Waveshare RM500U-CNV Raspberry PI 5G/4G/3G Hat

Waveshare RM500U-CNV Raspberry Pi 5G/4G/3G HAT is a high-speed 5G communication expansion board designed for Raspberry Pi, Jetson Nano, and other embedded hosts. Built around the RM500U-CNV 5G module and a standard M.2 B Key slot design, it supports 5G NSA, 5G SA, 4G, and 3G networking, making it suitable for edge gateways, industrial routers, mobile data terminals, remote video transmission, field communication systems, and high-speed IoT connectivity projects.

This RM500U-CNV 5G HAT combines a USB 3.1 interface, dual SIM slots, quad antenna design, Raspberry Pi 40PIN header, onboard power management, cooling support, and host control signals into one development platform. It is especially useful for users building Raspberry Pi 5G routers, OpenWrt gateways, mobile streaming devices, industrial communication terminals, and high-bandwidth remote access systems.

Features

• RM500U-CNV 5G module supports 5G / 4G / 3G networking for high-speed mobile communication
• Supports 5G NSA and SA for modern 5G deployment scenarios
• USB 3.1 interface, backward compatible with USB 2.0, for high-speed communication with Raspberry Pi, PC, or Jetson hosts
• Standard M.2 B Key slot with compatibility for several 4G and 5G modules in the same family
• Standard Raspberry Pi 40PIN GPIO header for stackable Raspberry Pi integration
• Dual SIM card slots, dual-card single-standby, switchable by AT command
• Onboard UART, PWR, and RST control pins with voltage level translation for Raspberry Pi and MCU host control
• USB Type-C auxiliary power input for a more stable and flexible module power supply
• High-efficiency power circuit with up to 3A output current
• Cooling fan support for improved thermal management of both Raspberry Pi and the 5G module
• Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Android depending on the deployment platform and driver setup

Specifications

Applications

• Raspberry Pi 5G router builds with OpenWrt for mobile broadband hotspot deployment
• Industrial 5G gateways for field communication, remote access, and edge connectivity
• 5G live streaming systems using cameras and FFmpeg based video pipelines
• Remote monitoring and telemetry where high-speed cellular backhaul is required
• Mobile network test benches for embedded Linux and Raspberry Pi communication development
• Portable communication terminals for outdoor, vehicle, or temporary networking deployments

Packing List

With RPi 4B Case (SKU: Waveshare-22531)

• Protection case kit x1
• M.2 TO 4G/5G HAT x1
• RM500U-CNV 5G module x1
• Antenna 4pcs x1
• IPEX adapter cable 4pcs x1
• 2 x 20PIN pin header x1
• 5V 3A Type-C power adapter x1
• Dual plug USB3.0 cable x1
• USB3.0 adapter x1
• USB2.0 adapter x1
• SMA protective cap 4pcs x1
• Screws pack x1

W/O Case (SKU: Waveshare-21705)

• M.2 TO 4G/5G HAT x1
• RM500U-CNV 5G module x1
• Antenna 4pcs x1
• IPEX adapter cable 4pcs x1
• 2 x 20PIN pin header x1
• 5V 3A Type-C power adapter x1
• Dual plug USB3.0 cable x1
• USB3.0 adapter x1
• USB2.0 adapter x1
• SMA protective cap 4pcs x1
• Screws pack x1

Other Content

5G networking overview

Connection examples

Onboard hardware

Application scenarios

Outline dimensions

Raspberry Pi integration is one of the biggest strengths of this Waveshare RM500U-CNV Raspberry Pi 5G/4G/3G HAT. It can be paired with Raspberry Pi 5 or Raspberry Pi 4B to build a compact 5G communication system, industrial data gateway, or mobile network development platform.

Important note: GNSS is not available for the RM500U-CNV module. If your project requires positioning, choose a compatible 5G module variant that explicitly supports GNSS.

Resources

• Wiki
• Raspberry Pi Linux Driver
• Jetson Nano Driver Package
• Case Assembly Guide
• OpenELAB Wiki
• OpenWrt
• Raspberry Pi Documentation
• Jetson Nano Developer Guide

FAQ

Can this 5G HAT be used to build a Raspberry Pi 5G router?
Yes. This RM500U-CNV Raspberry Pi 5G/4G/3G HAT is well suited for Raspberry Pi 5G router projects and can be paired with OpenWrt or Linux based systems to create a 5G hotspot or gateway.

Does RM500U-CNV support GNSS positioning?
No. GNSS is not available for the RM500U-CNV module, so this specific version should not be selected for positioning or navigation projects.

Why is an external Type-C power input provided?
5G modules can draw significant power during operation, so the extra USB Type-C power input helps provide a more stable and flexible power supply for the module and improves reliability during high-load communication.