--- title: "RP PoE Pico: One Cable for Network and Power on a Pico-Format Board" url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/viktor/resellers/rp-poe-pico-one-cable-for-network-and-power-on-a-pico-format-board/" markdown_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/viktor/resellers/rp-poe-pico-one-cable-for-network-and-power-on-a-pico-format-board/md" type: "VAR: Value-Added Reseller Products" author: "finegrain" author_url: "https://finegrain.solutions/products/rp-poe-pico" editor: "WIZnet" editor_url: "https://maker.wiznet.io/" original_author: "finegrain" original_url: "https://finegrain.solutions/products/rp-poe-pico" published: "2026-11-13" language: "en" hardware: ["WIZnet W55RP20"] likes: 0 views: 8 comments: 0 source: "WIZnet Makers (https://maker.wiznet.io/)" --- # RP PoE Pico: One Cable for Network and Power on a Pico-Format Board > The RP PoE Pico from Fine Grain Solutions is a Raspberry Pi Pico-format module that takes both network and power from a single Ethernet cable. Original author: finegrain (source: https://finegrain.solutions/products/rp-poe-pico) ## Components - **WIZnet W55RP20** x 1 ([docs](https://wiznet.io/products/ionic-chips/w55rp20)) ## Article ## Product introduction The [RP PoE Pico](https://finegrain.solutions/products/rp-poe-pico) from Fine Grain Solutions is a Raspberry Pi Pico-format module that takes both network and power from a single Ethernet cable. It is built on WIZnet's W55RP20, with an IEEE 802.3af PoE front end integrated on the same board, so no add-on PoE module or splitter is needed. ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/d6202e6501e444b482311f3064161913.png) *Source: https://finegrain.solutions/products/rp-poe-pico* Most Pico-style Ethernet boards treat PoE as an option: you buy the board, then solder or plug in a separate PoE module. Fine Grain's design puts the RJ45 jack, PoE powered-device circuit, 5 V and 3.3 V regulation and the MCU on one 21 mm-wide PCB that still drops into Pico carrier boards. It also runs from USB-C, and switches between the two sources automatically. | Item | Specification | | --- | --- | | Core chip | WIZnet W55RP20 (RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ and W5500 Ethernet in one package) | | Ethernet | 10/100 Mbps, RJ45 with link/activity LEDs | | PoE | IEEE 802.3af powered device, Class 0, non-isolated, TVS protection on the PoE input | | Power | PoE or USB-C with automatic switch-over; VSYS supplies 5 V under PoE | | Header | Pico 40-pin layout, 2.54 mm pitch, castellated edges plus through-holes | | GPIO | 22 on the header, including 3 ADC inputs (GP26 to GP28) | | Connectors | USB-C, Qwiic (I2C), 3-pin JST-SH SWD, reset and boot buttons | | Size | 21.0 × 104.4 mm PCB (about 108.4 mm with the jack overhang), 4-layer, 1.6 mm | | Price | $40 early-bird pre-order, $50 regular | | Status | Pre-order, rev 0 design not yet manufactured, shipping planned for Q1 2027 | Three points are worth knowing before designing it in: - **It is longer than a Pico.** The width and pin positions match, but the PoE section and jack roughly double the length, so the carrier needs clearance at one end. - **Four header positions are not connected.** GP17 and GP20 to GP22 are used inside the W55RP20 to link the RP2040 to the W5500. GPIO29 drives the user LED, so there is no VSYS sense and no LED on GP25. - **The PoE stage is non-isolated.** Module ground is the PoE return, so Fine Grain warns against connecting USB or SWD to a grounded host while PoE is applied. An isolated version is planned. The product page does not state a wattage budget or name supported SDKs, and it notes that specifications may change before production. ## Use cases The board suits any small device that sits where a network drop exists but a mains outlet does not. Fine Grain lists six target applications, and they share one pattern: a fixed-location node that should be installed once and then left alone. - **PoE sensor and telemetry nodes.** Temperature, air quality, power or vibration sensors on a ceiling, in a rack or along a production line. The Qwiic connector lets I2C sensors attach without soldering. - **Building and lab automation.