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The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched a new service in partnership with element14 to provide design and manufacturing services to firms wanting customised mini PCs.
System builders, businesses, retailers and anyone else who wishes to order a bulk of Raspberry Pi PCs can now request to re-configure the board layout. They’ll be able to add or remove headers, connectors or interfaces and make changes to configuration and on-board memory.
Makers will also be able to incorporate additional functionality, such as additional IO, integrated power management and wireless chips.
The minimum order for the custom mini PCs start at 3,000 boards. An element14 spokeswoman commented: “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.”
The firm revealed that it has 200 engineers ready to start customising orders.
Raspberry Pi’s founder, Eben Upton, told the BBC that media playback is one area which he expects to see the mini PCs being used for media playback, revealing that ‘one or two million’ are already being used as media centres.
The Raspberry Pi hit a milestone in February, selling five million mini PCs since they first launched in October 2013.
Since launch, the Raspberry Pi has been used in a number of projects, from the ‘PiPhone’ and the 3D-printed eNcade gaming tablet, to the more recent Pi-Top – a kit for a fully functioning laptop powered by the tiny PC.
