<h1 id="raspberry-pi-3a-review">Raspberry Pi 3A+ review</h1>
<p>In this episode of HPR, I will do a quick review of the Raspberry Pi 3A+, the latest release of the Raspberry Pi foundation.</p>
<p><img src="https://frenchguy.ch/assets/img_1710_800.jpg" title="Raspberry Pi 3A+" alt="Raspberry Pi 3A+" /> <img src="https://frenchguy.ch/assets/img_1711_800.jpg" title="Raspberry Pi 3A+" alt="Raspberry Pi 3A+" /></p>
<p><strong>Specs</strong><br />
The Raspberry Pi 3A+ has almost the same hardware as its big brother/sister the 3B+ :</p>
<ul>
<li>BCM2837 BO SOC (system on chip), a quad core 64-bit ARM v8 processor, running at 1.4 GHz</li>
<li>On board wireless :
<ul>
<li>WiFi : 2.4 and 5 GHz 802.11 c/y/n/ac</li>
<li>Bluetooth : 4.2 and BLE</li>
</ul></li>
<li>MicroSD card for storing the operating system and the data</li>
<li>Full size HDMI connector</li>
<li>3.5 mm jack connector for audio and composite video output</li>
<li>MicroUSB connector for the power supply</li>
<li>40-pin header with the same pinout as every other Raspberry Pi</li>
</ul>
<p>The differences are :</p>
<ul>
<li>Only one full size USB connector, instead of four on the 3B+</li>
<li>No ethernet connector</li>
<li>Only 512 MB or SDRAM instead of 1 GB on the 3B+</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Size</strong><br />
The Raspberry Pi 3A+ is 6.7 x 5.6 cm (2.6 x 2.2 in) and 11 mm high (.45 in). But if you plug a ribbon in the header, then it takes a lot of space.</p>
<p><img src="https://frenchguy.ch/assets/img_1713_800.jpg" title="Raspberry Pi 3A+" alt="Raspberry Pi 3A+" /></p>
<p>In this case, it’s probably better to unsolder the header, and solder a right angle header in place, so the pins are pointing to the side of the board and not upwards</p>
<p><img src="https://frenchguy.ch/assets/img_1716_800.jpg" title="Raspberry Pi 3A+" alt="Raspberry Pi 3A+" /> <img src="https://frenchguy.ch/assets/img_1717_800.jpg" title="Raspberry Pi 3A+" alt="Raspberry Pi 3A+" /></p>
<p>With a bit of caution and the help of some desoldering wick, it’s not a complex operation, because there is no component near the GPIO header.</p>
<p>Of course if you plan on using a HAT, then you’re better off using the straight header. The Raspberry Pi 3A+ is actually the same size than a standard HAT.</p>
<p><img src="https://frenchguy.ch/assets/img_1718_800.jpg" title="Raspberry Pi 3A+" alt="Raspberry Pi 3A+" /> <img src="https://frenchguy.ch/assets/img_1719_800.jpg" title="Raspberry Pi 3A+" alt="Raspberry Pi 3A+" /></p>
<p><strong>Use case</strong><br />
</p>
<p>Since the Raspberry Pi 3A+ doesn’t have an ethernet port, I think I will not use it for server stuff like <a href="https://mosquitto.org/">Mosquitto</a> or <a href="https://pi-hole.net/">Pi-Hole</a>, for which a good network connection is required. Also, those servers sometimes need a keyboard and a mouse, and with only one USB port, that’s not too practical.</p>
<p>For me, the A+ will be used to upgrade projects currently using a Raspberry Pi ZeroW, and for which I need a little more power. The on board WiFi and the small form factor, combined with the extra power, makes the 3A+ an ideal replacement for the ZeroW.</p>
<p><strong>Credits</strong><br />
</p>
<p>The sound used for the opening and closing sequence is <a href="https://www.jamendo.com/track/1405949/speaker-x-clash-jingle">Speaker X-Clash</a> by Daniel H, and is released under a CC-BY-NC license.</p>
