The Raspberry Pi Foundation has unveiled its latest release, the Compute Module 3+. Geared towards a different target audience than its normal releases, the new miniature computer forgoes catering to the usual consumer market. Instead, the CM3+ focuses on helping makers and those in the enterprise space employ the device in their own products. Head below for the improved specs including bolstered thermal cooling, increased modularity and more.
The company’s first foray into the enterprise market was back in 2014 with the debut of its original Compute Module. A lot has changed in the nearly five years since the release, and today Raspberry Pi has showcased the newest edition of the Compute Module.
Launching with the same mission as its predecessors, the CM3+ is still geared towards enterprise and production use cases. Both of these are areas where the standard Raspberry Pi may not be suitable. The Compute Module is designed from the ground up to be more flexible and compatible in product production.
To accomplish this, the Compute Module 3+ sports a much more modular form-factor than its public-facing brethren. And if you’ve used a Raspberry Pi before, you’ll realize that surpassing the miniature computer’s modularity is no easy feat. In March of 2018, the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ was launched, later being followed up by the Model 3 A+.
The CM3+ uses the same internals as both computers, but ditches their “bulkier” designs. Missing are the usual GPIO pins, USB ports and even a microSD card slot in favor of a single RAM DIMM slot-like port. One of the main improvements that’s been made this time around has been improving the device’s thermals. When you’re dealing with a computer that fits in the palm of your hand, only so much can be done to change how it handles heat.
One main adjustment is that compared to previous iterations, the CM3+ has more thermal mass and can draw heat away from the processor faster. This ultimately results in lower average temperatures and more importantly, the ability to handle heavy loads for longer spans without thermal throttling.
Raspberry Pi’s latest computer is now available for purchase starting at $25. That price will increase based on the specs of the machine you’ll want to bring home:
- CM3+/Lite $25
- CM3+/8GB $30
- CM3+/16GB $35
- CM3+/32GB $40
Alongside the base Compute Module 3+, a development kit has also been released. It includes a Lite and 32GB CM3+, as well a Compute Module IO board, camera and display adapters, jumper wires, and a programming cable. Raspberry Pi claims that the improved Compute. Module will be around until at least January 2026, meaning those looking to incorporate the device into their products won’t have to worry about obsolescence anytime soon.
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