Raspberry Pi Revision 2.0 is Ready

The Raspberry Pi foundation has finished developing the second version of the Raspberry Pi PC, based on feedback from customers who bought the first one.

Saying that the foundation has released a new version is a bit of a stretch though. After all, the miniature system has the same processor, the same overall design, and no extra memory compared to the original. True to form, the product is not being marketed as a distinct device. That means that those who place an order for a Raspberry Pi from this point on may or may not get it. Waiting for a few weeks, or months, before the originals clear out may be a good idea, especially now that, with Sony's involvement, manufacturing is moving to the UK. Depending on luck and if specimens constructed according to the original specifications are still around, one of the “old” ones could reach buyers' front door. That said, Revision 2.0 lacks the resettable fuses (which protect USB outputs on some early 1.0 boards) with fuses.

Another change is that the primary and secondary 12C channels have been reversed, much in the same way that two GPIO pins have been interchanged. Speaking of which, the GPIO pin out adds ARM JTAG support. Moving on, the HDMI port used to interfere with the operation of CEC for other devices. This is no longer the case. Furthermore, there are two 2.5mm non-plated mounting holes (for easy permanent installation) and the SMSC 1V8 power has been disconnected from the system supply. Finally, for those who know about DIY hardware projects, a new reset circuit is part of the Raspberry Pi, for adding a header to P6. Shorting P6 pin 1 to P6 pin 2 will cause the BCM2835M Broadcom SoC to reset. Go here to get acquainted with every little detail pertaining to the release of the new board computer.

Raspberry Pi revision 2.0
Image credits to Raspberry Pi Foundation

Posted in: Hardware, Preview