Raspberry Pi: New version fixes serious USB Type C problem

The Raspberry Pi 4 may be one of the most popular single-board computers (SBCs) on the market right now, but it has also suffered from a few issues. Its SoC is so powerful that it requires active cooling, for example, otherwise it will thermal throttle. Additionally, the Pi Foundation shipped the Raspberry Pi 4 with a tangible hardware error.

Specifically, the SBC's Type-C port should have had two resistors for two different pins. On the contrary, the Pi Foundation only included one resistor for these pins. While not a critical issue, the error meant that the Raspberry Pi could not recognise certain power supplies with integrated E-markers. Inversely, the error also caused some power supplies to determine that the SBC was an audio device.

The Pi Foundation noticed the issue soon after the release of the Raspberry Pi 4, with founder Eben Upton informing The Register in July that the resistor fix would be bundled into a new hardware revision. Following up on the matter earlier this month, The Register was then told by Upton that he expected the revision "to have reached end users by now". The updated SBC also includes the following changes:

• WLCSP SD card voltage switch has been to the top side of the board to minimise the risk of damage.
• Silkscreen tweaks to reduce solder bridging in manufacture.

The new revision remains the same price as the original Raspberry Pi 4. The Pi Foundation is not selling the new revision as a distinct SKU, either. Hence, you may struggle to tell the difference between the two revisions unless you know what you are looking for.