 | |
.jpg) Various Raspberry Pi computers. Clockwise from top: Pi 400, Pico, Zero 2W, Pi 5, and original Model B. | |
| Developer | Raspberry Pi Holdings |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Sony (under contract) |
| Type | Single-board computers |
| Release date | 29 February 2012 |
| Units sold | 68 million (as of March 2025) |
| Operating system | Raspberry Pi OS (default) |
| Storage | MicroSD slot |
| Website | www |
Raspberry Pi (/paɪ/ PY) is a series of small single-board computers (SBCs) originally developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in collaboration with Broadcom. To commercialize the product and support its growing demand, the Foundation established a commercial entity, now known as Raspberry Pi Holdings.
The Raspberry Pi was originally created to help teach computer science in schools, but gained popularity for many other uses due to its low cost, compact size, and flexibility. It is now used in areas such as industrial automation, robotics, home automation, IoT devices, and hobbyist projects.
The company's products range from simple microcontrollers to computers that the company markets as being powerful enough to be used as a general purpose PC. Computers are built around a custom designed system on a chip and offer features such as HDMI video/audio output, USB ports, wireless networking, GPIO pins, and up to 16 GB of RAM. Storage is typically provided via microSD cards.
In 2015, the Raspberry Pi surpassed the ZX Spectrum as the best-selling British computer of all time. As of March 2025[update], 68 million units had been sold.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation was established in 2008 by a group including Eben Upton,[1] in response to a noticeable decline in both the number and skill level of students applying to study computer science at the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory. The foundation's goal was to create a low-cost computer to help rekindle interest in programming among schoolchildren.[2][3][4]
This mission was inspired by the aims of the BBC Micro computer of the early 1980s, which was developed by Acorn Computers as part of a BBC initiative to promote computer literacy in UK schools.[5] The names "Model A" and "Model B" were chosen as a deliberate homage to the BBC Micro.[6] The name "Raspberry Pi" combines the fruit-themed naming convention used by early computer companies with a nod to the Python programming language.[7]
The first prototypes resembled small USB sticks.[8] By August 2011, fifty functionally complete "alpha" boards were produced for testing,[9] with demonstrations showing them running a Debian-based desktop and handling 1080p video playback.[10][11] In late 2011, twenty-five "beta" boards were finalized,[12][13][14] and to generate publicity before the official launch, ten of these were auctioned on eBay in early 2012.[15][16]
The first commercial Raspberry Pi, the Model B, was launched on 29 February 2012, with an initial price of $35.[17] Demand far exceeded expectations, causing the websites of the two initial licensed distributors, Premier Farnell and RS Components, to crash from high traffic.[18][19][20] Initial batches sold out almost immediately, with one distributor reporting over 100,000 pre-orders on the first day.[17] The lower-cost $25 Model A followed on 4 February 2013.[21]
The Raspberry Pi did not ship with a pre-installed operating system. While ports of RISC OS 5 and Fedora Linux were available,[22][23][24] a port of Debian called Raspbian quickly became the standard. Released in July 2012, it was optimized to leverage the Raspberry Pi's floating-point unit, offering significant performance gains.[25][26] Raspberry Pi quickly endorsed it as the official recommended OS, and by September 2013, the company assumed leadership of Raspbian's development.[27]
In 2012, the Foundation restructured, creating Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd. to handle engineering and commercial activities, with Eben Upton as its CEO.[28][29] This allowed the Raspberry Pi Foundation to focus solely on its charitable and educational mission. Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd. was renamed Raspberry Pi Ltd. in 2021.[28][30] In June 2024, the company went public on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol RPI, becoming Raspberry Pi Holdings.[31][32][33][34]
Following the launch, the first units reached buyers in April 2012.[35] To address overwhelming demand and initial supply chain issues, the Foundation ramped up production to 4,000 units per day by July.[36][37] The first batch of 10,000 boards was produced in factories located in Taiwan and China.[38][39] A significant strategic shift occurred in September 2012, when manufacturing began moving to a Sony factory in Pencoed, Wales.[40][41] During this period, the hardware was also refined: the Model B Revision 2.0 board was announced with minor corrections, and in October, its included RAM was doubled to 512 MB.[42][43][44]
The post-launch period focused heavily on software and ecosystem development. In August 2012, the Foundation enabled hardware-accelerated H.264 video encoding and began selling licenses for MPEG-2 and VC-1 codecs.[45][46][47] A major milestone for the open-source community occurred in October 2012, when the Foundation released the VideoCore IV graphics driver as free software. While the claim of it being the first fully open-source ARM SoC driver was debated, the move was widely praised.[48] This effort culminated in February 2014 with the release of full documentation for the graphics core and a complete source release of the graphics stack under a 3-clause BSD license.[49]
In 2014, the Raspberry Pi product line began to diversify. April saw the release of the Compute Module, a miniature Raspberry Pi in a small form factor designed for industrial and embedded applications, which would soon become the largest market for the computers. In July the Model B+ was released with a refined design featuring additional USB ports and a more efficient board layout that established the form factor for future models.[50][51] A smaller, cheaper ($20) Model A+ was released in November.[52] A significant leap in performance came in February 2015 with the Raspberry Pi 2, which featured a 900 MHz quad-core CPU and 1 GB of RAM.[53] Following its release, the price of the Model B+ was lowered to $25, a move some observers linked to the emergence of lower-priced competitors.[54][55]
The Raspberry Pi Zero, launched in November 2015, radically redefined the entry point for computing at a price of just $5.[56] In February 2016, the Raspberry Pi 3 marked another major milestone by integrating a 64-bit processor, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.[57] The product line continued to expand with the wireless-enabled Raspberry Pi Zero W (February 2017),[58][59] the faster Raspberry Pi 3B+ (March 2018),[60] Raspberry Pi 3A+ (November 2018),[61] and Compute Module 3+ (January 2019).[62]
The Raspberry Pi 4, launched in June 2019, represented another major performance leap with a faster processor, up to 8 GB of RAM, dual-monitor support, and USB 3.0 ports.[63] A compute module version (CM4) launched in October 2020.[64] This era saw further diversification with the Raspberry Pi 400 (a computer integrated into a keyboard) in November 2020,[65] and the Raspberry Pi Pico in January 2021. The Pico, based on the in-house designed RP2040 chip, marked the company's first entry into the low-cost microcontroller market.[66] The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, introduced in 2021, featured a faster processor, providing a significant performance boost while maintaining the low-cost, compact form factor.[67]
The global chip shortage starting in 2020, as well as an uptake in demand starting in early 2021, notably affected the Raspberry Pi, causing significant availability issues from that time onward.[68] The company explained its approach to the shortages in 2021,[69] and April 2022,[70] explaining that it was prioritising business and industrial customers.
