Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+: A closer look at the new $25 board
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The Pi 3 Model A+
The Pi 3 Model A+
The new Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ packs most of the specs of the $35 Pi 3 B+ into a more compact, even cheaper board.
The tiny computer is a massive upgrade over the old Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+, which is based on the same single core system-on-a-chip as the first-generation Pi, released back in 2012. Like the original, the new A+ is a single-board computer designed to be built into homemade hardware — such as this remote-controlled robot — thanks to its small size and low-power consumption.
Despite the very noticeable bump to its specs, the price of the board is $25, only slightly more than the old A+.
Click through the gallery for a guided tour of all the new features on the board.
Read more about the Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+ review: A $25 computer with a lot of promise
- How to set up your Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+
- Raspberry Pi 3 Model A+: A cheat sheet
Pi 3 A+ vs B+
Pi 3 A+ vs B+
As you see here, the A+ is noticeably shorter than the B+, giving it a more compact, square shape.
The squashed size of A+ is made possible by removing the Ethernet port and by only sporting a single USB port.
Otherwise the specs of the two boards are almost identical, with the only other major difference being the A+ has half the memory of the B+.
Size-wise, the A+ is 65mm u00d7 56.5mm — the same as the first-generation Raspberry Pi A+ — compared to the B+’s 85.6mm u00d7 56.5mm.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
Underneath the board
Underneath the board
This is the underside of the Pi 3 A+, sporting the board’s RAM and the SD card reader.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
The CPU
The CPU
Like the Raspberry Pi 3 B+, the A+ runs on a Broadcom BCM2837B0, a quad-core Arm Cortex A53-based processor, running at 1.4GHz.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
Wi-Fi antenna
Wi-Fi antenna
Wireless connectivity is also identical to the Pi 3 B+, with the A+ offering dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2, and the same wireless antenna hidden inside this Raspberry-branded tin.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
The ports
The ports
The Pi 3 A+ offers one full-sized HDMI 1.3 port, which should work well with 1080p monitors and TVs, as well a microUSB connector for power, and a 4 pole stereo audio output and composite video jack.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
Ports from above
Ports from above
Another view of the ports on the right-hand side of the board.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
512MB RAM
512MB RAM
Here you can see the chip for the A+’s onboard RAM. With only 512MB, compared to 1GB on the Pi 3 B+, this is probably the biggest difference between the two boards.
If you’re looking to use the Pi as a desktop PC, the constrained memory will likely cause the Pi to struggle once you’ve got a few programs open.
However, for those who work mainly in the command line, and use the Pi to run software as part of a larger system, say as a control unit on a robot, this memory may be plenty.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
Single USB 2.0
Single USB 2.0
While only having a single USB 2.0 port may seem limiting, mouse and keyboard can also be connected via Bluetooth, and keeping the ports down helps lower the A+’s power consumption compared to the B+.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
40-pin GPIO header
40-pin GPIO header
Like the Pi 3 B+, the A+ also sports a 40-pin general purpose input-output (GPIO) header for hooking up other boards, sensors, motors, and homemade hardware to the Pi.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
SD card storage slot
SD card storage slot
While there are other options for storage, the A+ typically boots from and stores data on a microSD card, that slots into the reader seen here. If you’re looking for other forms of storage, the Raspberry Pi Foundation says the Pi 3 A+ offers “improved mass-storage booting” compared to the B+.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
DSI display connector
DSI display connector
Useful for hooking up small LCD screens to the Pi, so it can be used on the move, the usual DSI connector found on Pi boards is also present.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
Side-by-side with Pi 3 B+
Side-by-side with Pi 3 B+
While the A+ is the shorter board, both the B+ and A+ are the same width.
Another advantage over the B+, according to The Raspberry Pi Foundation, is better thermal management, suggesting lower running temperatures and less throttling of the processor when under heavy load.
SEE: More Raspberry Pi coverage (TechRepublic Flipboard magazine)