** Door, lighting and HVAC controllers, or bench instruments, that benefit from a wired link and central power backed by the switch's UPS. - **Networked I/O and relay controllers.** The Pico header gives 22 GPIO for relays, opto-inputs or RS-485 transceivers on a carrier board, turning the module into a small remote I/O unit. - **Remote displays and status panels.** Wall-mounted indicators, queue displays or andon lights that need only one cable back to the switch. - **Small web or MQTT devices.** A status page, a REST endpoint or an MQTT client that reports to a broker or to Home Assistant. - **Existing Pico designs that need Ethernet.** Because the footprint and pin order follow the Pico, a carrier designed for a Pico can gain wired networking and PoE with a module swap, subject to the length and the four unavailable pins. Wired Ethernet also answers the usual objections to Wi-Fi in these settings: no credentials to provision, no RF congestion, predictable latency, and power cycling from the switch port when a node needs a remote reset. ## WIZnet's role WIZnet supplies the single chip the whole module is built around: the [W55RP20](https://docs.wiznet.io/Product/ioNIC/W55RP20/overview), a system-in-package that puts the Raspberry Pi RP2040 and the W5500 Ethernet controller in one device. Fine Grain adds the PoE power stage, connectors and Pico-format layout around it. That contribution shows up in four ways: - **One chip instead of two.** A conventional Pico-style Ethernet board carries an RP2040 and a separate W5500 joined by SPI traces. With the W55RP20 that link is inside the package, which frees board area on a 21 mm-wide PCB for the PoE circuit. This is also why GP17 and GP20 to GP22 do not appear on the header. - **Hardwired TCP/IP.** The W5500 core handles TCP, UDP, IPv4, ICMP, ARP, IGMP and PPPoE in silicon, with 8 independent hardware sockets and 32 KB of internal TX/RX buffer. The RP2040's two cores and 264 KB of RAM stay available for the application rather than a software network stack. - **Integrated 10/100 PHY.** The Ethernet MAC and PHY are both in the chip, so the board needs only magnetics and the RJ45 jack. - **An existing software base.** WIZnet documents C/C++, MicroPython, CircuitPython, Arduino, FreeRTOS and LwIP support for the W55RP20, with examples for MQTT, HTTP, TLS, AWS and Azure. Fine Grain's page does not yet list supported SDKs, so this is the ecosystem the board can draw on rather than a confirmed feature list. WIZnet also set the reference point for this category. Its own [W55RP20-EVB-Pico](https://www.sparkfun.com/w55rp20-evb-pico.html) evaluation board uses the same chip in the Pico layout and accepts the optional [WIZPoE-P1](https://thepihut.com/products/wiznet-wizpoe-p1-poe-module) plug-in module for 802.3af power. The RP PoE Pico takes that two-piece arrangement and makes it a single board, which is a useful example of a third-party designer building a more integrated product on a WIZnet ioNIC chip. ## About the author The RP PoE Pico comes from [Fine Grain Solutions](https://finegrain.solutions/), a hardware engineering company that works across electronics design and validation, firmware development and design-for-manufacturability consulting. Alongside its own products it takes on custom design work for clients, with a published case study on a candle-flicker RGB LED controller. Its store shows a clear interest in PoE and test-bench tooling: | Product | What it is | Price | | --- | --- | --- | | RP PoE Pico | Pico-format W55RP20 module with integrated PoE | $40 early-bird, $50 regular | | RP PoE Hub | Control panel | $149 | | SD Mux Edge | microSD mux for test benches | $29 | | BMW ADS Interface | Adapter board for pre-OBD2 BMWs | $50 | The company posts project write-ups on its [projects blog](https://finegrain.solutions/blogs/projects) and bring-up progress on X as [@fine_grain_sol](https://x.com/fine_grain_sol). Its [GitHub account](https://github.com/fine-grain-solutions/Backplane) also