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The Raspberry Pi Foundation has just released a brand new version of their Compute Module named the Compute Module 3+ or CM3+.
Raspberry Pi touts this latest version of their computer module to have up to eight times the Flash Memory capacity, double the RAM and over ten times the ARM performance when compared to the original Compute Module.
What is the Raspberry Pi Compute Module
For those who do not know what the Raspberry Pi Compute Module is. It is a version of the Raspberry Pi that has been specifically designed for use in industrial applications where they are in need of something to handle computations in a small form factor.
By using a 200 Pin SODIMM socket allows engineers to add the ability for the Compute Module to be a replaceable component, such as with some NEC commercial-grade displays that allow you to slot in a Compute Module 3.
The Compute Module also provides additional interfaces with the board coming with support for two camera inputs, as well as two display outputs in addition to more GPIO pins.
Improvements in the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ comes with several improvements over its predecessor the CM3, with many of its improvements coming from the new Raspberry Pi 3B+.
Bringing from the 3B+ the CM3+ now features improved thermal design as well as the more modern Broadcom BCM2837B0 processor.
The changes in the thermal design of the processor with the addition of the heat spreader mean that there is a slight increase in the z-height of the CM3+. However, this should be minimal and not affect existing applications as the rest of the form-factor, and electrical requirements on the board remain the same.
One downside of the CM3+ is that due to the power-supply limitations of the board the processor will be locked at a maximum speed of 1.2GHz compared to the max speed of the Pi 3B+.
In addition to the improvements to the board design, the Raspberry Pi foundation is also releasing more variants of the Compute Module that feature more flash memory.
While the previous Compute Module 1 and Compute Module 3 only came with 4GB of Flash Memory the Compute Module 3+ comes with different variants as we have shown in the list below.
Additionally, there is also a flash memory-less version of the Raspberry Pi for those who do not require flash memory to be built into the device.
- Compute Module 3+ Lite, $25 USD
- Compute Module 3+ 8GB, $30 USD
- Compute Module 3+ 16GB, $35 USD
- Compute Module 3+, 32GB, $40 USD
Availability
One advantage of the Compute Module 3+ is that it has a fairly long-term availability with production available until at least January 2026. Raspberry Pi is moving the old CM1, CM3 products to “not recommended for new designs” status, even though all three of those units will continue to be made until at least January 2023.
The Compute Module 3+, much like the Raspberry Pi 3B+ will be the last in a line of 40nm-based Raspberry Pi products with new versions being moved onto a new manufacturing process.
You can find more information about the Compute Module 3+ over at the official Raspberry Pi website.
