Raspberry Pi 4 computer triples speed, says Farnell
Distributor Farnell has introduced the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B computer, describing it as the most powerful Raspberry Pi to date.
It is three times faster and offers greater memory capacity, with improved interface and connectivity, says Farnell.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer offers significant enhancements in processor speed, multimedia performance, memory and connectivity for general desktop computer users, hobbyist and makers and professional developers working with compute-intensive embedded applications such as computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI).
“The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer … delivers a real jump in capabilities and addresses the needs of the growing market for Raspberry Pi,” said Hari Kalyanarama, global head of single board computers at Farnell.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer is the first model to use a 28nm SoC, delivering a significant increase in performance and energy efficiency, reports Farnell. It has a quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 64-bit processor clocked at 1.5GHz, which accounts for the three-fold increase in operating speed.
For video and sound there are two micro HDMI ports support dual-display output at resolutions up to 4K. For fast data transfer, there is a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to deliver transfer rates to mass-storage devices (up to 5Gbits per second). There is true Gigabit Ethernet connectivity to deliver network data rates of up to 1Gbits per second.
Dual-band wireless networking at 2.4 and 5.0GHz delivers data rates in excess of 100Mbits per second. Modular compliance certification allows the board to be designed into end products with what Farnell descrbies as “significantly reduced compliance testing” to accelerate time to market.
Memory options are 1.0, 2.0 and 4Gbyte LPDDR4 and for multimedia applications the Raspberry Pi 4 Computer has H.265 decode (4kp60), H.264 decode (1080p60) and H.264 encode (1080p30), OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics and an image sensor pipeline.
There is a 40-pin general purpose I/O header with full backward compatibility and additional multiplexed UART, I2C and SPI peripherals. There is also a Micro SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage and Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, using a separate HAT accessory.
According to Raspberry Pi Trading Chief Executive Eben Upton, AI and machine learning (ML) data can be processed right on the board, reducing the need to send data to the cloud and addressing real-world concerns about privacy. The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B can be used as a desktop computer, with a powerful processor, multimedia acceleration and dual-display support.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer is the first model to use a 28nm SoC, delivering a significant increase in performance and energy efficiency.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer will remain in production until at least January 2026. Also available alongside the Raspberry Pi 4 Computer is a new case and a range of accessories including power supplies and micro HDMI cables.
The Raspberry Pi 4 Computer is available now from Farnell across EMEA and CPC in the UK, and Newark in North America.
