Raspberry Pi Launches CM4 Variant That Laughs In The Face Of Frostbite

New variants of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 have been launched, giving the devices an extended operating temperature range from -40°C to 85°C.

The update is a recognition of the fact that the industrial version of the diminutive computer is finding its way into edge applications where the usual balmy -20°C minimum operating temperature isn't an option without heating.

An example would be the freezers where the device is used as part of an industrial process, or perhaps very low overnight winter temperatures in locations where customers might want to mount an embedded device using a Compute Module 4.

A cynic might point out that the Raspberry Pi 4 hardware can generate more than enough heat on its own with a sufficient workload; most of the components on the board will also happily run in the broader range already. However, Samsung's extended-temperature-range SDRAM and eMMC parts are required to ensure functionality at lower temperatures.

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The original Compute Module 4 remains on sale. After all, not everyone requires a ruggedized version capable of surviving a night in the frigid wilderness (although there are plenty of places on Earth where the temperature will drop below -40°C) and there is a price premium to be paid for the Extended Temperature variant. Thus, the price of the 4 GB variant with 16 GB of storage will rise from $65 to around $80.

The Register asked Pi supremo Eben Upton if there were plans to extend the temperature range of other industry-targeted computers, such as the Compute Module 5. He replied: "There's nothing to stop us from doing this with CM5. We're introducing it on CM4 because it's been in the market longer, so we've had a chance to have conversations with customers who would prefer extended temperature support."

Upton also noted that not all SKUs would get the option of the new silicon and that the company had gone for those that had "broadly" proven to be the most popular. Considering that the applications most likely to benefit from the Extended Temperature variant are usually headless and deeply embedded, Upton added: "I suspect the lower-RAM SKUs will predominate." ®