NODE’s Updated Pi Plug 2 Turns Your Raspberry Pi Zero W into a Tiny Server

UPDATE: NODE recently released another iteration of the Pi Plug 2 that looks nicer and provides more protection for the Raspberry Pi.

For a complete computer capable of running a fully-featured OS, the Raspberry Pi Zero W is remarkably small. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any kind of onboard power supply, so to actually use the Zero W you’re going to have to dramatically increase the overall size of the package. To minimize that as much as possible, NODE created the Pi Plug, which they’ve just updated.

The Pi Plug 2 is small modular board for attaching your Raspberry Pi Zero W directly to a phone charger-style power supply. It consists of two PCBs and a 3D-printed frame, in addition to the USB charger itself. The first PCB has a USB plug, which — as you’d expect — plugs into the power supply.

The second PCB fits against the Raspberry Pi, and has two solder lumps. When the PCB is screwed onto the Raspberry Pi, those solder contacts are pushed firmly against the power pads on the underside of the Pi. The two PCBs are linked with JST connectors, and held together by a 3D-printed frame.

When assembled, the Pi Plug 2 lets you keep your Raspberry Pi out of the way on your power outlet. Because the Zero W has built-in WiFi, NODE is envisioning this being used as a simple server. If you have need of a low-power server, or just want to keep your Pi tidy, this looks ideal.