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Raspberry Pi 4

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Raspberry Pi 4
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B
Also known asPi 4, RPi4
DeveloperRaspberry Pi Holdings
TypeSingle-board computer
Release date24 June 2019; 5 years ago (2019-06-24)
Introductory price$35 (1 GB)
$45 (2 GB)
$55 (4 GB)
$75 (8 GB)
Operating systemRaspberry Pi OS
System on a chipBroadcom BCM2711
CPUQuad-core ARM Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz (B0 Revision) or 1.8 GHz (C0 Revision)
Memory1, 2, 4 or 8 GB (LPDDR4)
Removable storageMicroSD, USB Storage
GraphicsVideoCore VI @ 500 MHz
Power5V @ 3A via USB-C or PoE (with additional HAT)
PredecessorRaspberry Pi 3B+
SuccessorRaspberry Pi 5

The Raspberry Pi 4 is the fourth generation of the Raspberry Pi flagship series of single-board computers. Developed by Raspberry Pi Holdings and released on 24 June 2019, it introduced a host of significant upgrades over its predecessor. At its core, the Pi 4 featured a new Broadcom BCM2711 system-on-chip, which included a 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU and a VideoCore VI GPU, offering a boost in processing and graphics performance.

Among the other notable hardware improvements were the addition of two USB 3.0 ports, the inclusion of true gigabit Ethernet, and support for dual displays at 4K resolution through two micro HDMI ports. Furthermore, it offered expanded RAM options beyond the 1 GB standard of previous models, also offering 2, 4, and 8 GB models. While the base model with 1 GB of RAM maintained the traditional $35 price point that had become a hallmark of the Raspberry Pi series, the higher RAM variants exceeded this price due to increased production costs.[1][2]

On 28 September 2023, the Raspberry Pi 5 was announced, succeeding the Raspberry Pi 4.[3]

Features

CPU

The Broadcom BCM2711 SoC has a quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 clocked at either 1.5 GHz or 1.8 GHz depending on the revision of the BCM2711 SoC on the board.[4] The older B0 stepping was originally used for the Pi 4, but this was replaced with the newer C0-stepped chip in mid-2021. The higher clock rate of the C0 stepping is due to marginally improved thermals.[5] The processor also has 32 KB of data L1 cache and 48 KB of instruction L1 cache, alongside 1 MB of shared L2 cache.[4]

GPU

The Broadcom BCM2711 SoC features an upgraded GPU compared to previous iterations of Raspberry Pi, going from the VideoCore IV clocked at 400 MHz to the VideoCore VI clocked at 500 MHz. Alongside the faster clock rate, the VideoCore VI also has its own memory manager, allowing it to access more memory than its predecessor.[4] The VideoCore VI is compliant with OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.2.[6][7]

RAM

The Raspberry Pi 4 replaces the 1 GB of LPDDR2 RAM with options for 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, or 8 GB of 3200 MHz LPDDR4. The 8 GB variant was released a year after the other models.[8][9]

IO and Connectivity

Raspberry Pi 4 with PoE HAT

Numerous improvements were introduced to I/O functionality with the Raspberry Pi 4. The total USB bandwidth was upgraded, going from four USB 2.0 ports to two USB 3.0 ports and two USB 2.0 ports. A dedicated Ethernet controller on the BCM2711 SoC allowed for the addition of Gigabit Ethernet.[10] The single full-sized HDMI port on the Raspberry Pi 3 was replaced with dual micro-HDMI connectors.[11][12] Bluetooth was upgraded from 4.2 on the Raspberry Pi 3, to 5.0 on the Raspberry Pi 4.[13] The power supply connector changed from Micro-USB to USB-C.[14] The Ethernet port features Power over Ethernet IEEE 802.3af (802.3at Type 1) like the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+.

Compute Module 4

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4

On 19 October 2020, 16 months after the original release of the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, Raspberry Pi released the Compute Module 4, a computer-on-module version of the Pi 4 platform designed for embedded and industrial applications. The Compute Module 4, like the original Pi 4 model, features options for 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, and 8 GB of RAM; however, it also features options for 8 GB, 16 GB, or 32 GB of optional eMMC onboard storage. There is also an option for wireless 2.4/5 GHz wireless connectivity.[15] Because of the 32 variations for the Compute Module 4, the MSRP ranges from $30 to $95 depending on the configuration.[16]

IO and Connectivity

Unlike the original Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, the Compute Module 4 uses a pair of 100-pin connectors on the bottom of the board for IO instead of traditional ports. These connectors are not meant to be accessed directly by the end user; instead, they are meant to interface with a daughter board to provide IO functionality. While the pins on the Compute Module 4 can be used for the same interfaces as other Pi 4 models, the Compute Module 4 exposes the PCIe 2.0 bus that was previously used for USB 3.0. The freeing of the PCIe bus allows designers to use it for other use cases, such as native NVMe storage or faster networking.[17] Models of Compute Module 4 that have an eMMC chip do not have the capability to connect to external eMMC or microSD storage.[18]

