element14 launches Raspberry Pi Compute Development Kit

The original Raspberry Pi has now sold over three million units worldwide, with applications ranging from a child’s first experience of computing through to space exploration, many great examples are available at element14 Pi Projects. Increasingly, due to its low cost, high performance and stable support package, many design engineers are incorporating a complete Raspberry Pi unit into their end design. With significant interest in using the Raspberry Pi in industrial and embedded applications the logical next step is to provide engineers with all the benefits the traditional board in a flexible form factor to support embedded design, hence the development of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module.

Key features include:

Small and powerful - SODIMM sized (6.5x3cm) the Compute Module contains the BCM2835 chip with 512MB RAM with an on board 4GB eMMC Flash memory for booting the OS.

Flexible and rapid prototype development - the kit contains a fully functional IO board which supports an extensive GPIO and multiple connectors to help foster rapid prototype development with access to all of the BCM2835 functionality.

Custom Hardware and Software Solutions - Benefit from the dedicated hardware design created by an engineer, whilst still providing all of the power of a fully functional Linux application server to perform the analysis and computational tasks necessary to manage and self-diagnose the industrial solution. This unique combination of services will help define the next generation of the “Internet of Things”.

The Raspberry Pi Compute Development Kit contains:

• Raspberry Pi Compute Module

• SODIMM sized 6.5x3cm board
• BCM2835 chip with 512MB RAM
• On board 4GB eMMC Flash memory
• 200 pin edge connector

• IO Board

• Multiple GPIO interfaces
• One micro USB connector type B
• One USB connector type A
• Two CSI ports for camera boards
• Two DSI ports for display boards
• Full size HDMI port

• Adapters for camera and display
• Power Supply
• USB
• Four jumper connectors

Claire Doyle, Global Head of Raspberry Pi, element14 said: “We expect the Raspberry Pi Compute Development Kit to be adopted by design engineers for industrial applications making the power of Pi accessible to more than just the hobbyist. The development kit industry is exploding and the Raspberry Pi Compute Development Kit opens up the features of the Pi to the industrial design community.”

The Compute Development Kit costs $200 (USD) and is available from Farnell element14 and CPC in Europe, Newark element14 and MCM in North America and element14 in APAC all with next day delivery. Quality data sheets and application notes can be found on the product pages together with a range of associated accessories, and 24/5 live tech support is available for any queries.