Hardware startups building atop the Raspberry Pi microprocessor — of which there are plenty already — can now order custom tweaks to the hardware to better tailor the Pi to fit the needs of their business.
The customization service for volume Pi orders was launched yesterday with Pi manufacturer element14 providing design and manufacturing services to OEMs wanting to tweak Pi to suit the specific needs of their Pi-powered applications.
Makers can request to re-configure the board layout; add or remove headers, connectors or interfaces; make changes to configuration and on-board memory; and incorporate additional functionality — such as additional IO, integrated power management, a wireless chip — via the Pi customization service.
The minimum order for custom Pi starts at between 3,000 to 5,000 boards, depending on the nature of the customization.
Cumulative global sales of the $35/$25 Pi boards passed the five million mark in February this year. Custom Pi may well kick Pi sales up a gear — depending on the costs involved. element14 says its engineers will respond to custom Pi proposals within three weeks with pricing and “an outline of deliverables”.
An element14 spokeswoman added: “Pricing will be based on the level of customisation and the volume of boards required. We will work with each individual customer on their requirements and work out pricing as part of the quoting process.”