Farnell, an Avnet Company and global distributor of electronic components, products and solutions, has today announced the availability of the first product built on Raspberry Pi-designed silicon: Raspberry Pi Pico. This new product brings Raspberry Pi’s signature values of high performance, low cost, and ease of use to the microcontroller market, in a game-changing $4 development kit. Farnell customers will be able to purchase the Raspberry Pi Pico from the Farnell website from Monday 25 January.

Raspberry Pi Pico is built around the brand-new Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller, delivering a flexible, highly affordable development platform that can also be directly deployed into end products, reducing time-to-market. RP2040 offers high performance for integer workloads, a large on-chip memory, and a wide range of I/O options, making it a flexible solution for a wide range of microcontroller applications.

Professional design engineers who are already comfortable working with Raspberry Pi will easily adopt the Raspberry Pi Pico and appreciate its ease of use and affordability.

Key features include:

• Memory: 264kB of on-chip SRAM; 2MB of on-board QSPI Flash.
• Interfacing and mechanicals: 26 GPIO pins, of which 3 can be used as analogue inputs. 0.1” through-hole pads with castellated edges for SMT assembly.
• Power: On-board power supply to generate 3.3V for RP2040 and external circuitry. Wide input voltage range, from 1.8V to 5.5V, giving designers the flexibility to select their preferred power source.
• Developer tools: Simple drag and drop programming via micro-USB. 3-pin Serial Wire Debug (SWD) for interactive debugging. Comprehensive C SDK, mature MicroPython port, and extensive examples and documentation.

At the heart of the Raspberry Pi Pico is RP2040, a Raspberry Pi-designed microcontroller. It features two ARM Cortex-M0+ cores clocked at 133 MHz; 264 kB of on-chip SRAM; 30 multifunction GPIO pins; dedicated hardware for commonly used peripherals alongside a programmable I/O subsystem for extended peripheral support; a four-channel ADC with internal temperature sensor; and built-in USB 1.1 with host and device support.

Lee Turner, Global Head of Semiconductors and SBC at Farnell, said: “Since the launch of the first Raspberry Pi in 2012, this market-leading brand has become synonymous with ease of use and value for money. Raspberry Pi Pico is the newest and smallest addition to the Raspberry Pi family, bringing with it the potential to transform the microcontroller market in the same way that the original Raspberry Pi board did for single board computing. At just $4, Pico provides incredible flexibility and opportunity for design engineers. We are delighted to be at the beginning of another exciting journey with our partners at Raspberry Pi.”

James Adams, Chief Operating Officer, Raspberry Pi Trading, said: “This is the start of an exciting new era for Raspberry Pi. With Raspberry Pi Pico, and RP2040, we have been able to draw on insights drawn from a decade of using other vendors’ microcontrollers, and to create an innovative silicon platform for our customers. People have used Raspberry Pi to create a broader spread of projects and products than we could have imagined a decade ago; we’re sure the same will be true of Raspberry Pi Pico.”

Farnell is the largest manufacturer and distributor of the Raspberry Pi and has sold more than 15 million units to date. Farnell stocks the complete range of Raspberry Pi single board computers enabling customers to build a wide range of devices for home, professional, education or commercial use. Customers can also benefit from 24/5 technical support alongside free access to valuable online resources on the Farnell website, and engineering and maker community, element14.

The Raspberry Pi Pico is available for USD $4.00 from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific, from Monday, 25 January. To find out more about the Raspberry Pi Pico, visit https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-96021/

Newark, the Development Distributor, is the leading manufacturer and distributor of the Raspberry Pi single-board computer (SBC), which it has sold to electronic design engineers, educators, hobbyists and makers since its launch in 2012. Newark’s sales alone, which are supported by its holistic offering including a diverse ecosystem of accessories and support through its element14 Community, have now reached the remarkable total of 15 million devices worldwide

Raspberry Pi’s most recent launch, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B computer, has driven a significant increase in sales. This new board is the most powerful Raspberry Pi to date: three times faster than the previous model with a range of memory options and improved interfacing and connectivity to extend capabilities for all users. Raspberry Pi 4 can be used as a high-performance embedded platform, or as a full-featured desktop computer.

Newark stocks all Raspberry Pi models, alongside its diverse ecosystem of accessories, which supports users as they build devices for home, education or commercial applications. Newark has championed Raspberry Pi through its element14 Community, creating a forum for its 650,000 members to access informative and educational threads, be inspired by fellow members’ ideas, and get involved in Raspberry Pi-based design challenges.

Newark also supports customers as they bring products to market with its maker-to-market service, programmes for startups, 24/7 technical support and an exclusive agreement with Raspberry Pi (Trading) for the customisation of Raspberry Pi products. Customers supported by Newark include French startup Airnodes, who developed a smart mirror which can now be seen in hotels across France, and Futurehome, based in Norway who developed an app-based home automation system using a Raspberry Pi-based platform customised by Newark.

