A new version of the Raspberry PI 3 model B+ has released, and it is incredible update over the older model. Just over two years ago, I got Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. It was my first 64-bit ARM board. It came with 64-bit CPU. Here are the complete specs for updated 64-bit credit card size computer.
From the blog post:
Dual-band wireless LAN and Bluetooth are provided by the Cypress CYW43455 “combo” chip, connected to a Proant PCB antenna similar to the one used on Raspberry Pi Zero W. Compared to its predecessor, Raspberry Pi 3B+ delivers somewhat better performance in the 2.4GHz band, and far better performance in the 5GHz band
Previous Raspberry Pi devices have used the LAN951x family of chips, which combine a USB hub and 10/100 Ethernet controller. For Raspberry Pi 3B+, Microchip have supported us with an upgraded version, LAN7515, which supports Gigabit Ethernet. While the USB 2.0 connection to the application processor limits the available bandwidth, we still see roughly a threefold increase in throughput compared to Raspberry Pi 3B.
The Raspberry Pi model 3 B+ Specs
- SOC: Broadcom BCM2837B0, Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) 64-bit SoC
- CPU: 1.4GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU
- RAM: 1GB LPDDR2 SDRAM
- WIFI: Dual-band 802.11ac wireless LAN (2.4GHz and 5GHz ) and Bluetooth 4.2
- Ethernet: Gigabit Ethernet over USB 2.0 (max 300 Mbps). Power-over-Ethernet support (with separate PoE HAT). Improved PXE network and USB mass-storage booting.
- Thermal management: Yes
- Video: Yes – VideoCore IV 3D. Full-size HDMI
- Audio: Yes
- USB 2.0: 4 ports
- GPIO: 40-pin
- Power: 5V/2.5A DC power input
- Operating system support: Linux and Unix
Key Improvements from Pi 3 Model B to Pi 3 Model B+
- Improved compatibility for network booting
- New support for Power over Ethernet
- Processor speed has increased from 1.2Ghz on Pi 3 to 1.4Ghz
- New dual band wireless LAN chip, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz with embedded antenna
- Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy
- Faster onboard Ethernet, up to 300mbps speed
The only downside
The Gigabit Ethernet is a nice upgrade. However, the storage and network share the same bus. So you will not get full Gigabit speed. In other words Gigabit connectivity at a theoretical maximum throughput of 300Mb/s. But, you can’t get everything for $35.
Raspberry PI 3 model B+ pricing
The price is same as the existing Raspberry Pi 3 Model B:
- USD – $35
For more info see this page.
Posted by: Vivek Gite
The author is the creator of nixCraft and a seasoned sysadmin, DevOps engineer, and a trainer for the Linux operating system/Unix shell scripting. Get the latest tutorials on SysAdmin, Linux/Unix and open source topics via RSS/XML feed or weekly email newsletter.