London,
14
March
2018
|
08:00
Europe/Amsterdam

Insights from Premier Farnell customers confirm why the Raspberry Pi is increasingly being adopted for professional use

New Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ takes the board even further – satisfying professional customers’ wish list items for further development

Raspberry Pi 3 B+ 12

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, shares insight from customers using the Raspberry Pi on the launch of the new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. Feedback from customers demonstrates growing adoption of the Raspberry Pi for volume production and its suitability for professional design into an end product; examples include controllers for prepaid TV sets in hospitals and advertising screens in cinemas to lift monitoring systems in smart buildings.

Premier Farnell customers choose the Raspberry Pi over other Single Board Computers in the market because of its strong quality vs price point, the stability of the product over time, powerful processing capabilities, ease of use, and reliable sourcing. Customers also cited the quality of support and documentation available on the element14 Community and other forums as a key factor in their choice, with support available “far better than any other proprietary board”.

Existing professional users have expressed faster CPU, onboard eMMC, Power over Ethernet, dual band wireless LAN and a commitment to manufacture for an extended period as wishes for the next model. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, launched today, delivers on these wishes:

The board also importantly retains the same mechanical footprint and pin out as both the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B easing upgrade to this faster, more capable board and reducing potential costs related to redesign.

Other functionality enhancements which enhance suitability for embedded applications, include improved thermal management and faster ethernet. The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ also comes with modular compliance certification, allowing the board to be designed into end products with significantly reduced wireless compliance testing saving both time and money.

Eben Upton, CEO, Raspberry Pi Trading said: “The launch of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ is about providing industry with a board that is perfectly suited for use in embedded products. The Raspberry Pi has already proven itself to have strong stability, high quality and ease of use combined with an attractive price point for all markets. This supercharged Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ takes it one step further, easing compliance certification, reducing cost and time to market and all at the same price of $35, making it perfect for all applications”

Peter Wenzel, Global Director of Raspberry Pi, Single Board Computers, and Software for Premier Farnell added: “As we speak to customers about how they use the Raspberry Pi, the growing demand for the board for use as an embedded product in professional applications is becoming increasingly evident. As the leading manufacturer and distributor of the Raspberry Pi with a broad ecosystem of professional Raspberry Pi accessories and design and manufacturing services, we support our professional design customers at every stage of their journey. The new Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, jam packed with features for professional use, means our customers can now bring their products to market faster, and with fewer resources, than ever before.”

The full specification of the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ can be found linked below.

Premier Farnell will be hosting a live ‘invite only’ webinar on the element14 community. The webinar is specifically targeted at customers using or planning to use the Raspberry Pi for professional use. The webinar will be available for all members to watch afterwards.

The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ is available to buy from Farnell element14 in Europe, element14 in APAC and Newark element14 in North America.

Notes to editors

The new official Power over Ethernet add-on board for Raspberry Pi will be available to buy from Premier Farnell from summer 2018.

A downloadable word file of this release is available on the left of the page.

Boilerplate

Farnell Global is a fast and reliable distributor of products and technology for electronic and industrial system design, maintenance and repair.  From research and design through prototype to production, Farnell helps its customers access the products and services they need 24/7.  With more than 80 years of experience, 47 localised websites, and a dedicated team of over 3,500 employees, Farnell provides every component its customers need to build the technology of tomorrow.

Farnell Global trades as Farnell in Europe, Newark in North America, and element14 in Asia Pacific.  It also sells direct to consumers through its CPC business in the UK.

Farnell Global has been part of the established global technology distributor, Avnet (Nasdaq: AVT), since 2016. Today, this relationship allows the company to support its customers at every stage of the product life cycle, offering a truly unique distribution model, as well as expertise in end-to-end delivery and product design.

For more information, visit http://www.farnell.com/