Raspberry Pi 400

Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard computer

The Raspberry Pi 400 is the final Raspberry Pi product to be based on the Raspberry Pi 4 platform. Released 2 November 2020, the Pi 400 is a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4 GB of RAM in a keyboard form factor. It also has an upgraded power supply and a large integrated heat sink, allowing the ARM Cortex-A72 processor to be clocked at 1.8 GHz.[19][20]

Intended to be used as a desktop PC, the Raspberry Pi 400 can either be bought alone for $70, or as part of a desktop kit which includes the Pi 400 itself, a power supply, a mouse, a 16 GB microSD card with Raspberry Pi OS preinstalled, and a guide book for $100.[21]

Peripherals

Compute Module 4 IO Board

The Compute Module 4 IO Board is an official daughter board designed to give Compute Module 4 users easier access to its various interfaces. While the board does feature many of the same ports as the original Pi 4 Model B, the Compute Module 4 IO Board also adds and changes various connectivity options.[22]

PCI-e 2.0

The CM4 IO Board is a carrier board exposing the PCI-e 2.0 bus of the Compute Module 4, rather than having the bus directly connect to a USB 3.0 controller. The bus is exposed through a standard 1x PCI-e connector, allowing for the connection of standard PCI-e peripherals such as networking cards, high-speed storage devices, and even allows the possibility of external GPU support.[23]

USB-C Power Issues

During the launch of the original Raspberry Pi 4, people soon discovered that some USB-C power cables would not work with the board. The reason for this was found to be the Pi 4's USB-C power connector being non-compliant with the official specification. The issue stems from the Raspberry Pi 4's use of a shared CC pull-down resistor, rather than each CC line being given its own resistor; the result of this change is that chargers using an e-marker chip will not be able to detect the Pi, thus supplying no voltage.[24]

The USB-C implementation was fixed with the release of the 1.2 revision of Raspberry Pi 4, which allowed for high-speed USB-C cables to work with the board.[25][26]

References

  1. ^ "Buy a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B". Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Raspberry Pi 4 Review". PCMAG. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. ^ Upton, Eben (28 September 2023). "Introducing: Raspberry Pi 5!". Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Raspberry Pi Documentation - Processors". www.raspberrypi.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Raspberry Pi 4 model Bs arriving with newer 'C0' stepping | Jeff Geerling". www.jeffgeerling.com. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Eben Upton Announces Official Raspberry Pi 4 VideoCore VI Open Source Vulkan Graphics Driver Effort". Hackster.io. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ^ Evenden, Ian (1 August 2022). "Raspberry Pi 4 Now Vulkan 1.2 Compliant". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  8. ^ Upton, Eben (28 May 2020). "8GB Raspberry Pi 4 on sale now at $75". Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  9. ^ "Raspberry Pi 4 Specs, Release Date, and First Look". www.electromaker.io. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  10. ^ Stanton (2 July 2019). "Raspberry Pi 4 Model B - Technical Specifications". Element 14. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  11. ^ "Raspberry Pi 4 Datasheet" (PDF). Raspberry Pi Datasheets. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  12. ^ "Raspberry Pi 3B+ Reduced Schematics" (PDF). Raspberry Pi Datasheets. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  13. ^ Garbett, Samuel L. (10 October 2022). "Raspberry Pi 3 vs. 4: What's the Difference?". MUO. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Raspberry Pi 3 vs 4: Which One Should You Get?". It's FOSS. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  15. ^ Upton, Eben (19 October 2020). "Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 on sale now from $25". Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  16. ^ "CM4 Product Brief" (PDF). Raspberry Pi Datasheets. April 2022. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  17. ^ Geerling, Jeff (28 May 2021). "Two Tiny Dual-Gigabit Raspberry Pi CM4 Routers". jeffgeerling.com. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4" (PDF). Raspberry Pi Datasheets. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  19. ^ "Designing Raspberry Pi 400". Raspberry Pi. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  20. ^ Upton, Eben (9 November 2021). "Bullseye bonus: 1.8GHz Raspberry Pi 4". Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  21. ^ Upton, Eben (2 November 2020). "Raspberry Pi 400: the $70 desktop PC". Raspberry Pi. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
  22. ^ "Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 IO Board Product Brief" (PDF). Raspberry Pi Datasheets. October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  23. ^ "External graphics cards work on the Raspberry Pi | Jeff Geerling". www.jeffgeerling.com. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  24. ^ Pecina, Eduardo (12 July 2019). "Raspberry Pi 4 USB-C Power Problems: How to Power Your New Board". Maker Pro. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  25. ^ Broekhuijsen, Niels (17 September 2022). "Raspberry Pi 4 Revision Fixes USB-C Compatibility Problem". Tom's Hardware. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  26. ^ Aufranc, Jean-Luc (24 February 2020). "Raspberry Pi 4 Rev 1.2 Fixes USB-C Power Issues, Improves SD Card Resilience". CNX Software. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
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