The Raspberry Pi 5 was released in October 2023, featuring an upgraded CPU and GPU, up to 16 GB of RAM, a PCIe interface for fast peripherals and an in-house designed southbridge chip.[71][72] Updated versions of the Compute Module (CM5) and keyboard computer (Pi 500, Pi 500+) based on the Pi 5's architecture were subsequently announced.[73] The Raspberry Pi Pico 2, released in 2024, introduced the RP2350 microcontroller, featuring selectable dual-core 32-bit ARM Cortex-M33 or RISC-V processors, 520 KB of RAM, and 4 MB of flash memory.[74]
The Raspberry Pi's sales demonstrated remarkable growth. The one-millionth Pi was sold by October 2013,[75] a figure that doubled just a month later.[76] By February 2016, sales reached eight million units, surpassed the ZX Spectrum as the best-selling British computer of all time.[77][57] Sales hit ten million in September 2016,[78] thirty million by December 2019,[79] and forty million by May 2021.[80] As of its tenth anniversary in February 2022, a total of 46 million Raspberry Pis had been sold.[81] As of March 2025[update], 68 million units had been sold.[82]
There are five main series of Raspberry Pi computers, each with multiple generations. Most models feature a Broadcom system on a chip (SoC) with an integrated ARM-based central processing unit (CPU) and an on-chip graphics processing unit (GPU). The exception is the Pico series, a microcontroller which uses the RP2040, a custom-designed SoC with an ARM-compatible CPU but no GPU.
The flagship Raspberry Pi series, often referred to simply as "Raspberry Pi", offers high-performance hardware, a full Linux operating system, and a variety of common ports in a compact form factor roughly the size of a credit card.
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The Keyboard series combines Raspberry Pi hardware and ports into a keyboard computer form factor, providing a self-contained Linux-based desktop system.
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The Raspberry Pi Zero series are compact, low-cost, and low-power single-board computers that provide basic functionality and Linux compatibility for embedded and minimalist computing applications.
The Pico series are compact microcontroller boards based on Raspberry Pi-designed chips. Unlike other models, they do not run Linux or support removable storage, and are instead programmed by flashing binaries to onboard flash memory.
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The Compute Module (CM) series delivers Raspberry Pi's flagship hardware in a compact form for industrial and embedded applications, omitting onboard ports and GPIO headers in favour of a carrier board interface.[98] Compute Modules are offered in one of two formats: a board matching the physical dimensions of a DDR2 SO-DIMM RAM module (though electrically incompatible with standard SO-DIMM sockets) and a smaller board with dual 100-pin high-density connectors that enables additional interfaces.[99]
| Series | Model | SoC | CPU | Memory | Ethernet | Wireless | USB | GPIO Header |
Released | MSRP (US$) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagship Model B |
1 | BCM2835 | 1 × ARM11 | 512 MB | 100 Mbit | No | 2 × 2.0 | 26-pin | 2012 | 35 |
| 1+ | 4 × 2.0 | 40-pin | 2014 | |||||||
| 2 | BCM2836 | 4 × A7 | 1 GB | 2015 | ||||||
| 3 | BCM2837 | 4 × A53 | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 Bluetooth 4.1/BLE |
2016 | ||||||
| 3+ | 300 Mbit[a] | 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 4.2/BLE |
2018 | |||||||
| 4 | BCM2711[102] | 4 × A72 | 1, 2, 4 or 8 GB | Gigabit | 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0/BLE |
2 × 2.0 2 × 3.0 |
2019 | 35–75 | ||
| 5 | BCM2712 | 4 × A76 | 2, 4, 8 or 16 GB | 2023 | 50–120 | |||||
| Flagship Model A |
1 | BCM2835 | 1 × ARM11 | 256 MB | No | No | 1 × 2.0 | 26-pin | 2013 | 25 |
| 1+ | 512 MB | 40-pin | 2014 | |||||||
| 3+ | BCM2837 | 4 × A53 | 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 4.2/BLE |
2018 | 35 | |||||
| Keyboard | 400 | BCM2711 | 4 × A72 | 4 GB | Gigabit | 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0/BLE |
1 × 2.0 2 × 3.0 |
40-pin | 2020 | 70 |
| 500 | BCM2712 | 4 × A76 | 8 GB | 2024 | 90 | |||||
| 500+ | 16 GB | 2025 | 200 | |||||||
| Zero | 1 | BCM2835 | 1 × ARM11 | 512 MB | No | Optional[b] 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 Bluetooth 4.1/BLE |
1 × 2.0 | 40-pin | 2015 | 5–15 |
| 2 | BCM2710[c] | 4 × A53 | 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 Bluetooth 4.2/BLE |
2021 | 15–18 | |||||
| Pico | 1 | RP2040 | 2 × M0+ | 264 KB | No | Optional[b] 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 Bluetooth 5.2/BLE |
1 × 2.0 | 40-pin | 2021 | 4–7 |
| 2 | RP2350 | 2 × M33 | 520 KB | 2024 | 5–7 | |||||
| Compute Module |
1 | BCM2835 | 1 × ARM11 | 512 MB | No[d] | No | No[d] | No[d] | 2014 | 30 |