shows contributions to Backplane, an open-source tool for agent-assisted KiCad hardware development. ## Community reception Fine Grain Solutions introduced the board in [a post on X](https://x.com/fine_grain_sol/status/2111303045904822605), which drew strong viewership and an active discussion thread. The company's product page also points readers to X for bring-up updates as the rev 0 design moves toward manufacturing. ![](https://maker.wiznet.io/upload/ckeditor5/4e044a17735d47f0b7f65222cc3defa6.png) *Source: https://x.com/fine_grain_sol/status/2111303045904822605* ## Price comparison At $40 to $50, the RP PoE Pico costs roughly twice as much as a WIZnet or Waveshare board with an add-on PoE module, and slightly less than the closest integrated alternative from a small vendor. Prices below are single-unit list prices as shown by each seller on 13 November 2026, before shipping and local tax unless noted. | Board | MCU and Ethernet | PoE | Board price | With PoE | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Fine Grain RP PoE Pico](https://finegrain.solutions/products/rp-poe-pico) | W55RP20 (RP2040 + W5500) | Integrated 802.3af, non-isolated | $40 early-bird, $50 regular | Same (pre-order, ships Q1 2027) | | [WIZnet W55RP20-EVB-Pico](https://www.sparkfun.com/w55rp20-evb-pico.html) | W55RP20 (RP2040 + W5500) | Optional WIZPoE-P1 module, isolated, 7 W | $11.95 (SparkFun); £10.60 inc. VAT ([The Pi Hut](https://thepihut.com/products/wiznet-w55rp20-evb-pico)) | £17.10 inc. VAT with the £6.50 [WIZPoE-P1](https://thepihut.com/products/wiznet-wizpoe-p1-poe-module) | | [WIZnet W5500-EVB-Pico-PoE](https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/WIZnet/W5500-EVB-Pico-POE?qs=iLKYxzqNS75CTcbqbmBlRQ%3D%3D) | RP2040 + W5500 (two chips) | Optional WIZPoE-P1 module | $13.25 (Mouser); £11.20 inc. VAT ([The Pi Hut](https://thepihut.com/products/wiznet-w5500-evb-pico-poe)) | £17.70 inc. VAT with WIZPoE-P1 | | [Waveshare RP2350-POE-ETH](https://www.waveshare.com/rp2350-poe-eth.htm) | RP2350A + WIZnet W6300 | Optional Waveshare PoE module, 802.3af | $13.99 without module | Up to $18.99 as a kit with module and headers | | [Waveshare RP2350-ETH](https://www.waveshare.com/rp2350-eth.htm) | RP2350 with serial-to-Ethernet IC | None | $11.99 | Not available | | [Waveshare RP2040-ETH](https://www.waveshare.com/rp2040-eth.htm) | RP2040 with serial-to-Ethernet IC | None | $13.99 | Not available | | [Silicognition RP2040-Shim](https://www.tindie.com/products/silicognition/rp2040-shim/) + [PoE-FeatherWing](https://www.tindie.com/products/silicognition/poe-featherwing/) | RP2040 + W5500 (Feather format, not Pico) | Integrated on the wing, isolated 802.3at Class 1, 4 W | $21.95 + $32.00 | $53.95 for the pair | What the numbers show: - **The budget route is a board plus a module.** WIZnet's own W55RP20-EVB-Pico with a WIZPoE-P1 comes to about £17 at one UK retailer, and Waveshare's RP2350 kit tops out at $18.99. Both give isolated or module-based PoE at under half the RP PoE Pico's price, with a module stacked on the board. - **Integration carries the premium.** The RP PoE Pico's case is a single flat assembly with no stacked module, automatic PoE and USB-C switch-over, and Qwiic and SWD connectors. Its nearest like-for-like competitor on integration, the Silicognition pair, costs $53.95 and is not Pico-format. - **Isolation is the main trade-off.** The cheaper WIZPoE-P1 route and the Silicognition wing are isolated; the RP PoE Pico's first revision is not. Buyers who need to connect grounded equipment while on PoE should wait for the planned isolated version or choose a module-based board. - **WIZnet silicon is in most of the field.** Five of the seven rows use a WIZnet controller (W55RP20, W5500 or W6300), including the Waveshare PoE board. The RP PoE Pico is a pre-order price for a small-run board, while the WIZnet and Waveshare figures are volume retail prices, so the gap may narrow or widen once it ships. --- Source: https://maker.wiznet.io/viktor/resellers/rp-poe-pico-one-cable-for-network-and-power-on-a-pico-format-board/