Although the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B launched just a few months ago with onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, things are about to get a whole lot more interesting for hardware developers that turn to the $35 single board computer for their prototyping needs.
According to a recent interview with Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton, a significantly smaller version of the Raspberry Pi 3 will go on sale later this year in the form of an update to the Raspberry Pi Compute Module, a Raspberry Pi in a more flexible form factor intended for industrial applications.
Capable of running both Linux and Microsoft’s Windows 10 IoT Core, the Compute Module was originally designed for those creating their own PCB as a “computer within a computer”. The updated version, which will feature embedded components near exact to that of the Raspberry Pi 3, will essentially let developers and businesses put a Raspberry Pi 3 inside of existing electronic systems. According to Upton, more industrial users have been purchasing the Raspberry Pi 3 to test and aid in operating industrial equipment. He also added that the update to the Compute Module could go on sale as early as this quarter.
In the meantime, here’s Raspberry Pi mastermind and all-around hardware development ninja Ben Heck making a Raspberry Pi Zero Portable Computer:
