SparkFun Launches Single-Port, Ultra-Compact Qwiic SHIM for the Raspberry Pi Family

SparkFun has announced the launch of a low-cost, solder-free way to add almost any model of Raspberry Pi into its Qwiic Connect System: the SparkFun Qwiic SHIM for Raspberry Pi.

Based on the I2C bus, the Qwiic Connect System is designed to make it as easy as possible to build a circuit from a variety of components without soldering. At least one four-pin 1mm-pitch JST connector, polarized to prevent accidental insertion the wrong way around, is present on all Qwiic compatible devices — and that list includes the Raspberry Pi family of single-board computers.

Previously, anyone looking to place a Raspberry Pi into a Qwiic circuit would likely have turned to the Qwiic HAT or Qwiic pHAT, either one of which offers four Qwiic connectors and tie into the Raspberry Pi's I2C bus via the general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header. The new Qwiic SHIM has only a single Qwiic connector, but makes up for it by being just about as small as it could possibly be.

As with other SHIM-style add-ons, the Qwiic SHIM attaches to any Raspberry Pi's GPIO header using a press-fit friction fitting — and is thin enough that it's possible to connect other Hardware Attached on Top (HAT) accessories as well. It's compatible with all Raspberry Pis featuring a male GPIO header — meaning that only the Compute Module family, which requires a breakout board, and the Pi Zero non-H range, which would require a header to be fitted post-purchase, are incompatible.

While designed primarily for the Raspberry Pi, SparkFun has confirmed that the Qwiic SHIM is also compatible with any single-board computer that has a Pi-format GPIO header with I2C bus — including the Google Coral and Nvidia Jetson Nano.

SparkFun has published a hookup guide for the new add-on, and is selling it through its website for just $0.95 per unit before bulk discounts are applied.