The Raspberry Pi foundation have announced what they call an ‘evolution’ of the Raspberry Pi single board computer. The team have retained the original processor and clock speed and look on this new model as the final revision of the original design rather than a ‘Raspberry Pi 2’. To sum up the new model B+ has:
More GPIO. The GPIO header has grown to 40 pins, while retaining the same pinout for the first 26 pins as the Model B.
More USB. The B+ has 4 USB 2.0 ports, compared to 2 on the Model B, and better hotplug and overcurrent behaviour.
Micro SD. The old friction-fit SD card socket has been replaced with a much nicer push-push micro SD version.
Lower power consumption. By replacing linear regulators with switching ones the power requirements are reduced by between 0.5W and 1W.
Better audio. The audio circuit incorporates a dedicated low-noise power supply.
Neater form factor. The USB connectors are now aligned with the board edge, and the composite video now has a 3.5mm jack. The corners are rounded with four squarely-placed mounting holes.
At $35 the new model B+ is the same price as the older model B and is available from RS components and element14.
