Tag Archives: RBPi

Raspberry Pi Zero Goes Wireless

The Raspberry Pi product line has added a new member, the Raspberry Pi Zero W (RBPiZW), an updated version of the RBPi Zero, with the added advantages on on-board Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability.

Although the new RBPiZW lacks the Ethernet and full-sized USB-A ports, it is only a fraction of the size of its flagship brethren the RBPi, and less expensive as well. Almost identical to the RBPi Zero, the RBPiZW is twice as expensive, and boasts of a wireless chip supporting the 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi for 2.4 GHz only, and Bluetooth 4.0.

Both the RBPiZW and RBPi Zero use the same BCM2835 that powered the original RBPi. However, the single-core chip is now clocked at a higher speed of 1 GHz, as against 700 MHz earlier. On the RBPiZW is a Cypress wireless chip, the same the RBPI3 also uses. Although the Raspberry Pi Foundation has claimed the maximum wireless speed of the chip as 150 Mbps, in reality it generally hits about 20 to 40 Mbps.

Apart from the addition of the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, there has been no change from the RBPi Zero to the RBPiZW. The designers added the Bluetooth and wireless LAN chipsets to the board, and included a PCB antenna layout licensed from ProAnt, Sweden.

The RBPiZW contains 512 MB RAM, a HAT-compatible 40-pin header, a CSI camera connector, a Micro-USB for power, Mini-HDMI port, a USB port for OTG, and headers for composite video and reset.

Although the new RBPiZW is a trifle heavier than its predecessor the RBPi Zero is, their dimensions are identical at 2.6×1.2×0.2 inches. You can also get a new case with the RBPiZW, with three interchangeable lids. The first lid is solid, the second has an opening in it for the GPIO pins, and the third has an opening for the camera module.

As the RBPiZW (and the RBPi Zero) come without the GPIO pins installed, they are able to maintain their slim profile, despite their full-sized GPIO headers. The user can solder the GPIO pins if the project demands, but the small size of the Zero boards are an advantage when using them to build a small robot or any other small system.

Even though the price is slightly higher, the RBPiZW remains incredibly cheap and is far more useful out of the box. Measurements of the performance of the tiny SBC confirm this. However, considering general performance when comparing with the RBPi3, such as during web browsing, it may be a frustrating experience. The RBPiWZ will have long pauses as the data loads and graphics renders in the Epiphany browser.

That means the RBPiZW is geared more towards hardware and software hackers, rather than those trying for a desktop experience. Those who want a replacement for their desktop computers would do well to use the RBPi3 instead.

Another factor weighing in for the RBPiZW is its low power consumption. Considering this board is meant for small systems and tiny robots, its low power consumption is a very big advantage when powering projects with batteries. Of course, the Wi-Fi support and network performance will affect its power consumption pattern.

Lichee Pi – Another Contender for the Raspberry Pi

If you are looking for an alternative to the ubiquitous Raspberry Pi (RBPi), check out the Lichee Pi Zero. The basic board costs only $6.00 and another two dollars will get you the Wi-Fi version. Powered by the Allwinner V35 CPU, it is even smaller than the RBPi Zero, and works with the latest Linux kernel 4.10. The crowdfunding campaign offers a huge range of accessories.

The ARM-based processor on the Lichee Pi Zero, the Allwinner V35, is an ARM Cortex-A7 CPU. It has a maximum speed of 1.2 GHz, has 512 MB DDR2 RAM integrated in it, and you can boot it from the TF card or the on-board SPI Flash. The Lichee Pi Zero runs its processor at 1.0 GHz, and the board consumes less than 100 mA, so you will not need any cooling arrangements such as fans or heat sinks.

The Lichee Pi Zero is well designed for external connections, as it has plenty of pins available for the task. For instance, you can use its 30 pins to easily plug it into a breadboard, or solder all the 60 pins on it. You can also connect its TF Wi-Fi Card.

On the top side of the Lichee Pi Zero board, one can see the MPU, RGB LED, LCD backlight circuit, TF Slot, and the microUSB ports for OTG and Power. On the bottom side is the Touch Screen Controller, SPI Flash, DCDC Power, and the FPC40 RGB Connector. You can connect the Lichee Pi Zero directly to the LCD, no video cable is necessary. Therefore, if you add to the Lichee Pi Zero an LCD, a Li-Polymer battery, a wireless keyboard, and a simple holder, you can make a mini Laptop.

