PWR, ACT)
  • 1x Boot/nRPI switch for flashing OS via USB
  • RTC battery connector
• Power supply: 5V via USB-C PD
• Dimension: 61 x 61 x 15 mm

Hardware Overview of CM5 MINIMA. Image used courtesy of  Seeed Studio.

Software support for the CM5 MINIMA is straightforward, with full compatibility with Raspberry Pi OS and other Linux distributions supported by the CM5 module. The board integrates an nRPI boot switch, making it easier to flash the operating system directly over USB using rpiboot. Since the design is fully open source, all hardware files are available on GitHub, giving developers the flexibility to modify, extend, or integrate the carrier board into custom projects.

We’ve previously covered several CM5 carrier boards, including the Waveshare CM5 to Pi 5 Adapter Board, CM5-NANO-B, Pineboards CM4/CM5 boards, SaraKIT, and more. You can check them out if you’re interested in similar products.

CM5 MINIMA with CM5 and SSD. Image used courtesy of  Electrotrio.

The CM5 MINIMA Raspberry Pi carrier board is available on Seeed Studio in stock at approximately $65 (with volume discounts down to ~$55 for 10+ units). It is also available on the AliExpress store at approximately $66.83. More information is available on the GitHub page, along with the Schematics.

All images are courtesy of Seeed Studio, with some edited images from Electrotrio.