| 3/3+ | BCM2837 | 4 × A53 | 1 GB | 2017 | 25–40 | |||||
| 4 | BCM2711 | 4 × A72 | 1, 2, 4 or 8 GB | Optional[b] 2.4/5 GHz Wi-Fi 5 Bluetooth 5.0/BLE |
2020 | 25–85 | ||||
| 5 | BCM2712 | 4 × A76 | 2, 4, 8 or 16 GB | 2024 | 45–135 |
Notes
Since its introduction, Raspberry Pi hardware has been designed to provide low-cost computing platforms. The founders intended it to be an affordable and accessible system by making it compatible with widely available second-hand peripherals, such as televisions for displays, USB input devices, and cellphone chargers for power.[103][104] Over time, the hardware has expanded to support both advanced configurations and ultra-low-cost variants.[105][106] The company has also committed to keeping products in production for up to ten years.[107]
The Raspberry Pi has undergone multiple hardware revisions, with changes in processor type, memory capacity, networking features, and peripheral support.[108] All models include a processor, memory, and various input/output interfaces on a single circuit board. Most include an HDMI output, USB ports, and a GPIO (general-purpose input/output) header. Networking capabilities vary by model, with later versions featuring integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.[109] Storage is typically provided via a microSD card, with newer models supporting USB or PCIe-based boot options.[110][111]
Raspberry Pi models use a range of system on a chip (SoC) designs, developed in partnership with Arm and Broadcom. Each generation has introduced improvements in CPU architecture, clock speed, graphics, and overall performance.
The original Raspberry Pi and the Pi Zero use the Broadcom BCM2835, featuring a single-core 32-bit ARM11 CPU and a VideoCore IV GPU. The CPU is clocked at 700 MHz on the original Pi and 1 GHz on the Zero and Zero W.[112][113]
The Raspberry Pi 2 introduced the BCM2836 with a 900 MHz quad-core 32-bit Cortex-A7 CPU,[114] while later revisions used the 64-bit BCM2837 with Cortex-A53 cores.[115] The Raspberry Pi 3 retained the BCM2837, increasing the CPU clock to 1.2–1.4 GHz depending on the model.[116][117][118] The Pi Zero 2 uses the RP3A0, a system in a package (SiP) combining the quad-core Cortex-A53 processor clocked at 1 GHz with 512 MB of RAM.[119][120]
The Raspberry Pi 4 introduced the BCM2711, a 64-bit SoC with a quad-core Cortex-A72 CPU and VideoCore VI GPU. Clock speeds were initially 1.5 GHz and later increased to 1.8 GHz.[121][122][123][124] The Raspberry Pi 5 uses the BCM2712, featuring a quad-core Cortex-A76 CPU at 2.4 GHz, an 800 MHz VideoCore VII GPU, and a separate RP1 southbridge chip designed in-house.[125]
Raspberry Pi has also developed its own chips outside of its partnership with Broadcom. The Raspberry Pi Pico uses the RP2040, featuring dual-core 32-bit Cortex-M0+ processors running at 133 MHz and 264 kB of on-chip RAM.[126][127] The Pico 2 uses the RP2350, which can operate with either dual-core Cortex-M33 or dual-core Hazard3 RISC-V CPUs selected at boot, running at 150 MHz, with 520 kB of RAM.[128][129]
Most Raspberry Pi models support user-configurable overclocking through the system configuration file. More recent models feature dynamic frequency scaling, adjusting CPU speed based on workload to balance performance and thermal output. This behavior, while similar to overclocking, is part of the default power management system. If the CPU temperature exceeds 85 °C (185 °F) or if undervoltage is detected, performance is throttled automatically. For sustained high-performance workloads, additional cooling—such as a heat sink or fan—may be required.[130][131]
The original Raspberry Pi Model B was equipped with 512 MB of random-access memory (RAM), which, like later models, shares memory between the CPU and GPU. All Raspberry Pi boards support dynamic memory allocation between these components, allowing the system to adjust the division based on workload or user configuration.[132] The original Model A included 256 MB of RAM.
Subsequent models introduced increased memory capacities. The Pi 2B and 3 B/B+ models feature 1 GB of RAM, while the smaller 1A+ and 3A+ models have 512 MB. The Pi Zero and Zero 2 W also include 512 MB. The Pi 4 is available with 1, 2, 4, or 8 GB of RAM,[63] and the Pi 5 expands this further with options for 2, 4, 8, or 16 GB, the highest capacity offered to date.[133]
Storage is typically provided via a microSD card, though some Compute Modules offer onboard eMMC flash.[134] Newer models support USB booting,[110] and the Pi 5 includes support for NVMe SSDs over PCIe.[111]
Boards also include USB ports for peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and storage devices.[135][136]
Raspberry Pi devices support both digital and analog video output across various resolutions.
