Today we’re happy to announce the much-anticipated launch of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, the modular version of our flagship Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer, priced from just $45.
We founded the Raspberry Pi Foundation back in 2008 with a mission to give today’s young people access to the sort of approachable, programmable, affordable computing experience that I benefitted from back in the 1980s. The Raspberry Pi computer was, in our minds, a spiritual successor to the BBC Micro, itself the product of the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project.
But just as the initially education-focused BBC Micro quickly found a place in the wider commercial computing marketplace, so Raspberry Pi became a platform around which countless companies, from startups to multi-billion-dollar corporations, chose to innovate. Today, between seventy and eighty percent of Raspberry Pi units go into industrial and embedded applications.
While many of our commercial customers continue to use the “classic” single-board Raspberry Pi form factor, there are those whose needs aren’t met by that form factor, or by the default set of peripherals that we choose to include on the SBC product. So, in 2014 we released the first Raspberry Pi Compute Module, providing just the core functionality of Raspberry Pi 1 – processor, memory, non-volatile storage and power regulation – in an easy-to-integrate SODIMM module.
Compute Modules make it easier than ever for embedded customers to build custom products which benefit from our enormous investments in the Raspberry Pi hardware and software platform. Every subsequent generation of Raspberry Pi, except for Raspberry Pi 2, has spawned a Compute Module derivative. And today, we’re happy to announce the launch of Compute Module 5, the modular version of our flagship Raspberry Pi 5 SBC.
Compute Module 5 gives you everything you love about Raspberry Pi 5, but in a smaller package:
It is available with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM, and with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of MLC eMMC non-volatile memory. 16GB SDRAM variants are expected to follow in 2025.
Compute Module 5 is mechanically compatible with its predecessor, Compute Module 4, exposing all signals through a pair of high-density perpendicular connectors, which attach to corresponding parts on the customer’s carrier board. Additional stability is provided by four M2.5 mounting holes arranged at the corners of the board.
There are a small number of changes to the pin-out and electrical behaviour of the module, mostly associated with the removal of the two two-lane MIPI interfaces, and the addition of two USB 3.0 interfaces. A detailed summary of these changes can be found in the Compute Module 5 datasheet.
But Compute Module 5 is only part of the story. Alongside it, we’re offering a range of new accessories to help you get the most out of our new modular platform.
Every generation of Compute Module has been accompanied by an IO board, and Compute Module 5 is no exception.
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 IO Board breaks out every interface from a Compute Module 5. It serves both as a development platform and as reference baseboard (with design files in KiCad format), reducing the time to market for your Compute Module 5-based designs.
The IO Board features:
Power is provided by a USB-C power supply (sold separately).
As in previous generations, we expect some users to deploy the IO Board and Compute Module combination as a finished product in its own right: effectively an alternative Raspberry Pi form factor with all the connectors on one side. To support this, we are offering a metal case which turns the IO Board into a complete encapsulated industrial-grade computer. The Raspberry Pi IO Case for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 includes an integrated fan, which can be connected to the 4-pin fan connector on the IO Board to improve thermal performance.
While Compute Module 5 is our most efficient modular product yet in terms of energy consumed per instruction executed, like all electronic products it gets warm under load. The Raspberry Pi Cooler for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 is a finned aluminium heatsink, designed to fit on a Compute Module 5, and including thermal pads to optimise heat transfer from the CPU, memory, wireless module and eMMC.
Wireless-enabled variants of Compute Module 5 provide both an onboard PCB antenna, and a UFL connector for an external antenna. Use of the Raspberry Pi Antenna Kit (identical to that already offered for use with Compute Module 4) with Compute Module 5 is covered by our FCC modular compliance.
The Raspberry Pi Development Kit for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 comprises a Compute Module 5, an IO Board, and all the other accessories you need to start building your own design:
Today’s launch is accompanied by announcements of Compute Module 5-based products from our friends at KUNBUS and TBS, who have built successful products on previous Raspberry Pi Compute Modules and whom we have supported to integrate our new module into their latest designs. Other customers are preparing to announce their own Compute Module 5-powered solutions over the next weeks and months. The world is full of innovative engineering companies of every scale, and we’re excited to discover the uses to which they’ll put our powerful new module. Try Compute Module 5 for yourself and let us know what you build with it.
The post Compute Module 5 on sale now from $45 appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
Revolution Pi has been designing and manufacturing successful products with Raspberry Pi Compute Modules for years. In this guest post, they talk about why they continue to choose Raspberry Pi technology, and discuss their experience designing with our brand-new Compute Module 5.
Revolution Pi has been building flexible industrial devices with Raspberry Pi Compute Modules since the very beginning. As a long-time partner, we have witnessed their impressive evolution from the first to the fifth generation over the past ten years.
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5’s enhancements directly address industrial requirements: it provides quad-core CPU performance up to 2.4GHz, a built-in USB 3.2 controller, and an improved PCIe controller. Raspberry Pi’s continuous integration of more interfaces directly on the Compute Module advances its capabilities while freeing up valuable space on our carrier board. These well-integrated interfaces within the Raspberry Pi ecosystem enable more flexible hardware designs. This allowed us to equip the RevPi Connect 5 with up to four multi-Gigabit Ethernet ports, letting industrial users connect multiple industrial fieldbuses and other networks with low latency.
Working with Raspberry Pi on this has been exceptional. They understand what industrial developers need. We received early samples to test with, which was critical. It allowed us to iterate and optimise our design solutions, especially when developing a custom heat sink. Managing the heat generated by the powerful new Compute Module in a DIN rail enclosure was an important part of the design process. Having real hardware to test with made all the difference.
Maintaining Compute Module 5’s operating temperature below 85°C under heavy load required a methodical development process. We started with thermal simulation analysis to identify hotspots at full operating capacity. This analysis formed the basis for our practical prototyping. Through iterative testing under extreme conditions, we optimised the heatsink design before conducting extensive testing with the final housing inside our climatic chamber. The entire process culminated in establishing precise manufacturing standards with rigorous quality control.
On the software side, working with Raspberry Pi’s platform enables smooth integration. When we hit technical challenges, their engineering team was right there to support us. Their unified kernel approach across all products allowed us to focus on integrating new features like the CAN FD interfaces instead of wrestling with compatibility issues. This standardisation benefits Revolution Pi users as well — they can use our industrialised Raspberry Pi OS-based image consistently across all Revolution Pi devices.
From the first Compute Module to now, Raspberry Pi has shown growing commitment to industrial computing. Compute Module 5, purpose-built for products like Revolution Pi, demonstrates what’s possible when combining Raspberry Pi’s innovation with our industrial-grade engineering. We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of industrial automation and IIoT applications together.
The post Powering industrial innovation: Compute Module 5 meets Revolution Pi appeared first on Raspberry Pi.
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