Greetings!
I'm delighted to announce that ProtoStax now supports the latest Raspberry Pi 4 (aka Raspberry Pi 4 Model B)!
While the board has a somewhat similar footprint to the other Raspberry Pi Model Bs (3B, 3B+, 2B, 1B+) with the same mounting holes, there are a few significant changes. Instead of the HDMI port of the other boards, we now have 2 micro HDMI ports that support 2 4k displays! Instead of the micro-USB power port, we now have the (infamous) USB-C power port (infamous because it has a defect, and has some limitations on (see The Raspberry Pi 4 doesn’t work with all USB-C cables for more details) which USB-C power supplies can work with your Raspberry Pi 4.
Additionally, they have also switched the positions of the USB and Ethernet ports. The Raspberry Pi 4 has USB 2 and USB 3 ports (2 each) and a Gigabit Ethernet port, as opposed to 4 USB 2 ports and Gigabit Ethernet port over USB 2 bus on the earlier model). But more importantly, from an enclosure viewpoint, they have switched the locations of the ports, so your older Pi Enclosure will not work with the Raspberry Pi 4! (Not to mention the USB-C power port, and 2 micro-HDMIs in place of the HDMI port).
But thanks to ProtoStax's modular design, only a couple of changes were required to support the new Raspberry Pi 4s with the ProtoStax for Raspberry Pi B+ enclosure (now appropriately renamed to ProtoStax for Raspberry Pi B+ / Model 4B! 😊). We've changed the port cutouts on one of the long side pieces to be able to accommodate both the 3B+ and earlier models, as well as the new Raspberry Pi 4. Additionally, we now include a new short side wall piece that has cutouts to fit the new USB and Ethernet port configurations of the Raspberry Pi 4.
What this means to you, the user, is that you can purchase a ProtoStax for Raspberry Pi B+ / Model 4B enclosure, and be able to use it for both older Model B/B+s, as well as the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B! Talk about value for money! 😊
Of course, the enclosure will also work very nicely with other ProtoStax enclosures, allowing you to stack horizontally, or vertically, or both, and use the enclosure in different configurations to support your stage of prototyping!
If you're an existing customer that has purchased a ProtoStax for Raspberry Pi B+ enclosure, don't worry - we'll be sending you the modified long side wall and the new short side wall so you too can enjoy the upgrades!
Happy Making!
Sridhar (and the ProtoStax Team! 😊)
PS - Here is an Extended Family Photo - so that the other enclosures didn't feel left out! 😜