Early models featured a full-size HDMI port and an RCA connector for analog composite video output. Later boards removed the RCA jack but retained analog output via the 3.5 mm TRRS jack or dedicated solder points. According to the Raspberry Pi Foundation, analog support helps maintain accessibility in developing countries.[104]
To accommodate the addition of features on the compact boards, video connectors have shrunk across models. The Pi Zero series uses a mini-HDMI connector, while the Pi 4 and 5 use dual micro-HDMI ports. This change enables support for multiple displays: the Pi 4 can drive two 4K displays at 30 Hz or one at 60 Hz, while the Pi 5 improves on this with support for two 4K displays at 60 Hz.[137][138]
Older Raspberry Pi models support common display resolutions such as 720p and 1080p by default, with some capable of higher resolutions depending on hardware and configuration. In some cases, older hardware can output in 4K, though performance may be poor.[139][140]
| Function | Pin # | Function | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +3.3 V power | 1 | 2 | +5 V power | |
| GPIO 2 (I²C SDA) | 3 | 4 | +5 V power | |
| GPIO 3 (I2C SCL) | 5 | 6 | Ground | |
| GPIO 4 (GPCLK) | 7 | 8 | GPIO 14 (UART TXD) | |
| Ground | 9 | 10 | GPIO 15 (UART RXD) | |
| GPIO 17 | 11 | 12 | GPIO 18 | |
| GPIO 27 | 13 | 14 | Ground | |
| GPIO 22 | 15 | 16 | GPIO 23 | |
| +3.3 V power | 17 | 18 | GPIO 24 | |
| GPIO 10 (SPI MOSI) | 19 | 20 | Ground | |
| GPIO 9 (SPI MISO) | 21 | 22 | GPIO 25 | |
| GPIO 11 (SPI SCLK) | 23 | 24 | GPIO 8 (SPI CE0) | |
| Ground | 25 | 26 | GPIO 7 (SPI CE1) | |
| GPIO 0 (EEPROM SDA) | 27 | 28 | GPIO 1 (EEPROM SDC) | |
| GPIO 5 | 29 | 30 | Ground | |
| GPIO 6 | 31 | 32 | GPIO 12 | |
| GPIO 13 | 33 | 34 | Ground | |
| GPIO 19 | 35 | 36 | GPIO 16 | |
| GPIO 26 | 37 | 38 | GPIO 20 (PCM_DIN) | |
| Ground | 39 | 40 | GPIO 21 (PCM_DOUT) | |
Legend SPI
GPIO
I²C
UART
PCM
Ground
+5 V
+3.3 V | ||||
Most Raspberry Pi models include a 40-pin connector known as the GPIO (general-purpose input/output) header, although only some of the pins are dedicated to GPIO functions. The header, designated as J8, uses a consistent pinout across models.
The header supplies 3.3 V and 5 V power along with various multiplexed, low-speed interfaces, including UART, SPI, I²C, I²S, and PCM.[71] GPIO pins can be configured as either inputs or outputs. When set as an output, a pin can drive a high (3.3 V) or low (0 V) signal. When configured as an input, it can read a high (3.3 V) or low (0 V) voltage level.[141]
The original Raspberry Pi 1 Model A and B include only the first 26 pins of this header.[142][143][144] On some Pi Zero models, the header is unpopulated, but solderable through-holes are provided. The Pico models feature a unique layout with unpopulated through-holes and a castellated edge, allowing it to be surface-mounted as a module. Compute Module boards do not include GPIO headers but instead expose GPIO signals through their board connectors.
Networking capabilities differ by model. The Model B and B+ include an Ethernet port. Starting with the Raspberry Pi 3, most models come with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. The Raspberry Pi 3B+ adds faster Ethernet and dual-band WiFi. The Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 offer full gigabit Ethernet.[137] The "A" models and the Pi Zero series do not have Ethernet ports, and built-in wireless support is optional. A USB adapter may be used for wired or wireless connections.
