Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ microcomputer

TheRaspberry Pi 3 Model A+ is the next generation of the A series, positioned as a simplified and more compact version of the B+ model, and is focused on use in embedded solutions and systems that require minimal power consumption and do not require an Ethernet connection and only one USB port.

This model is based on the BCM2837B0 64-bit SoC with Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) CPU operating at 1.4GHz. The board is equipped with 512 MB of RAM (the previous A+ model came with 256 MB).

The form factor and dimensions of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ are exactly the same as the Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+: 56mm × 65mm, which is 2 cm shorter than the B+ boards.

In addition to a significantly more productive 64-bit CPU and doubling the size of the RAM, a distinctive feature of the new Model A+ is the built-in support for 802.11.b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 4.2/BLE wireless communication. Among the changes in the hardware, there is also an improvement in support for booting from USB drives and enhanced power management and temperature control capabilities (when the chip temperature is up to 70°C, the frequency is set to 1.4GHz, but if the temperature exceeds 70°C, the frequency drops to 1.2GHz and the voltage level supplied to the chip also decreases).

Like the previous model, the board is equipped with a full-size HDMI connector, 40-pin GPIO, one USB 2.0 port, a MicroSD port, a CSI port for connecting a camera, and a DSI port for connecting a touch screen. The composite video port is combined with a 3.5mm audio output jack.

Raspbian is offered as an operating system. The NOOBS user interface can be used to install various distributions on the SD card.

Specifications:

• Processor: Broadcom BCM2837B0, Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.4GHz
• Memory: 512MB LPDDR2 SDRAM
• Wireless: 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11.b/g/n/ac wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.2/BLE
• Standard 40-pin GPIO I/O interface
• Full size HDMI interface
• One USB 2.0 port
• CSI camera port for attaching the Raspberry Pi Camera Module
• DSI display port for connecting the Raspberry Pi Touch Display module
• 4-pole stereo output and composite video port
• Micro SD card slot containing operating system files and user data
• 5V / 2.5A DC power input