Like most MCU, the Lichee Pi Zero can connect to several low-speed interfaces, such as GPIO, UART, PWM, ADC, I2C, SPI, and more. Moreover, it can run other high-speed peripherals such as RGB LCD, EPHY, MIPI CSI, OTG USB, and more. The Lichee Pi Zero has an integrated codec that allows direct connection to a headphone or microphone.

The Dock for the Lichee Pi Zero is quite powerful. It offers support for a 5 MP MIPI camera, battery manager, 4 ADC-keys, Ethernet RJ45 Connector, audio jack, microphone, an additional TF slot, and multiple pins for PWM, I2C, SPI, and UART.

The Dock also has a PA slot, through which you can plug in PA modules. Several speakers are supported, including bone conduction speakers, 1-W, and 3-W speakers. The Dock will also support small sized LCD and OLD displays, such as the 2.4-inch 240×320 TFT display, or the 0.96-inch 128×64 OLED display. You can also connect a joystick and keyboard for the setup to work as a miniGameBoy.

On the software side, the Lichee Pi Zero uses the newest Linux 4.10 kernel, and is able to run the Debian Jessie with pixel. The buildroot root file system allows you to put the kernel and the root file system of the Lichee Pi Zero into 8 MB of SPI Flash. The ZeroW Dock mini laptop suit allows you to build your own laptop, with battery manager and Ethernet support.

Treat Yourself to a Raspberry Pi Zero W

The launch of the Raspberry Pi Zero W (RBPiZW) by the Raspberry Pi Foundation recently has added two features many fans of the RBPi have been requesting for a long time. The two features, built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, added to the wonderful RBPi Zero have improved the functionality of the tiny single board computer.

After all, the RBPiZW is only a variant of the RBPi Zero, and therefore, does not merit a full length, in depth review. However, we will focus on the new features the RBPiZW brings to the users.

Keeping with the tradition of the RBPi family of SBC, there is no case or anything to enable the user to treat the RBPiZW as a commercial product. Just like the other RBPi products before it, the RBPiZW is a complete single board computer, bare bones, versatile, and cheap. The Foundation has created the board this way so all hobbyists and professionals can use it with equal ease to make anything they want.

As with the original RBPi Zero, the RBPiZW also has its System-on-a-Chip (SoC) near the middle of the board, while the bottom of the board has the various mini and micro ports. For instance, rather than a full sized HDMI port, the board has a mini-HDMI port for the display to be connected. At the bottom, you will also find two micro-USB ports. One is used for supplying power to the board, and the other to carry data in and out. Therefore, if you wish to connect peripherals such as a mouse or a keyboard, you will need to use a micro-USB B male to USB A female adapter.

On the left side of the board, you will find the micro-SD slot. As with the other RBPi boards of the family, the RBPiZW also does not have built-in flash memory. Therefore, for the Operating System and data storage, you must use a micro-SD card else, you will not be able to boot the tiny computer.

Although there is an Ethernet port on the RBPiZW to connect to the Internet via an Ethernet cable, the presence of the on-board Wi-Fi precludes the use of a USB Wi-Fi dongle. That means even if you do not have a ready Ethernet cable, the RBPiZW will not face any difficulty in surfing the net.

To enable to RBPiZW to start running, you will need to supply it power from its power supply through the micro-USB cable. You must also have a micro-SD card of at least 8 GB capacity and the relevant OS stored on it. If you are going to connect a monitor to the RBPiZW, you will also need a mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter, and an HDMI cable. As you have used up one USB port for power, there is only one more micro-USB port available. Therefore, to connect a keyboard and mouse, you will additionally need a small USB hub. Of course, if you have a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, the single micro-USB port is enough, and you can dispense with the USB hub altogether. For headless applications, you can also discard the monitor, and the HDMI connectors/cables.

How Vulnerable is your Raspberry Pi

The IoT revolution has brought with it many Internet-connected computing devices, including several Single Board Computers, such as the Raspberry Pi (RBPi), going beyond the traditional mobile devices, laptops, desktops, and servers. It is common to see on the network devices such as Internet radio, refrigerators, thermostats, DVRs, and TVs, apart from SBCs such as the RBPi.

As projects rush towards completion, Internet security is ignored, resulting in severe consequences—this is applicable to both commercial products and hobby projects. The online search for IoT security may reveal results suitable for commercial products, with a long intimidating list of requirements. However, the commercial arena has to deal with several regulatory consequences for security breaches. As the RBPi is a Linux computer system, security advices for larger systems apply to it as well.

