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The new Raspberry Pi Zero doesn't have any kind of wired Ethernet connection. Has anyone have tested if Ethernet over HDMI works? I did not find any info in the web or even what version of HDMI the Raspberry Pi Zero uses.

Aurora0001
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Gioce90
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1 Answers1

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No, the Pi Zero does not support ethernet over HDMI.

Unfortunately the schematics for the Pi Zero are not available (edited: an overview schematics is available now, see updated information below). However since it is essentially an minimized Pi 1 I'd bet that the HDMI circuitry is (nearly) the same - though the Pi 1 features a standard sized HDMI connector (Type A) whereas the Pi Zero comes with a mini connector (Type C).

Looking at the schematics of Model A and B (Type 1) Revision 2.1 on Github or on webarchive (Raspberrypi.org's schematics are now downgraded to less detail), page 2, we find that the pin 14 at the HDMI connector is not connected. This pin is responsible for the HDMI-Ethernet-Channel (HEC) for HDMI 1.4 and reserved for HDMI 1.0-1.3. So there's no HDMI ethernet connected on the Pi.

Pin 14 (reserved for HEC) on the Type A connector corresponds to pin 17 on a Type C connector, see Wikipedia. The overview schematics of the Pi Zero 1.3 shows this pin as not connected (thanks to user Wilf for pointing to this updated information).

On a side note: Two facts support the notion that there is no HEC on the Pi Zero - there is no dedicated ethernet controller on the board (such as the LAN9512 for the B/B+/2B Pi) and to be honest, if the Pi Zero would support HEC, the Foundation would have announced it as such! It's just not a feature that you hide.
Glorfindel
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Ghanima
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    The Raspberry Pi forums agree with you. From 2012: https://www.raspberrypi.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6378&p=243457 – WineSoaked Nov 28 '15 at 22:37
  • @Ghanima Are the schematics not available yet or at all? Could it be, even though Zero is minimized Pi1, that it has the pin connected and supports the ethernet over HDMI? This would be great for a board that doesn't have ethernet port by default - size is minimized, but functionality not. – Asunez Dec 01 '15 at 14:30
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    @Asunez, I do not know whether or when the Foundation will make the schematics available (e.g. schematics for Pi2 are not avaible). Concerning the existence of HEC on the Pi Zero. As I stated it I guess that it is highly unprobable. Two facts support that: there is no dedicated ethernet controller on the board (such as the LAN9512 for the B/B+/2B Pi and to be honest, if the Pi Zero would support HEC, they would have announced it as such! It's just not a feature that you hide. – Ghanima Dec 01 '15 at 14:50
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    The link (for some reason was removed) now appears to need be https://raw.githubusercontent.com/raspberrypi/documentation/eef7dcdb9c48c02274983cb3618dc8a8de8894d0/hardware/raspberrypi/schematics/Raspberry-Pi-Rev-2.1-Model-AB-Schematics.pdf (or https://web.archive.org/web/20150925200244/https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/schematics/Raspberry-Pi-Rev-2.1-Model-AB-Schematics.pdf). However in the zero's 1.3 schematic the pin shows as connected to something https://www.raspberrypi.org/documentation/hardware/raspberrypi/schematics/Raspberry-Pi-Zero-V1.3-Schematics.pdf – Wilf Jul 01 '17 at 22:51
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    @Wilf thanks for the update! (edited accordingly) Note that the mini connector and the standard connector have different pinouts - HEC is not connected though. – Ghanima Jul 01 '17 at 23:48