Brand New Raspberry Pi Board Adds Connectivity and Power Features to Enable Bigger and Better Projects

Launched today, the new Raspberry Pi B+ board, which marks the first significant change to the multi-million selling credit card-sized computer, is available to buy immediately through element14. Priced at $35, the new board offers more sensors and accessories than ever before, enabling users to build bigger and better projects.

Advanced power management and enhanced connectivity make it possible to power four USB accessories such as 2.5 inch hard drive through the device. Up to 1.2A can be delivered to the USB ports to connect power-hungry devices and accessories without needing mains power or an external USB hub.

Featuring a 40-pin extended GPIO, even more sensors, connectors and expansion boards can be added to the board, allowing users to increase the complexity of their Raspberry Pi projects. The first 26 pins remain identical to the original Raspberry Pi Model B for 100% backward compatibility.

The new Raspberry Pi Model B+ is available to buy today on the element14 Community.

"The new Raspberry Pi B+ marks the first major re-design of what has been one of the stand-out tech products in the last few years,” says Claire Doyle, global head of Raspberry Pi at element14, the leading distributor of the credit-card sized computer. "We’ve already seen the board drive some amazing designs, but the B+ model opens up the opportunity to push the boundaries of complexity and innovation to make even bigger and better projects. It is also the board that can open up a whole new area of learning for young people.”

The Raspberry Pi B+ is based on the same Broadcom BCM2835 Chipset and 512MB of RAM as the previous model. It is powered by micro USB with AV connections through either HDMI or a new four-pole connector replacing the existing analogue audio and composite video ports. The SD card slot has been replaced with a micro-SD, tidying up the board design and helping to protect the card from damage. The B+ board also now uses less power (600mA) than the Model B Board (750mA) when running.

Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading, comments: "We’ve been blown away by the projects that have been made possible through the original B boards and, with its new features, the B+ has massive potential to push the boundaries and drive further innovation. We are really looking forward to continuing our relationship with element14 and ensuring widespread adoption of the new board.”

Later this month Eben Upton will be joining an element14 webinar to introduce the new Raspberry Pi B+. Join Eben on 31 July 2014 as he discusses the features and capabilities of the B+, and shows how its improved versatility will enhance projects ranging from the most basic to the most advanced. To register for the webinar click here.

Since its launch in February 2012 over three million Raspberry Pi boards have been sold and the element14 Community has become one of the leading websites for discussion and collaboration around Raspberry Pi projects and developments. With over 250,000 registered users the element14 Community is the largest online community for design engineers to share ideas, knowledge and solve challenges.

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Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl) is a global leader in high service distribution of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, production, maintenance and repair. It trades as Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 across Asia Pacific. With sales last year of £968m, the Group is supported by a global supply chain of more than 3,500 suppliers and an inventory profile developed to anticipate and meet its customers’ needs.

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