Key facts about Newark and Raspberry Pi:

• Newark is the largest global manufacturer and distributor of Raspberry Pi and has sold 15 million Raspberry Pi boards sold to date.
• Insight from Newark’s Raspberry Pi User survey shows just how varied the use of the SBC is; 33% of respondents use Raspberry Pi for personal projects, 33% for proof-of-concept and prototyping, and the final third of respondents use Raspberry Pi in informal or formal education. The combination of price, performance and ease of use make the Raspberry Pi the SBC of choice for many. Newark’s research also highlighted the increasing use of Raspberry Pi products by professional engineers in IoT, industrial automation and control applications.
• Newark’s parent company, Avnet, is using its experience and expertise to develop devices such as the Avnet Smartedge Industrial IoT Gateway, powered by Raspberry Pi, to help customers scale their prototypes and bring products to market.

Lee Turner, Global Head of Semiconductors and Single Board Computers for Newark says: “Newark is Raspberry Pi’s leading global distribution partner, selling 15 million devices since launch in 2012. This is a major milestone for Newark as well as the Raspberry Pi Foundation and we are delighted to have shared the journey with them so far. The new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer is a gamechanger, providing customers with a faster, more powerful and more feature-rich single board computer than ever before. The power of the Raspberry Pi 4, Newark’s extensive distribution network, and the strength of Newark’s parent company, Avnet, in developing devices such as the Avnet Smartedge Industrial IoT Gateway, powered by Raspberry Pi, can only pave the way for more great things from this little board.”

Eben Upton, CEO of Raspberry Pi (Trading), says: “We have been working with Newark since 2012 to put Raspberry Pi products in the hands of hobbyists, educators and professional design engineers all over the world. In 2015, we announced an exclusive agreement to provide customized variants of our products to Newark’s engineering customer base, and in June this year we launched Raspberry Pi 4 Model B together, bringing PC-equivalent performance to the sub-$50 price bracket. We are extremely excited that Newark have crossed the 15-million-unit mark; we look forward to shipping many more units together, and continuing to change lives all over the world.”

Raspberry Pi computers and accessories are available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Newark, the Development Distributor, is now stocking Kitronik products; an exciting range of accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi, perfect for educators, students, makers and hobbyists.

Kitronik products encourage imagination and creativity when used in conjunction with the latest generation of open-source programmable computer boards. The kits and accessories enable interaction between programming and hardware, making them ideal for developing computational thinking skills in younger students. This new partnership with Kitronik enhances Newark’s range of products for education and builds upon its position as the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of the BBC micro:bit, the largest manufacturer and distributor of Raspberry Pi boards and major stockist of Arduino boards.

Kitronik products can be used to support STEM education in classrooms and after school clubs and seek to engage and inspire students of all abilities to further their knowledge of electronics, coding and design. Newark stocks everything required to get started in physical computing for both education establishments and independent coding clubs.

Kitronik products and accessories for the micro:bit in stock at Newark include:

• The Inventors Kit  provides an introduction to programming and hardware interaction and contains everything required to carry out ten experiments with the micro:bit, using LEDs, motors, light sensors and capacitors. The kit includes an easy to follow tutorial book and no programming experience or soldering is required. Circuits can be completed in minutes.

• The MOVE mini buggy kit provides a fun introduction to robotics making a two-wheeled robot that is suitable for autonomous operation. It is perfect for remote control projects via Bluetooth applications or control using a second micro:bit. Five RGB individually addressable Zip™ LEDs are included which can be used as indicators, and a pen can be attached to the robot to draw shapes. Kitronik’s custom code blocks for the Servo:Lite motors are available to make the task of coding as quick and painless as possible.

• The Kitronik: GAME ZIP 64 is the ultimate retro gaming accessory for the BBC micro:bit. It has been designed to be an all in one hand-held gaming platform, which includes a built-in, 64 (8x8) individually addressable full colour Zip™ LED screen. It features on-board sound, four directional buttons, two fire buttons, haptic feedback, and breakout points so that shoulder buttons or I2C devices can be added. All of these features are fully programmable and breakout points are available to allow for the use of larger LED screens.

Courtney Kennedy, Technology Solutions Marketing Manager at Newark says “The addition of Kitronik further broadens our existing wide range of open-source educational and STEM products. The Kitronik range provides educators with new and creative ways to inspire students to get involved in physical computing, providing easy access to devices that enable them to promote the development of key skills such as computational thinking.”

Newark’s support for the development of the next generation of electronics engineers includes free resources, including lesson plans, project ideas and more, available on the Newark website. Newark has a broad range of products within its product range that promote learning about physical computing, an important way for children to develop computational thinking and team working skills.

The Kitronik products and accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi are available from Newark.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, today announced the launch of the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer, the most powerful Raspberry Pi model ever made. The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer offers significant enhancements in processor speed, multimedia performance, memory and connectivity that will make it attractive to general desktop computer users, hobbyist and makers, and professional developers working with compute-intensive embedded applications such as computer vision and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

“The new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer provides our customers with a faster, more powerful and more feature-rich single board computer than ever before. This board delivers a real jump in capabilities and addresses the needs of the growing market for Raspberry Pi – from makers to professional design engineers, to consumers looking for a desktop computer. This truly is a Raspberry Pi for everyone,” says Hari Kalyanaraman, Global Head of Single Board Computers at Premier Farnell.

