The raspberry family is growing

The Raspberry Pi Foundation (www.raspberrypi.org) has released an updated version of Model B: Model B+. At first glance, the changes made to B+ do not seem revolutionary. Same SoC (System on a Chip, BCM2835), same amount or type of RAM, still no flash. And yet B + quite effectively solves many everyday problems that torment users of this minicomputer.

Most notable are the additional USB ports. Their number has increased from 2 to 4. Moreover, the new power module should increase their current output even up to 1.2A [1]. This will allow you to directly supply power to more "energy-intensive" devices, such as external drives. Another notable change is a metal microSD slot instead of a plastic full-sized SD. Maybe a trifle, but in B + the card almost does not protrude beyond the board. This will definitely limit the number of accidents associated with a broken slot, accidental tearing of the card, or damage to the slot when dropped.

The GPIO connector has grown: from 26 to 40 pins. 9 pins are additional universal inputs/outputs. Interestingly, the two extra pins are the i2c bus reserved for EEPROM memory. The memory is for storing port configurations or Linux drivers. Well, for Flash it will take some time (maybe until 2017 with version 2.0?).

Additional GPIO ports will definitely come in handy. On the other hand, some accessories designed for the 2×13 pin connector may no longer fit the 2×20 connector.

The new plate also features 4 mounting holes that are much more conveniently spaced than the two on version B. This will improve the mechanical stability of RPi-based designs.

Further changes include the integration of an analog audio jack into a new 4-pin composite connector. Connecting a 3,5 mm audio jack to it will allow you to listen to music through headphones or external speakers.

The space saved in this way made it possible to rearrange the board so that there were no protruding plugs on its two sides. As before, USB and Ethernet are grouped on the same edge. The power supply, HDMI, composite audio and video output and power plug were moved to the second - previously "scattered" on the other 3 sides. This is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also practical - RPi will no longer resemble a victim of a web of cables. The downside is that you will need to get new housing.

The aforementioned new power supply will reduce power consumption by about 150 mA. An additional power supply circuit for the audio module should significantly improve the sound (reduce the amount of noise).

In conclusion: the changes are not revolutionary, but they make the Raspberry Foundation's proposal even more attractive. Tests and a more detailed description of the B+ model will be available soon. And in the August issue we can find the first of a series of texts that will allow you to better navigate the "crimson" world.

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 (initial photo)