Hobby projects on the RBPi are fine, but leaving your device open to an attacker will allow them to use it as a stepping-stone to attack someone else from your network. Moreover, there is always the possibility that you have some data on your device you would prefer to keep private. Therefore, you need some tools for your toolbox and some ways to think about circumventing the problem.

As all RBPis have the same default username and password, this is the first thing the attackers look for. Therefore, change the default password to something difficult to crack. Always keep the system updated, including all the packages installed. Use the commands “sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade” for Debian systems, and “sudo dnf update” for Fedora systems.

The security of your Raspberry Pi depends on what it does and what is on it. So you will have to figure out what is it that makes it a target. Attacks may come from different sources, such as an individual manually attacking your device, worms that automatically enter from the network, or viruses installed by someone operating the system.

In general, DIY IoT devices usually do not have medical or financial data, but possibilities do exist. However, there may be other type of data on the RBPi. Stored passwords may be used to attack other systems. The attacker may get access to a web interface that he/she could analyze for finding out more attack methods.

Other vulnerabilities on the RBPi can be the hardware under its control, the devices that it communicates with, or the information it displays. For instance, the attacker may take over the camera connected to your RBPi, monitor the network traffic if you are using your RBPi as a network router, display wrong messages, or vandalize the display. If not anything else, the attacker may take over your RBPi and make it a part of a botnet, or use it as an anonymous relay to attack other sites.

Using encryption for networked connections works very well—the RBPi is powerful enough to handle encryption. For instance, configure web servers to use HTTPS with SSL/TLS. For remote logins, use SSH. Use software packages for the encryption. That way, you will not have to learn to be a cryptographer, but always keep the key a secret.

NanoPI NEO Challenges the Raspberry Pi

If you were looking for Raspberry Pi (RBPi) alternative, the NanoPi NEO would be a good fit. For a starting price of about $7, and measuring just 1.6×1.6 inches, it is smaller than the smallest RBPi Zero W, and is equally capable of running Linux. At its basic price, the RAM it carries is 256 MB. However, for a couple of dollars more, there is another version available and it has 512 MB RAM on it.

The best thing about this tiny challenger to the RBPiZW is the bunch of accessories available. This includes a battery, compass, LCD, and camera add ons. In addition, the maker has also launched a case, with which, you can easily build a networked-attached storage (NAS) from the tiny computer, the NanoPI NEO.

The NAS kit for the NanoPi NEO is made of aluminum, has a heat sink, and a board to allow you to connect an SSD hard drive or a 2.5-inch SATA hard disk. The case dimensions are 6 x 3.9 x 1.9 inches, and for silent operation, there is no provision for a fan. However, it needs a 12 VDC, 2 A power supply, which you have to buy separately. The price for the case does not include the price of the hard disk, so you have a wide choice there.

On the hardware side, the internal processor is an Allwinner H3 quad core with three UARTs. The board has a micro SD card slot, one USB port, a micro USB OTG port. Two additional USB ports are available via headers. On the expansion port, there are the usual I2C and SPI available. The board has no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, but has an Ethernet port. It also does not have an HDMI port, which means you need to log in through SSH. The board also does not have an audio port, but you can get audio out if you solder the 0.1-inch edge connector.

On the software side, you will need to get an ARMBIAN, especially for this board, and a specific version of the legacy Jessie installation from the Armbian site. If you flash the Armbian code into a 16 GB SD card, you can boot up the NanoPi NEO board.

Initially, you should see a dim green LED coming on, and it will brighten up after a few seconds. About 30 seconds later, you should see a blue LED start to flash regularly, along with the green. About a minute after you have plugged the board into the local net via Ethernet, you should be able to see the NanoPi NEO board in its address range.

At this stage, you should be able to log in through Putty or SSH, with login credentials as root and password as 1234, and effect an initial password change.
Although it uses the same Allwinner processor, as does the RBPiZW, the NanoPi NEO runs a lot hotter. That is why the makers are supplying a heat sink along with the case for the NAS kit.

The NanoPi NEO is a marvelous and cute little board. Another version of the board does away with the Ethernet port, but adds Wi-Fi and two USBs.

Orange Pi 2G-IoT Challenges the Raspberry Pi

If you are looking for an alternative for the ubiquitous Raspberry Pi (RBPi) or one of its siblings, give the Orange Pi 2G-IoT a second look. The Shenzhen-based maker of the Orange Pi developer board has made this one to rival the RBPiZW, the RBPi Zero W.

