2019-05-01_Linux_Format

MMMay 2019591a2tkes1telohfi May 2019 LXF249 51

Raspberry Pi Reviews

VERDICT

stillstraightforward.ThefirststepistocloneaGitHub

repository,whichincludesthetoolsnecessarytoperform

aUSBbootoftheCM3+.ThisenablestheCM3+tobe

mountedlikearegularflashdrive.Thenwecaneitheruse

atoolsuchasddtowriteaRaspbianimage,orinourcase

Etcher,whichdetectedtheCM3+andwrotetheimagein

around 10 minutes.

SowhatdowedowiththeCM3+?Thisiswherethe

funbegins.Wecandesignourowncircuitboardsbased

aroundtheboard.ForexamplewecouldbuildaCM3+

poweredmuseumexhibitwithtouchscreencontrols,

multimediaplaybackandmotorisedelements.Wehave

accesstoalloftheGPIOpresentontheSoC;allweneed

isthetimeandpatiencetocreateacarrierboard,likethe

CMIO,thatbreaksouttheconnectionsthatweneed.

Thisboardisn’tforeveryone;infact,it’sonlyreally

viableforbuildingInternetofThings,roboticsand

industrialapplications.Fortheaverageuserit’smoreof

aninterestingpieceofPi-poweredtechnology.Butforthe

fewwhowanttocreatetheirownPi-poweredproducts

withoutthebulkoftheformfactor,theCM3+isan

interestingandexpansiveplatform,andcost-effective.

heRaspberryPiComputeModuleisoneof

thoseboardsseeninthemakercommunity,but

rarelyusedinprojectsformostmakers.It’s

designedforindustrialuseandthisisevidentbytheform

factor.Measuringonly67.6x31mmandlooksmorelikea

stickoflaptopDDRRAM(butnotelectricallycompatible),

thisisactuallyaPi 3 B+shrunkdownintothesmallest

form.Itevenhas1GBofRAM,thecurrentmaximumfor

thisgenerationofRaspberryPi.

Butwhatdoweloseintheprocess?Well,chiefly

wirelessconnectivity:thereisnoWi-FiorBluetoothwith

thisboard.AnotherlossisthattheCPUfortheCM3+

runsat1.2GHzandnotthefull1.4GHzfoundonthe

3 B+.Ontheotherhand,wegaineMMCstoragein8, 16

and32GBcapacities–exceptfortheCM3+Lite,which

reliesonoffboardmicroSDcardstorage.TheeMMC

storageisconnecteddirectlytotheprocessorandgives

usaninterfacespeedsimilartoaClass 10 microSDcard.

Thisisnotlightningfastaccess,butquickenoughand

lesspronetocorruptionthananSDcard.

TheBCM2837B0SystemonaChip(SoC)isthesame

asfoundonthe 3 B+and 3 A+,buttheCM3+canoffer

upalloftheGPIOpinspresentforthisSoC–all 120 of

them!TodothistheCM3+,likeitsearlierversions,

requirestheComputeModuleIOboard.Thisboard

providesuswithasingleUSB2.0porttoconnectahub,

keyboard,mouseandsoon.Therearealsoconnections

fortheofficialRaspberryPicameraanddisplay–infact,

twoconnectionsforeachdevice,sodualscreensand

dualcameraprojectsarepossible.TheCMIOboardalso

providesamicroSDcardslotneededfortheCM3+Lite,

andanHDMIconnector.

FlashingtheoperatingsystemtotheeMMCisamulti-

stepprocess,whichisnotassimpleasaregularPi,but

ARaspberryPi 3

B+shrunkinto

theshapeof

laptopRAM.

Thistinyboard

hasplentyof

powerbutcan

bebuiltinto

bespoke

projects

designedbythe

user.Ifyouare

buildinga

RaspberryPi

projectand

wanttoscaleup

intoaproduct,

orintegratethe

Piintoan

industrial

application,this

boardisforyou.

T

TheswansongforthisgenerationofRaspberryPiis a

capableyetbespokepieceofkit.Forthosethatwantto

createbespokeproductspoweredbyPi,thisis yourboard.

In bRIEf

fEaTuREs 8 /10

PERfoRmanCE 8/10

EasEofusE 7/10

ValuE 9/10

Rating8/10

DevelopeR:RaspberryPiTrading

Web:www.raspberrypi.org/products/compute-

module-3-plus-32gb

pRice:£38

It might look

justlikea stick of

laptopRAM,buthere we

havea fullcomputer.

Compute module 3+

lespounder takes a look at the last of this generation’s Raspberry Pi

and wonders what makers can do with this much power.

Paired with the Compute Module

IO board, the CM3+ offers 120

GPIO pins to play with.