Some manufacturers have come up with creative ideas to expand the current possibilities of your Raspberry Pi. Spotpear has created the feel and connectivity of a full-size Pi 3B/4B through an adapter connected to your Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Let’s check it out.
Adapter Board Models
The adapter design comes in a few forms to offer flexibility for different project needs. You’ll notice that along the top edge of the adapter board, there are connection points for your Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W’s ports:
Mini HDMI Micro USB OTG Micro USB Power
In this particular model, based on the Raspberry Pi 3B, you’ll notice that there are four full-size USB-A ports (right side) and no Ethernet port. This is due to the limitations of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
Choosing a different version of the Raspberry Pi 3B adapter board will add Ethernet connectivity; however, you’ll then sacrifice the use of one USB port.
You’ll need to refer to Spotpear’s product overview page to determine which USB port isn’t usable.
Should you prefer a micro-HDMI port and USB-C power connection, try Spotpear’s adapter that offers connectivity similar to a Raspberry Pi 4B.
You’ll notice that there is an Ethernet port; as before, this will mean that one USB port will not be usable. In addition, you’ll see that one of the micro-HDMI ports is labeled “NC.” This means it’s not connected (so not usable). So you’ll need to double-check the on-board labels prior to plugging in your HDMI cable.
A positive to note is that since the world is moving toward a computer cable standard, you’ll be able to use a USB-C cable from your growing cord collection to power this Raspberry Pi adapter board, as on Raspberry Pi 4B.
Whichever version you choose, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W board fits neatly into the adapter ports. You’ll see that the GPIO pins remain unaffected as well, and are now positioned as they would be on a full-size Raspberry Pi 3B or 4B.
The Spotpear adapter will also connect neatly to a Banana Pi M2 Zero, due to its form factor being identical to that of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
An Adapter Worth Buying?
Depending on the adapter model, prices range from $11 to $15 (at the time of writing). To receive additional functionality for your Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W (or Banana Pi M2 Zero), it seems reasonable. This is one way to provide a compromise while we wait for the Rasbperry Pi hardware shortage to be over.
Will your Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W be any faster? Nope. Don’t expect any speed increases here. On the other hand, if you need to plug in a standard USB keyboard and mouse, or wish to connect an LTE HAT in order to connect to a nearby cell tower, then the additional full-size USB ports will come in handy.
What Will You Use This Adapter For?
If you are in need of the multiple full-size USB ports and/or Ethernet port that a Raspberry Pi 3B or 4B offers, this adapter may be a great option for your project. Perhaps some IoT projects will benefit from having additional USB ports or your chat server may require connecting a USB headset?
Since the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is based on the same quad-core ARM Cortex-53 CPU as the Pi 3B and 3B+, adding the full-size form factor and ports with an adapter makes it a near equivalent, albeit with less RAM. If you need more processing power and/or RAM, however, you may want to sit tight until you get your hands on a Raspberry Pi 3B+ or 4B. Or you might consider an alternative SBC.
