Waveshare PCIe to USB 3.2 HAT+ Adds NVMe SSD and 4x USB 3.2 Ports to the Raspberry Pi 5

Waveshare has recently launched PCIe to USB 3.2 Gen1 and M.2 HAT+, an expansion board with NVMe SSDs and four high-speed USB 3.2 Gen1 ports for the Raspberry Pi 5. It uses the 16-pin PCIe interface and complies with the HAT+ standard for seamless integration.

This HAT supports M.2 M-Key NVMe SSDs in 2230/2242/2260/2280 form factors, enables SSD booting, and improves read/write speeds over traditional microSD cards. It includes 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, onboard dual LED indicators, a power monitoring chip, and an EEPROM for stable operation. Designed with plug-and-play functionality, it enhances storage and peripheral capabilities for Raspberry Pi 5-based applications such as file servers, edge computing, and USB expansion hubs.

Previously, we have written about similar HATs like the Seeed Studio M.2 HAT+, the 52Pi W01 U2500 HAT, and the official Raspberry Pi AI AI Kit. Feel free to check those out if you are looking for SSD HATs.

Waveshare PCIe HAT+ Specifications

• Compatibility: Designed for Raspberry Pi 5
• Interface: 16-pin PCIe FFC connector (Raspberry Pi 5)
• PCIe Version: PCIe Gen2 x1
• Storage: M.2 M-Key slot for NVMe SSDs (2230 / 2242 / 2260 / 2280), Gen2 standard, supports booting
• USB Expansion: 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 ports (5 Gbps each)
• Power Monitoring: Onboard power monitoring chip with real-time power status
• LEDs: Dual LED indicators for activity/status
• EEPROM: Included for HAT+ compatibility
• Form Factor: HAT+ standard
• Cooling Compatibility: Designed for use with the Raspberry Pi 5 official active cooler
• Driver Requirement: Driver-free, plug and play
• Dimensions: Standard HAT+ size (exact dimensions not specified)

The PCIe to USB 3.2 Gen1 and M.2 HAT+ is driver-free and fully compatible with Raspberry Pi OS and other Linux distributions supporting the Raspberry Pi 5’s PCIe stack. It leverages native PCIe NVMe and xHCI (USB host controller) support in the Linux kernel, allowing SSD boot via usbboot and native detection of USB 3.2 interfaces without additional configuration. Power monitoring and EEPROM data are accessible using standard I2C utilities for hardware diagnostics. More information about the product can be found on Waveshares’ wiki page.

The PCIe to USB 3.2 Gen1 HAT+ is available on the Waveshare Store $24.99. It’s also available on AliExpress for $38.43, but at the time of writing, there is a deal going on and the actual price is $29.93.