The Orange Pi 2G-IoT is a new design for a single board computer, available for sale of AliExpress. The device can run Android, Debian, Ubuntu, or Raspbian. It gives builders a 2G antenna to run applications for the Internet of Things, and that is where it gets the IoT in the name, while offering wireless LAN and Bluetooth for the same price as that of the RBPiWZ.

Featuring a 1 GHz ARM Cortex-A5 processor running at 32 bits, the Orange Pi 2G-IoT has a 256 MB RAM, and GC860, a Vivante graphics processor. The board supports 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, and 40-pin GPIO connector that matches the RBPi GPIO layout. Additional features include audio and video outputs and inputs, and USB 2.0 ports. There is a slot where you can insert a SIM card, while the 2G antenna supports GPRS/GSM data connections. The only two points of difference with the RBPiZW is it has double the RAM, that is 512 MB, while the Orange Pi 2G-IoT has 500 MB of on-board NAND flash to go along with the SD card slot.

With the Orange Pi 2G-IoT, you do not get a Display port, HDMI port or a VGA port. However, an LCD connector is present, where you can connect an external screen.

However, as the Orange Pi 2G-IoT is still new in the market, anyone who plans to use these devices must proceed with caution on two points. One, check if there is software support for the devices. The RBPiZW is a known entity and has a huge array of operating systems and software to run on it.

Second, those buying the board should check if there are carriers still supporting 2G. For instance, in the US, AT&T and many other carriers have killed off their 2G network, and many are planning to do so very soon. The situation is very similar in the UK. However, there are still some in other parts of the world who continue to support 2G and may do so for years to come.

These ultra-small single board computers offer a lot of options, the list continuing to grow at the lowest prices. After considering the shipping costs, we can call these the sub-$20 boards. This includes the RBPIZW that has the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the Orange Pi Zero, and now the Orange Pi 2G-IoT.

Even with all the impressive features at below $10, especially the addition of GPRS/GSM, the Orange Pi 2G-IoT is not likely to kill the sales of RBPiZW. This is mainly because of the community support the RBPiZW currently enjoys. Of course, the Orange Pis are great little computers, but if you run into a problem with them, you are likely to find less support online, as compared to what you can expect from the huge online community supporting RBPiZW.

RS485 & Raspberry Pi: Monitoring Power

Commercial data centers, lighting controls, utility rooms for buildings, and others need to keep a tab on their power consumption. The normal way to do this is by using electronic voltage meters and multi-branch current monitoring circuits. Vytas Sinkevicius wants to monitor power consumption using the ubiquitous single board computer, the Raspberry Pi (RBPi) as the main controller and the RS485 interface in a Branch Current Monitor (BCM) system.

The heart of the power monitoring system is an RBPi 3. Other parts the system uses are a Pi-SPi-RS485 Interface, a VP-EC-BCM Interface, a breakout PCB for an 18-Channel Current Sense Transformer, and a few Current Sense Transformers. Vytas will be writing the software in C, using the Geany compiler.

Electrical engineers use two types of current sense transformers for measuring current. The first type has a continuous hollow core, with the wire carrying the current passing through the hollow of the core. This type of current transformer is suitable for new constructions and requires the main power to be turned off for installations. The breaker wire has to be removed and re-connected after the current transformer is attached.

The second type of current transformer has a split hollow core, where one-half of the core may be separated from the other. Split cores are ideal for applications where the power wiring to the breakers cannot be switched off. By separating the top half of the core, the breaker wire can be placed in the hollow of the lower part, and the top half of the core replaced thereafter. Vytas is using a split-core current transformer, model type CR3110-3000, and CR Magnetics manufacture it.

The Pi-SPi-RS485 Interface provides power to the VP-EC-BCM Interface and communicates with the RBPi. As the RBPi and Pi-SPi-RS485 combination uses the Modbus RTU and RS485 protocols, they can be located as far as 4000 feet away from the actual area where power is being monitored.

The Pi-SPi-RS485 is a perfect fit for the RBPi3, as its ports match the GPIO port on the RBPi3. Moreover, as it duplicates the GPIO expansion port on the other sides of the Pi-SPi-RS485 module, additional modules are easy to add. You can fit the module directly on the back on an RBPi3, or use optional mounting hardware to connect and keep them alongside. All RS485 signals are duplicated on terminal blocks on the board, and on the RJ45 connectors as well.