Some Raspberry Pi models, like the Zero, 1A, 3A+, and 4, can act like a USB device (via the USB On-The-Go protocol) when plugged into another computer.[145] This lets them work as gadgets such as a virtual keyboard, network adapter, or serial device.[146]
Many newer models can also start up (or "boot") directly from a USB drive, without needing a microSD card. This feature isn't available on older models like the original Raspberry Pi, Pi Zero, or early versions of the Pi 2.[147]
Most Raspberry Pi models do not include a built-in real-time clock, which means they rely on an internet connection to set the correct time with the Network Time Protocol when they start up. If there's no connection, the time must be set manually or the system assumes no time has passed since it was last used. Add-on clock modules are available for situations where accurate timekeeping is needed without internet access.[148][149] The Raspberry Pi 5 is the first model to include a built-in clock which uses a battery to keep time when powered off.[150]
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![[icon]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion with: information on compute module 5 'CM5'. You can help by adding to it. (February 2025) |
| Version | Pico 1 | Pico 2 | 1A | 1A+ | 3A+ | 1B | 1B+ | 2B | 2B v1.2 | 3B | 3B+ | 4 | 5 | CM1 | CM3 | CM4 | Zero | Zero 2 | 400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Release date | Jan 2021[151] W: Jun 2022[152] |
Aug 2024[153] | Feb 2013 |
Nov 2014 |
Nov 2018 | Apr–Jun 2012 | Jul 2014 |
Feb 2015 |
Oct 2016 |
Feb 2016 |
Mar 2018 |
Jun 2019 |
Oct 2023 |
Apr 2014 |
Jan 2017 |
Oct 2020 | Nov 2015 |
Oct 2021 |
Nov 2020 |
| Target price (USD) | US$4 W: US$6 |
US$5 W: US$7[167] |
$25[154] | $20[155] | $25[160] | $35[168] | $25[169] | $35 | $35–75 |
$50–120 | $25–40 |
$30–85[173] | US$5[165] W: US$10 |
$15 |
$70 | ||||
| Instruction set | ARMv6 (32‑bit) | ARMv8-M (64/32‑bit) or RV32IMAC (32‑bit)[176] | ARMv6 (32‑bit) | ARMv8-A (64/32‑bit) | ARMv6 (32‑bit) | ARMv7-A (32‑bit) | ARMv8-A (64/32‑bit) | ARMv6 (32‑bit) | ARMv8-A (64/32‑bit)[177] | ARMv6 (32‑bit) | ARMv8-A (64/32‑bit) | ARMv8-A (64/32‑bit) | |||||||
| Fabrication node | 40 nm[178] | 40 nm[179] | 40 nm[180] | 40 nm[181] | 40 nm[180] | 40 nm[182] | 40 nm[181] | 28 nm[183] | 16 nm[183] | 40 nm[180] | 40 nm[181] | 28 nm[183] | 40 nm[180] | 28 nm[183] | |||||
| SoC | RP2040 | RP2350A | BCM2835[184] | BCM2837 |
BCM2835[184] | BCM2836 | BCM2837 | BCM2837 |
BCM2711 |
BCM2712 |
BCM2835 | BCM2837 | BCM2711 | BCM2835 | BCM2710 | BCM2711 | |||
| FPU | Software emulation | FPv5 (ARM only) | VFPv2 | VFPv4 + NEON | VFPv2 | VFPv4 + NEON | VFPv2 | VFPv4 + NEON | VFPv2 | VFPv4 + NEON | VFPv4 + NEON | ||||||||
| CPU | 2× Arm Cortex-M0+ | 2× of either Arm Cortex-M33 or Hazard3 RISC-V (selectable at boot) | 1× ARM11 @ 700 MHz | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1.4 GHz | 1× ARM11 @ 700 MHz | 4× Cortex-A7 900 MHz | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 900 MHz | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1.2 GHz | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1.4 GHz | 4× Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz or 1.8 GHz[186] | 4× Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz[185] | 1× ARM11 @ 700 MHz | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1.2 GHz | 4× Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz | 1× ARM11 @ 1 GHz | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1 GHz | 4× Cortex-A72 @ 1.8 GHz | ||
| GPU | — | VideoCore IV @ 250 MHz[a] | VideoCore IV @ 400 MHz (Core) / 300 MHz (V3D) | VideoCore VI @ 500 MHz[187] | VideoCore VII @ 800 MHz[185] | VideoCore IV @ 250 MHz[a] | VideoCore VI @ 500 MHz[187] | VideoCore IV @ 400 MHz (Core) / 300 MHz (V3D) | VideoCore VI @ 500 MHz | ||||||||||
| Memory (SDRAM)[188] | 264 KB | 520 KB | 256 MiB[b] | 256 or 512 MiB[b] Changed to 512 MB on 10 August 2016[189] |
512 MiB[b] | 256 or 512 MiB[b] Changed to 512 MB on 15 October 2012[190] |
512 MiB[b] | 1 GiB[b] | 1, 2, 4 or 8 GiB[b] | 2, 4, 8 or 16 GiB | 512 MB[b] | 1 GiB[b] | 1, 2, 4 or 8 GiB[b] | 512 MiB[b] | 4 GiB | ||||
| USB 2.0 ports[191] | — | 1[c] | 1[d] | 2[e][192] | 4[f][193][156] | 2[161][183] | 1[c][g] | 1[c][g] | 1 | 1 Micro-USB[c] | 1 | ||||||||
| USB 3.0 ports | — | 2[161][183] | — | 2 | |||||||||||||||
| USB OTG ports | — | 1 (Power USB-C) |
— | ? | 1 Micro-USB[c] | — | |||||||||||||
| PCIe interface | — | PCIe Gen 2 x1 | — | PCIe Gen 2 x1 | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Video input | 15-pin MIPI camera interface (CSI) connector, used with the Raspberry Pi camera or Raspberry Pi NoIR camera[195] | 2× 22-pin mini-MIPI display/camera interface (DSI/CSI)[196] | 2× MIPI camera interface (CSI)[g][197][198][199] | 2-lane MIPI CSI camera interface, 4-lane MIPI CSI camera interface | v1.3 & W: MIPI camera interface (CSI)[200] | MIPI camera interface (CSI)[200] | — | ||||||||||||
| HDMI | 1× HDMI (rev 1.3) | 2× HDMI (rev 2.0) via Micro-HDMI[201] | 2x HDMI (rev?) | 1 × HDMI[g] | 2 × HDMI | 1 × Mini-HDMI | 2× HDMI (rev 2.0) via Micro-HDMI | ||||||||||||
| Composite video | via RCA jack | via 3.5 mm CTIA-style TRRS jack | via RCA jack | via 3.5 mm CTIA style TRRS jack | pair of 0.1"-spaced pads | Yes[g][198][202] | ? | via marked points on PCB for optional header pins[203] | ? | ||||||||||
| MIPI display interface (DSI)[h] | 1× standard size (15-pin, 1 mm pitch), for a display only | 2× mini[204] (22-pin, 0.5 mm pitch), each for a display or camera | Yes[g][197][199][205][206] | Yes | No | ? | |||||||||||||
