Raspberry Pi 3 to feature on-board WiFi, Bluetooth

dualmeister

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A listing for the Raspberry Pi 3 just showed up, and while there isn’t a description of new features, there are a few things we know for certain:

It’s called the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B.
It has the same basic design as earlier Raspberry Pi mini-computers.
One new feature is built-in support for WiFi and Bluetooth.

Up until recently, some Raspberry Pi single-board computers have had Ethernet jacks while others have not. But none have had on-board wireless support. If you wanted to connect to a wireless network or Bluetooth devices, you needed to attach a wireless adapter to one of the available USB ports.

Based on the FCC documents, it looks like the new Raspberry Pi 3 does support Bluetooth and WiFi, but it only seems to support 2.4 GHz networks, not 5 GHz. That suggests it’ll support 802.11n, but not the faster 802.11ac standard.

Judging by pictures posted to the FCC website, the Raspberry Pi 3 looks nearly identical to version 2. It has HDMI and Ethernet jacks, four USB ports, a microSD card reader, and a 40-pin connector.

There’s no word on how much the new Raspberry Pi 3 will cost, or if there are any changes to the processor, memory, or other specs. But the Raspberry Pi foundation does have a habit of keeping the base price for its flagship products at about $35.

rpi-3_01.jpg


Source


Ouch, which means it now has to be ICASA approved :sick:
 
Ouch, which means it now has to be ICASA approved :sick:

I'm sure they'll continue making the older ones for regions where they don't get the local regulatory approval or as a slightly cheaper version, but I'm sure this will be a much better option for those who would have bought a WiFi dongle anyway.
 
Do all radio devices have to be ICASA approved, even if they are using existing tested and approved chipsets?

Yes, because the device has to be approved irrespective whether the chips / IC's are used in other products.
 
And it's out.

Raspberry Pi Model 3 B SBC at RS Components

Product Details
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B SBC

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B looks identical to the Pi 2 B at first glance. It is the same size and has much of the same components on board. So what is the difference? The new Pi 3 brings more processing power and on-board connectivity, saving you time with the development of your applications. Perfect for your Internet of Things (IoT) designs.

Pi 3 compared to Pi 2

More processor speed. The CPU on the Pi 3 is one and a half times faster at 1.2 GHz. Your Pi board performs better.

On-board connectivity. The Pi 3 features 802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN and Bluetooth Classic & Low Energy (BLE). You can get connected much quicker without the need for any external device.

2.5 A power supply. With more processor speed and on-board connectivity, you'll need more power. Power supplies for previous Pi boards will not be sufficient. You will need the Official Raspberry Pi Power Supply (9098126 — white) or (9098135 — black).

New components. The Pi 3 features a chip antenna where status LEDs were located previously. The status LEDs are still on the board, right next to the microSD card slot.

New to Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a single computer board — developed to encourage and aid the teaching of programming and computing. It is also a fantastic starting point for the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) projects. The low cost and 'plug and play' nature of Pi makes for a board that is accessible to all and has numerous connectivity options. Pi is the perfect experimental tool, whether you want to use it as a desktop computer, media centre, server or monitoring/security device within your home. No limits. Linux-based operating systems run on the Pi with plenty of access to free software and downloads. What is more, there is a great Pi community out there — look at DesignSpark, the design engineer community at RS.

Features & Benefits of the Pi 3
•Broadcom BCM2837 chipset running at 1.2 GHz
•64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53
•802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN
•Bluetooth 4.1 (Classic & Low Energy)
•Dual core Videocore IV® Multimedia co-processor
•1 GB LPDDR2 memory
•Supports all the latest ARM GNU/Linux distributions and Windows 10 IoT
•microUSB connector for 2.5 A power supply
•1 x 10/100 Ethernet port
•1 x HDMI video/audio connector
•1 x RCA video/audio connector
•4 x USB 2.0 ports
•40 GPIO pins
•Chip antenna
•DSI display connector
•microSD card slot
•Dimensions: 85 x 56 x 17 mm
Note

The Official Pi 3 Power Supply Unit is for the Pi 3 board only. The power supply unit is not for general purpose power supply.


£26.75
 
Cool, so it means you can now use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse instead of the conventional corded stuff...

And wifi as well... should be a nice project making it a personal hotspot....
 
Cool, so it means you can now use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse instead of the conventional corded stuff...

And wifi as well... should be a nice project making it a personal hotspot....

It's also nice not having to take up a USB port for a Wifi adapter - which I'm currently having to do...
 
I've noticed my Pi's can't handle Dolby True HD - I wonder if this can?
 
This is pretty huge imo. The main reason I haven't already got one is because you needed additional hardware for wifi.
 
We sold out in spectacular fashion today, we have 100 more on the way that should reach us by the end of the week (read early next week knowing customs), retail price R749 incl vat (we hope this price will come down as the quantities made available to us increase)

https://www.pishop.co.za/store/raspberry-pi-3---model-b

Cheers
Chris - PiShop
 
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