Each RS485 module has its own power input (9-24 VDC) for powering remote transmitters, and its LDO regulator operating from the 5 VDC bus provides the 3.3 VDC. Therefore, this does not load the 3.3 VDC bus of the RBPi. There are on-board LED indicators for indicating the status of power and RS485 signals. Termination resistors can be selectively switched in using jumper settings provided. The module provides power to the VP-EC-BCM Interface over a CAT5e cable via the dual RJ45 connectors.

The VP-EC-BCM Interface made by VP Process Inc. does the actual power monitoring. This is a converter unit for current sense transformer with 36 channels. It has a 3-kVAC isolation between the primary circuits and the Power/RS485 Interface.

Orange Pi Prime – Another Rival for the Raspberry Pi 3

There is another Orange Pi among the branches of the highly productive Orange Pi tree belonging to Shenzhen Xunlong. This is the Orange Pi Prime—another rival to the most popular Raspberry Pi 3 (RBPi3). According to the year-end Linux hacker SBC roundup, half a dozen individual Orange Pi models were already existing, and if all the new variants are to be included, that number almost doubles. Proceeding at this rate, the company’s engineers will have checked out almost all possible combinations possible with size, RAM, I/O, and hacker board layout for an Allwinner processor.

Similar to the recent releases of Orange Pi Win and its sibling, the Orange Pi Win Plus, which are built on the quad-core, Cortex-A53 Allwinner SoC, the $30 Orange Pi Prime is also a fully open source SBC. In addition, similar to the more minimalistic Orange Pi PC 2 and its sibling the Orange Pi Plus H5, the Prime tab means they are using the newer SoC, the Allwinner H5. However, compared to the Allwinner A64 of the Win boards, the Orange Pi Prime has the more powerful Mali-450 MP2 graphics processor. The H5 processors typically run at clocks of 1.2 GHz.

Whenever a Linux capable hacker board surfaces in the market, people refer to it as an RBPi competitor, which could be erroneous—considering their features, size, and prices vary considerably. However, in the case of the Orange Pi Win and the Orange Pi Prime boards, including some boards such as the Odroid-C2 and NanoPi A64, the comparison with the RBPi3 is downright correct, given the close approximation of their feature set, performance, and price. Even their 40-pin expansion connector is pin compatible to that of the RBPi3.

The Orange Pi Prime is very similar to the Orange Pi Win board. Both have the generous 2 GB RAM, same as that available on the Odroid-C2. Also, just as the Orange Pi Win does, the Prime too has a micro SD card slot, Bluetooth, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, a GbE port, HDMI port, AV, microphone inputs, MIPI-CSI, and a 3.5 mm audio output.

Apart from the above, there are other common features as well. These include the 40-pin connector, debug, GPIO, IR interface, and an operating temperature range of -10 to 65°C. The Prime has a footprint of 98 x 60 mm, which is only slightly larger than the 93 x 60 mm footprint of the Win. Among the differences with the Win, the Prime has only three USB 2.0 host ports, and does not have a battery connector, optional eMMC, or PMIC.

Unlike the Win boards, the Prime will not be supporting Windows 10 IoT in the future. The Linux distributions for the Prime are also somewhat different. They include Android 4.4, Ubuntu Desktop, Debian Desktop, and Arch Server.

The hardware specifications for the Orange Pi Prime include the Allwinner H5 processor, which is a 4x Cortex-A53 and an ARM Mali-450 MP2 GPU. The board runs on a 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, has 2 MB NOR flash memory, and a micro SD slot with up to a maximum capacity of 64 GB.

Is there a 64-bit Raspberry Pi?

Although the arrival of the Raspberry Pi 3 (RBPi3) heralded a huge speed boost for the Linux hacker board, this $35, wireless-enabled single board computer did not signal a switch over to 64-bit ARM computing. Even though the hardware, following so many other SBCs at the time, was 64 bits, the default Linux distribution from the Raspberry Pi Foundation is still 32-bit.

Eventually, there will be a changeover to 64-bit ARM firmware, as the technology offers significant improvements in performance. More power-efficient chips, such as the 64-bit x86 are also piling on the pressure. However, the Raspberry Pi Foundation is still not committing itself beyond considering a change in the coming months to the 64-bit for the default Raspbian distribution as the reworking of the code required for the changeover is going to be extensive.

The RBPi3 has advanced to the new quad-core of Cortex A53 BCM2837 SoC from Broadcom. Architecturally, this SoC is quite similar to the BCM2836 that the predecessor RBPi2 uses—the quad-core Cortex A7. The Pi Foundation claims that even while operating in 32-bits, the RBPI3 delivers more than 50% better performance than delivered by the RBPi2. This is because of two improvements, one due to the superior architecture of the Cortex A-53, and the other due to the higher clock rate of 1.2 GHz of the RBPi3, as compared to that of 900 MHz of the RBPi2.