| Audio inputs | As of revision 2 boards via I²S[207] | ? | |||||||||||||||||
| Audio outputs | Analog via 3.5 mm phone jack; digital via HDMI and, as of revision 2 boards, I²S | HDMI | Analog, HDMI, I²S[g] | Mini-HDMI, stereo audio through PWM on GPIO | Micro-HDMI | ||||||||||||||
| On-board storage[191] | — | 4 MB internal flash | SD, MMC, SDIO card slot (3.3 V with card power only) | MicroSDHC slot[156] | SD, MMC, SDIO card slot | MicroSDHC slot | MicroSDHC slot, USB Boot Mode[208] | MicroSDHC UHS-1 Slot | 4 GB eMMC (optional)[197] | 8/16/32 GB eMMC (optional)[197] | MicroSDHC slot | MicroSDHC slot | |||||||
| Ethernet (Max. Mbit/s) |
— | 100 | 300[209] | 1000[161] | — | — | 1000 | ||||||||||||
| WiFi | 2.4 GHz 802.11n (optional, W model) | 2.4 GHz 802.11n (optional, W model) | — | 2.4/5 GHz 802.11b/g/n/ac | — | 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n | 2.4/5 GHz 802.11b/g/n/ac | 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n (optional, W model) | 2.4/5 GHz 802.11b/g/n/ac | ||||||||||
| Bluetooth | 5.2 (optional, W model) | 5.2 (optional, W model) | 4.2, BLE | 4.1, BLE | 4.2, LS BLE | 5.0, BLE | 4.2, BLE (optional, W model) | 5.0 | |||||||||||
| Low-level peripherals | UART | 8× GPIO[210] plus the following, which can also be used as GPIO: UART, I²C bus, SPI bus with two chip selects, I²S audio[211] +3.3 V, +5 V, ground[212][213] | 17× GPIO plus the same specific functions, and HAT ID bus | 8× GPIO plus the following, which can also be used as GPIO: UART, I²C bus, SPI bus with two chip selects, I²S audio +3.3 V, +5 V, ground. | 17× GPIO plus the same specific functions, and HAT ID bus | 17× GPIO plus the same specific functions, HAT, and an additional 4× UART, 4× SPI, and 4× I2C connectors. |
46× GPIO, some of which can be used for specific functions including I²C, SPI, UART, PCM, PWM[g][215] | 28 × GPIO supporting either 1.8v or 3.3v signalling and peripheral options | 17× GPIO plus the same specific functions, and HAT ID bus[165] | ? | |||||||||
| Power ratings | ? | ? | 300 mA (1.5 W)[216] | 200 mA (1 W)[217] | ? | 700 mA (3.5 W) | 200 mA (1 W) average when idle, 350 mA (1.75 W) maximum under stress (monitor, keyboard and mouse connected) |
220 mA (1.1 W) average when idle, 820 mA (4.1 W) maximum under stress (monitor, keyboard and mouse connected) |
300 mA (1.5 W) average when idle, 1.34 A (6.7 W) maximum under stress (monitor, keyboard, mouse and WiFi connected) |
459 mA (2.295 W) average when idle, 1.13 A (5.661 W) maximum under stress (monitor, keyboard, mouse and WiFi connected) |
600 mA (3 W) average when idle, 1.25 A (6.25 W) maximum under stress (monitor, keyboard, mouse and Ethernet connected),
1.6 A (8 W) for "power virus" workloads[183] |
12 W for "power virus" workloads[183] | 200 mA (1 W) | 700 mA (3.5 W) | ? | 100 mA (0.5 W) average when idle, 350 mA (1.75 W) maximum under stress (monitor, keyboard and mouse connected) |
120 mA (0.6 W) average when idle[221] | ? | |
| Power source | MicroUSB or GPIO Header 1.8 V to 5 V | 5 V via MicroUSB or GPIO header | 5 V via MicroUSB, GPIO header, or PoE (with the PoE HAT) | 5 V via USB-C, GPIO header, or PoE (with the PoE HAT) | 2.5–5 V, 3.3 V, 2.5–3.3 V, and 1.8 V[g] | 5 V | 5 V via MicroUSB or GPIO header | 5 V via USB-C | |||||||||||
| Size | 51 × 21 mm (2.01 × 0.83 in)[222] | 85.6 × 56.5 mm (3.37 × 2.22 in)[i] | 65 × 56.5 × 10 mm (2.56 × 2.22 × 0.39 in)[j] | 65 × 56.5 mm (2.56 × 2.22 in) | 85.60 × 56.5 mm (3.370 × 2.224 in)[i] | 85.60 × 56.5 × 17 mm (3.370 × 2.224 × 0.669 in)[223] | 85 × 56 mm (3.3 × 2.2 in) | 67.6 × 30 mm (2.66 × 1.18 in) | 67.6 × 31 mm (2.66 × 1.22 in) | 55 × 40 mm (2.2 × 1.6 in) | 65 × 30 × 5 mm (2.56 × 1.18 × 0.20 in) | 286 × 113 × 23 mm (11.26 × 4.45 × 0.91 in) | |||||||
| Weight | ? | ? | 31 g (1.1 oz) | 23 g (0.81 oz) | 45 g (1.6 oz) | 46 g (1.6 oz)[224] | 7 g (0.25 oz)[225] | 9 g (0.32 oz)[226] | 10.8 g (0.38 oz) | ||||||||||
| Production lifetime | 2028[222] W: 2036[227] |
2040[167] | 2026 | 2026 | 2030 | 2026 | 2030 | 2026 | 2026 |
2026 | 2028[229] | 2026 | 2035 | 2026 | 2028 | 2026 |
2028 | ? | |
The recommended operating system is Raspberry Pi OS, a Debian-based Linux distribution optimized for Raspberry Pi hardware and tuned to have low base memory requirements. It is available in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions and comes in several editions: a standard edition, a "Lite" version without a desktop environment, and a "Full" version that includes a comprehensive suite of software.[233]
Raspberry Pi OS can be purchased pre-installed on a microSD card,[234] or downloaded and installed using Raspberry Pi Imager, a utility introduced in March 2020 to simplify the installation of operating systems onto SD cards and other media for Raspberry Pi devices. Available for macOS, Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, and Windows, Imager allows users to download and write operating system disk images within a single application.[235] In addition to Raspberry Pi OS, the utility supports a variety of third-party operating systems, including Alpine Linux,[236] Armbian,[237] Emteria.OS (Android based),[238] FreedomBox,[239] Kali Linux,[240] LibreELEC,[241] RetroPie,[242] RISC OS,[243] SatNOGS,[244] and Ubuntu.[233]
The Raspberry Pi uses official firmware that is proprietary, meaning its source code is not publicly available, but the binary blob can be freely redistributed.[245][246] An experimental open-source alternative to the official firmware is also available. Although limited in functionality, it demonstrates that it is possible to start the Raspberry Pi's ARM processor cores and boot a basic version of the Linux kernel without relying on the proprietary components. This is significant for developers and advocates who aim to build fully open systems.[247]
