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🎉  Happy 13th Birthday Raspberry Pi!   🎂   1,000+ deals in store!   🥳

Raspberry Pi 3 B+

by Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ has a 64-bit 1.4GHz quad core processor, 1GB of RAM, faster dual-band 802.11 b/g/n/ac wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.2, and significantly faster 300Mbit/s ethernet.

The Pi 3 B+ retains the same overall form factor as previous models ensuring compatibility with most existing add-on boards (HATs), although changes to the layout mean that we've redesigned our Pibow and Pibow Coupé cases.

  • 1.4GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU (BCM2837)
  • 1GB RAM (LPDDR2 SDRAM)
  • On-board wireless LAN - dual-band 802.11 b/g/n/ac (CYW43455)
  • On-board Bluetooth 4.2 HS low-energy (BLE) (CYW43455)
  • 4 x USB 2.0 ports
  • 300Mbit/s ethernet
  • 40 GPIO pins
  • Full size HDMI 1.3a port
  • Combined 3.5mm analog audio and composite video jack
  • Camera interface (CSI)
  • Display interface (DSI)
  • microSD slot
  • VideoCore IV multimedia/3D graphics core @ 400MHz/300MHz

With the ARMv8 processor it can run the full range of ARM GNU/Linux distributions, including Snappy Ubuntu Core, as well as Microsoft Windows 10 IoT edition.

You will need the latest NOOBS image for the Wireless LAN and Bluetooth drivers to be installed. We sell a pre-imaged NOOBS card here

Faster processing

Improved thermals on the Pi 3 B+ means that the CPU on the BCM2837 SoC can now run at 1.4GHz, a 17% increase on the previous Pi 3 model (which ran at 1.2GHz).

Video performance on Pi 3 B+ is similar to the previous generation Pi 3, the VideoCore being clocked at 400MHz for video processing and the 3D graphics processor running at 300MHz.

Faster wireless

A significant change on the Pi 3 B+ compared to the Pi 3 is the inclusion of a new faster, dual-band wireless chip (CYW43455) with 802.11 b/g/n/ac wireless LAN and Bluetooth 4.2.

The dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless LAN enables faster networking with less interference (although the higher bandwidth has less range), and the new PCB antenna technology should allow better reception.

Bluetooth allows you to use a wireless keyboard/trackpad without extra dongles, keeping things nice and tidy.

Faster ethernet

The Pi 3 B+ has significantly faster wired networking, thanks to an upgraded USB/LAN chip, and you should see speeds that are 3-5x faster than on previous models of the Pi, at least 300Mbit/s.

GPIO and layout

The GPIO header remains the same, with 40 pins, as on the previous three models of Pi. However, it should be noted that the new PoE header pins may contact components on the underside of some HATs, like Rainbow HAT. Some standoffs will prevent any mischief from occurring though!

The metal shielding on the wireless circuitry and the SoC may also cause shorts against larger components on the underside of HATs, pHATs, and SHIMs. In the first two cases, standoffs will help again; in the latter, a couple of small pieces of insulating tape or Kapton tape will prevent any shorts.

Note that older Pibows will not fit the new Pi 3 B+! Because of changes to some components on the topside of the board, we've redesigned our Pibow and Pibow Coupé cases to ensure they fit snugly. The new Pibows are backwards compatible with the previous model Pi 3.

3 customer reviews

2 years ago
Works perfectly as advertised, good documentation and a nice set of example programs. I can take it from there. I have been thinking of but not actually buying it for literally years - the recent sale made me a buyer. Just the thing to amuse the piano-playing members of my family.
by Peter about Piano HAT via REVIEWS.io
5 years ago
Good fun to tinker with. Well built and of the highest quality.
by Daniel about Piano HAT via REVIEWS.io
9 years ago
Recently purchased one of these piano hat boards for my raspberry pi, as usual the service from Pimoroni was excellent and the board is of a really good quality. It's nicely laid out and the touch pads are a decent size. The board looks very classy with the black background and gold lettering and the software to go with it makes using the board very easy. Although it's laid out as a piano it could be used for anything which requires 16 capacitive touch pads and leds.
by Steve about Piano HAT via REVIEWS.io

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