Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Revealed: SODIMM farewell
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Revealed: SODIMM farewell
This compute module arrives six months after the Raspberry Pi 4, with the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 offering users a starting price of $25 and 32 total variants to meet the needs of all customers. Pricing-wise, all Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 products will offer more value than their predecessors, offering users an enhanced feature set and 1GB RAM options with the same pricing as the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3.Â
For a fully kitted out Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, users will get 8GB of RAM, 32GB of eMMC storage and WiFi support for $90.Â
Smaller than ever
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The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 brings with it a new form factor, removing the devices drop-in compatibility with devices which used older Compute Modules. Older Compute Modules used the JEDEC DDR2 SODIMM form factor, connecting the device to I/O through an edge connector. Now, the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 uses two high-density perpendicular connectors for power and I/O.Â
Thanks to this change, the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 has become much smaller than its predecessor, which is great news for any product which will make use of the board.Â
Specifications
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 uses the same quad-core BCM2711 processor as the Raspberry Pi 4, offering users a significant performance boost over Raspberry Pi’s prior Compute Modules. This processor offers users faster CPU cores, faster media encoding/decoding, new I/O options and faster DRAM with increased densities.Â
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 has 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB RAM configurations, can be purchased with or without WiFi support and ship with optional eMMC storage onboard (8GB, 16GB or 32GB).Â
One major add-on for the Raspberry Pi 4 is PCIe 2.0 support, allowing users to attach PCIe devices to the Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Board. This is just a single PCIe 2.0 lane, giving the Compute Module 4 a data transfer rate of around 500MB/s.Â
Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Modules Specifications:Â
– 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU
– VideoCore VI graphics, supporting OpenGL ES 3.x
– 4Kp60 hardware decode of H.265 (HEVC) video
– 1080p60 hardware decode, and 1080p30 hardware encode of H.264 (AVC) video
– Dual HDMI interfaces, at resolutions up to 4K
– Single-lane PCI Express 2.0 interface
– Dual MIPI DSI display, and dual MIPI CSI-2 camera interfaces
– 1GB, 2GB, 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM
– Optional 8GB, 16GB or 32GB eMMC Flash storage
– Optional 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac wireless LAN and Bluetooth 5.0
– Gigabit Ethernet PHY with IEEE 1588 support
– 28 GPIO pins, with up to 6 × UART, 6 × I2C and 5 × SPI
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To help users get started with the Compute Module 4 I/O board, Raspberry Pi has released a new I/O board. This new board allows users of the Raspberry Pi 4 to utilise the full interfacing capabilities of the Compute Module 4. Â
The Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module 4 I/O board will cost $35, making the complete Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module package cost as little as $60Â
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The IO board provides:
– Two full-size HDMI ports
– Gigabit Ethernet jack
– Two USB 2.0 ports
– MicroSD card socket (only for use with Lite, no-eMMC Compute Module 4 variants)
– PCI Express Gen 2 x1 socket
– HAT footprint with 40-pin GPIO connector and PoE header
– 12V input via barrel jack (supports up to 26V if PCIe unused)
– Camera and display FPC connectors
– Real-time clock with battery backup
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While the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 features an onboard antenna, some users would benefit from using an external antenna. This is where Raspberry Pi’s Compute Module 4 Antenna Kit comes in.Â
This kill will be especially useful to those who will be placing their Compute Modules within a metal case, which is common within industrial applications.Â
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 is Raspberry Pi’s most powerful to date, delivering users new features, a smaller form factor and the same compelling pricing levels as before for basic models.Â
You can join the discussion on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 on the OC3D Forums.Â