Raspberry Pi systems use Broadcom's VideoCore GPU, which requires a proprietary binary blob to be loaded at boot. Initially, the supporting software stack was entirely proprietary,[248] though parts of the code were later released.[48] Most driver functionality remains within closed-source GPU firmware, accessed via runtime libraries such as OpenMAX IL, OpenGL ES, and OpenVG. These libraries interface with a kernel-space open-source driver, which in turn communicates with the closed GPU firmware. Applications use OpenMAX IL for video, OpenGL ES for 3D graphics, and OpenVG for 2D graphics, with all graphics libraries making use of EGL.[249]
In February 2020, Raspberry Pi announced the development of a Vulkan graphics driver.[250] A working prototype demonstrated high performance in Quake III Arena on a Raspberry Pi 3B+ later that year.[251] On 24 November 2020, Raspberry Pi 4's Vulkan driver was declared Vulkan 1.0 conformant,[252] with subsequent conformance updates for versions 1.1[253] and 1.2.[254]
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Raspberry Pi offers several official camera modules that connect via the Camera Serial Interface. These modules are used for photography, video capture, and machine vision applications.[255]
Raspberry Pi also offers official display peripherals for graphical and touchscreen interfaces:
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Official Raspberry Pi HATs (Hardware Attached on Top) and expansion boards extend the functionality of Raspberry Pi computers. The HAT standard was introduced in July 2014. Many boards use an EEPROM for automatic configuration.[267][268]
Technology writer Glyn Moody described the project in May 2011 as a "potential BBC Micro 2.0", not by replacing PC compatible machines but by supplementing them.[275] In March 2012 Stephen Pritchard echoed the BBC Micro successor sentiment in ITPRO.[276] Alex Hope, co-author of the Next Gen report, is hopeful that the computer will engage children with the excitement of programming.[277] Co-author Ian Livingstone suggested that the BBC could be involved in building support for the device, possibly branding it as the BBC Nano.[278] The Centre for Computing History strongly supports the Raspberry Pi project, feeling that it could "usher in a new era".[279] Before release, the board was showcased by ARM's CEO Warren East at an event in Cambridge outlining Google's ideas to improve UK science and technology education.[280]
Harry Fairhead, however, suggests that more emphasis should be put on improving the educational software available on existing hardware, using tools such as MIT App Inventor to return programming to schools, rather than adding new hardware choices.[281] Simon Rockman, writing in a ZDNet blog, was of the opinion that teens will have "better things to do", despite what happened in the 1980s.[282]
In October 2012, the Raspberry Pi won T3's Innovation of the Year award,[283] and futurist Mark Pesce cited a (borrowed) Raspberry Pi as the inspiration for his ambient device project MooresCloud.[284] In October 2012, the British Computer Society responded to the announcement of enhanced specifications by stating, "it's definitely something we'll want to sink our teeth into."[285]
In June 2017, Raspberry Pi won the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award.[286] The citation for the award to the Raspberry Pi said it was "for its inexpensive credit card-sized microcomputers, which are redefining how people engage with computing, inspiring students to learn coding and computer science and providing innovative control solutions for industry."[287]
Clusters of hundreds of Raspberry Pis have been used for testing programs destined for supercomputers.[288]
The Raspberry Pi community was described by Jamie Ayre of FOSS software company AdaCore as one of the most exciting parts of the project.[289] Community blogger Russell Davis said that the community strength allows the Foundation to concentrate on documentation and teaching.[289] The community developed a fanzine around the platform called The MagPi[290] which in 2015, was handed over to Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd by its volunteers to be continued in-house.[291] A series of community Raspberry Jam events have been held across the UK and around the world.[292]
As of January 2012[update], enquiries about the board in the United Kingdom have been received from schools in both the state and private sectors, with around five times as much interest from the latter. It is hoped that businesses will sponsor purchases for less advantaged schools.[293] The CEO of Premier Farnell said that the government of a country in the Middle East has expressed interest in providing a board to every schoolgirl, to enhance her employment prospects.[294][295]
In 2014, the Raspberry Pi Foundation hired a number of its community members including ex-teachers and software developers to launch a set of free learning resources for its website.[296] The Foundation also started a teacher training course called Picademy with the aim of helping teachers prepare for teaching the new computing curriculum using the Raspberry Pi in the classroom.[297]
In 2018, NASA launched the JPL Open Source Rover Project,[298] which is a scaled down version of Curiosity rover and uses a Raspberry Pi as the control module, to encourage students and hobbyists to get involved in mechanical, software, electronics, and robotics engineering.[299]