“Our research has highlighted the widespread use of Raspberry Pi products by professional engineers in both prototyping and commercial production; across a wide range of applications from IoT, AI, and industrial automation and control, to predictive maintenance. With more memory options, true Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 and increased processor performance, all at an attractive price, the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is well positioned to accelerate its adoption for industrial applications.”

According to Raspberry Pi Trading Chief Executive Eben Upton, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer is the most powerful Raspberry Pi ever made. “The extra power and range of memory options support the needs of professional design engineers. AI and machine learning data can be processed right on the board, reducing the need to send data to the cloud and addressing real-world concerns about privacy. And of course Raspberry Pi 4 Model B can be used as a desktop computer, with a powerful processor, multimedia acceleration and dual-display support.”

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer is the first model to use a 28nm SoC, delivering a significant increase in performance and energy efficiency.

• Processor: A quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 64-bit processor clocked at 1.5GHz enables the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B to run up to three times faster than its predecessor.
• Video and Sound: Two micro HDMI ports support dual-display output at resolutions up to 4K.
• Connectivity:
  • New SuperSpeed USB 3.0 delivers faster transfer rates to mass-storage devices (up to 5 Gbps).
  • True Gigabit Ethernet connectivity delivers network data rates of up to 1 Gbps.
  • Dual-band wireless networking at 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz delivers real-world data rates in excess of 100 Mbps. Modular compliance certification allows the board to be designed into end products with significantly reduced compliance testing, improving both cost and time to market.

Other features include:

• Memory: 1GB, 2GB and 4GB LPDDR4 memory options.
• Multimedia: H.265 decode (4kp60), H.264 decode (1080p60) and H.264 encode (1080p30); OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics; image sensor pipeline.
• GPIO: Standard 40-pin GPIO header with full backward compatibility, and additional multiplexed UART, I2C and SPI peripherals.
• SD card support: Micro SD card slot for loading operating system and data storage.
• Power over Ethernet: PoE support, using separate HAT accessory.

“Makers can supercharge their projects with greater processing power and several memory options, alongside the same usability and support they are familiar with from earlier versions. It’s the best Raspberry Pi Computer we’ve ever made and we are excited to build upon our strong relationship with Premier Farnell with this launch,” added Upton.

Premier Farnell is the largest manufacturer and distributor of the Raspberry Pi, and has championed its use with both professional design engineers and makers through the element14 community. “We expect that experienced Raspberry Pi users and novices alike will be excited about what the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer can do,” said Kalyanaraman.

“As a desktop computer, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer provides performance comparable to entry-level x86 PC systems, with an exceptional video and multimedia experience, and is capable of quickly downloading and running 3D games. Users can purchase the entry-level 1GB model for $35, but will see improved performance in memory-intensive applications such as web browsing from the $45 2GB and $55 4GB models.”

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer will remain in production until at least January 2026. Also available alongside the Raspberry Pi 4 Computer is a brand-new case and a range of accessories including power supplies and micro HDMI cables.

The Raspberry Pi 4 Computer is available now from Farnell across EMEA and CPC in the UK, and Newark in North America.

Notes for editors

We will be adding more resources and content to the newsroom in the coming days including exclusive infographic and timeline of boards.  Please come back to access more imagery and resources as you need them.

• Datasheet - this is available to download from the download module on the left.
• Imagery - including product images, thermal images, animated gif - download below
• Infographics - infographic of key Raspberry Pi event, Timeline of Raspberry Pi boards since launch - download from the download module on the left
• Videos - interview with Eben Upton &  Technical spec video available for download below.  
• Content from the element14 community - Frequently asked questions, Benchmarking tests, Raspberry Pi Comparison charts, information on Roadtests for the Raspberry Pi 4 and the element14 community Raspberry Pi Quiz -  More info below.

If you cannot find what you are looking for please contact us and we will get it sent to you.

INTERVIEW WITH EBEN UPTON

TECHNICAL SPEC VIDEOS

CONTENT FROM THE ELEMENT14 COMMUNITY

element14 presents......

In a special episode of element14 presents hosted by DJ Harrigan, Matt Eargle and the community's own Phil Hutchinson, the team discuss the the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B computer.

https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-92702/l/meet-the-new-raspberry-pi-4-model-b-element14-presents?ICID=HP-pi-ban

Benchmarking the Raspberry Pi 4 Computer

The element14 team has put the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B through its paces by benchmarking the new and faster Processor, we pushed the networking to its gigabit limit and even took some cool thermal images.  See how the new Raspberry Pi performs under pressure.

Link to Benchmarking https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-92642/l/benchmarking-the-raspberry-pi-4-model-b 

Raspberry Pi GPIO

The new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B has the standard 40 Pin GPIO socket for connecting sensors and peripherals. The element14 community team have mapped out the 4 new alternative Pin MUX options for the new Raspberry Pi.  See what connects where in our GPIO pin diagram.

INFOGRAPHICS

Please download regionally branded infographics in PDF from the download section on the left hand side.

The greatest slices of Pi infographic is available branded for Europe (English and German), North America and APAC.

The history of Pi boards infographic is branded for global use and available for download from the downloads module on the left.