While comparing the RBPi3 with the RBPi2, we find the BCM2837 on the RBPi3 is paired with the same VideoCore IV GPU from Broadcom, similar to that in the RBPi2. However, in the RBPi3, the GPU is clocked at a higher rate of 400 MHz. That precludes any video performance at 4K, deep learning projects, or any high-end VR from the RBPi3. On the other hand, the Odroid-C2, being equipped with a Mali-450 GPU, supports 4K video decoding.

Eben Upton, the CEO for the Foundation’s commercial arm, the Raspberry Pi Trading, has explained this. According to Upton, the VideoCore IV 3D is the only 3-D graphics core for the ARM-based SoCs that has been documented publicly and the Foundation wants to make the RBPi more open over time.

Apart from the new SoC, the RBPi3 has also added a wireless chip from Broadcom, the BCM43438, and this enables it with 2.4 GHz, 802.11n Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.1 BLE. With this addition, the RBPi3 steals a march over the Odroid-C2, which lacks wireless, operates on a Cortex-53 Amlogic S905 SoC, and costs $5 more.

Whether to have wireless onboard, or to let users select their own wireless options via Ethernet or USB adapters, has been the subject of an intense debate. As earlier, cost was the main consideration, and the deciding factor came from the dropping prices of wireless chips. Further, the single antenna of the Broadcom chip can be soldered directly onto the board, rather than be used as a module.

Other than the slight shift in the placement of the LED, the new processor, and the wireless capability, the RBPi3 is identical to its predecessor, the RBPi2. They share the same dimensions, amount of RAM, and the 40-pin expansion connector.

Extending IoT with the Raspberry Pi

Recently, the Raspberry Foundation has updated its embedded Compute Module with a faster ARM processor. This will help developers and businesses build new IoT devices. The new Compute Module 3 (CM3) comes with a powerful new option and embedded compute capabilities for device makers interested in the Internet of Things (IoT).

Although not to be confused with the Single Board Computer, the Raspberry Pi (RBPi), with which the CM3 also shared the latest update, is a tiny form-factor ARM-powered SBC originally developed to help both kids and adults learn computer programming.

Launched with the same form factor as that of the RBPi, the CM3 was specifically targeted at business and industrial users. While the RBPi is a completely standalone device, the CM3, on the other hand, is a module intended for plugging into a separate Printed Circuit Board. The primary aim of the Compute Module is to let vendors and developers develop customized products quickly.

The new CM3, like the RBPi3, also uses the same Broadcom system-on-chip (SoC), the ARM BCM2837. The ARM Cortex A53 design forms the base for the SoC BCM2837, which is a 1.2 GHz, quad-core chip running on 64 bits. As a bonus, the standard CM3 has an on-module eMMC flash memory of 4 GB.

Other than the standard CM3, the Raspberry Pi Foundation also has a CM3L or Compute Module 3 Lite version. With the CM3L, users can wire up their choice of an SD card interface or eMMC memory. While the CM3L also comes with the same BCM2837 SoC, the on-board RAM is still restricted to 1 GB only.

Along with the CM3 and the CM3L, the Raspberry Pi Foundation is also releasing the new Compute Module IO Board V3 (CMIO3). This will provide developers with a starter breakout board to which they can connect their Compute Module.

The CMIO3 offers designers a starting template for designing with the Compute Module, providing them with a quick method to experiment with the hardware and to build and test a system. Once the experiment succeeds, they can proceed with the expense of fabricating a custom board. The CMIO3 also provides the necessary USB and HDMI connectors to make up the entire system that boots up and runs the Raspbian OS, or any other OS you select.

Although the Raspberry Pi Foundation has only recently released new Command Modules, next generation large-format displays based on the modules are already available from the consumer electronics vendor NEC, as they had early access to them.

The idea behind the Compute Modules is to provide a cost-effective and easy route to making customized products using the hardware and software platforms of the RBPi. The modules provided the team in the garage the same technology that the big guys already had. The Module takes care of the complexity of routing the core power supply, the high-speed RAM interface, and the processor pins, while allowing a simple carrier board provide the basics in terms of form factor and external interfaces. The form factor of the module follows that of the inexpensive, easily available, standard DDR2 SODIMM.