There are a number of developers and applications that are using the Raspberry Pi for home automation. These programmers are making an effort to modify the Raspberry Pi into a cost-affordable solution in energy monitoring and power consumption. Because of the relatively low cost of the Raspberry Pi, this has become a popular and economical alternative to the more expensive commercial solutions.[citation needed]
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In June 2014, Polish industrial automation manufacturer TECHBASE released ModBerry, an industrial computer based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module. The device has a number of interfaces, most notably RS-485/232 serial ports, digital and analogue inputs/outputs, CAN and economical 1-Wire buses, all of which are widely used in the automation industry. The design allows the use of the Compute Module in harsh industrial environments, leading to the conclusion that the Raspberry Pi is no longer limited to home and science projects, but can be widely used as an Industrial IoT solution and achieve goals of Industry 4.0.[300]
In March 2018, SUSE announced commercial support for SUSE Linux Enterprise on the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B to support a number of undisclosed customers implementing industrial monitoring with the Raspberry Pi.[301]
In January 2021, TECHBASE announced a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 cluster for AI accelerator, routing and file server use. The device contains one or more standard Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4s in an industrial DIN rail housing, with some versions containing one or more Coral Edge tensor processing units.[302]
The Organelle is a portable synthesiser, a sampler, a sequencer, and an effects processor designed and assembled by Critter & Guitari. It incorporates a Raspberry Pi computer module running Linux.[303]
OTTO is a digital camera created by Next Thing Co. It incorporates a Raspberry Pi Compute Module. It was successfully crowd-funded in a May 2014 Kickstarter campaign.[304]
Slice is a digital media player which also uses a Compute Module as its heart. It was crowd-funded in an August 2014 Kickstarter campaign. The software running on Slice is based on Kodi.[305]
Numerous commercial thin client computer terminals use the Raspberry Pi.[306]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, demand increased primarily due to the increase in remote work, but also because of the use of many Raspberry Pi Zeros in ventilators for COVID-19 patients in countries such as Colombia,[307] which were used to combat strain on the healthcare system. In March 2020, Raspberry Pi sales reached 640,000 units, the second largest month of sales in the company's history.[308]
A project was launched in December 2014 at an event held by the UK Space Agency. The Astro Pi was an augmented Raspberry Pi that included a sensor hat with a visible light or infrared camera. The Astro Pi competition, called Principia, was officially opened in January and was opened to all primary and secondary school aged children who were residents of the United Kingdom. During his mission, British ESA astronaut Tim Peake deployed the computers on board the International Space Station.[309] He loaded the winning code while in orbit, collected the data generated and then sent this to Earth where it was distributed to the winning teams. Covered themes during the competition included spacecraft sensors, satellite imaging, space measurements, data fusion and space radiation.
The organisations involved in the Astro Pi competition include the UK Space Agency, UKspace, Raspberry Pi, ESERO-UK and ESA.
In 2017, the European Space Agency ran another competition open to all students in the European Union called Proxima. The winning programs were run on the ISS by Thomas Pesquet, a French astronaut.[310] In December 2021, the Dragon 2 spacecraft launched by NASA had a pair of Astro Pi in it.[311]
The Foundation trustees tried very hard to get an agreement to use the BBC Micro name, right up to May 2011. /../ Eben touched on the subject a bit during his speech at the Beeb@30 celebration at the beginning of the month
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W uses the same Broadcom BCM2710A1 SoC die as the launch version of Raspberry Pi 3
we've beaten our wildest dreams by three orders of magnitude
Great call with @EbenUpton today. Congrats on 40 Million #RaspberryPi sold!
Upton tells us that approximately 46 million units have been manufactured to date.
WHAT IS THE RCA VIDEO OUT CONNECTOR FOR?" "The final product has the composite signal brought out to a 0.1-inch pad, so if you want to solder an RCA cable onto it, you can. We're psyched about the idea of people being able to take it and solder it inside an old television – you know, get an old television and crack it open. Turn your television into a computer. We think that's really good for developing world applications." / "You'll need a mobile phone charger, or one of the official Raspberry Pi power supplies
we say farewell to the 1 GB model
The Model B
Just because young teens led the way in computing in the 1980s doesn't mean it should, will or can happen again. Those outside the tech age bubble have better things to do.
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general
This is the start of the #general chat. #general is a chat channel to discuss anything related to the hub.
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