New Raspberry Pi board offers more sensors and accessories

The new Raspberry Pi B+ board, which marks the first significant change to the credit card-sized computer, is available to buy immediately through element14. The new board offers more sensors and accessories, 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″ hard drives through the device. Up to 1.2 A 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 Raspberry Pi B+ is based on the same Broadcom BCM2835 Chipset and 512 MB 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 analog 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 (600 mA) than the Model B Board (750 mA) when running.

Later this month Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading, 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.