The different flavors of a Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has released four major models of the Raspberry Pi computer. They the are Model A, Model B, Model B+, and Model A+. The Raspberry Pi's CPU is the Broadcom BCM2835 chip. It contains an ARM processor running at 700 MHz and a powerful graphics chip. The board features HDMI and Composite (RCA) video outputs, USB ports, two expansion slots, a Micro USB port for power, and an array of GPIO (General-purpose input/output) pins to interact with the outside world.
Since all models share the same basic hardware platform, all the examples in this book are applicable to all the versions.
Model A |
Model A+ |
Model B |
Model B+ | |
---|---|---|---|---|
USB |
1 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
Ethernet |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Video outputs |
HDMI/Composite |
HDMI/Composite via 3.5 mm jack |
HDMI/Composite |
HDMI/Composite via 3.5 mm jack |
Memory |
256 MB |
256 MB |
512 MB |
512 MB |
Storage |
SD card |
MicroSD card |
SD card |
MicroSD card |
Power usage |
300 mA |
300 mA |
700 mA |
600 mA |
Price |
$25 |
$20 |
$35 |
$35 |
Differences |
Low cost solution. Does not have built in Ethernet and it has only one 1 USB port. |
Newest board. Low power, low cost, and much smaller form factor. |
Original board. Balances features and price. |
New revision to the B board. Has a new layout, 4 USB ports, and more GPIO pins. |