Key Overview: The core board is the smallest embedded system module, emphasizing customization and industrial-grade stability, suitable for mass production and specialized scenarios; the Raspberry Pi is a complete single-board computer with a mature ecosystem and out-of-the-box functionality, suitable for education, prototyping, and lightweight general-purpose scenarios. The two can complement each other in some scenarios (e.g., using a Raspberry Pi CM4 as a core board).
I. Core Positioning and Fundamental Differences
Core Board: Embedded minimum system (CPU/MCU + RAM + Flash + Power/Clock), requires a baseboard for peripheral expansion, geared towards mass production and customization, with strong industrial-grade attributes.
Raspberry Pi: Complete single-board computer (SBC), with onboard USB, Ethernet, HDMI, and other common interfaces, out-of-the-box, targeting education, makers, and lightweight general-purpose computing.
Raspberry Pi CM4: A middle ground, provided as a core board, requiring a dedicated baseboard, balancing customization and ecosystem considerations.
II. Performance Comparison (2025 Mainstream Models)
Core Board (Industrial Grade)
Controller: NXP i.MX8M Mini (4×A53@1.8GHz), Rockchip RK3568 (4×A55@2.0GHz), STM32MP1 (CortexA7+M4), etc.
Memory/Storage: LPDDR4 28GB, eMMC 8128GB/Flash, some support NVMe.
Special Capabilities: Industrial-grade wide temperature range (40℃~85℃), strong EMC/interference resistance, real-time performance (some with Cortex R/M).
Power Consumption: 15W (depending on the controller, low-power MCU core boards can be <1W).
Raspberry Pi (Taking Pi 5 as an example)
Controller: BCM2712 (4×CortexA76@2.4GHz), VideoCore VII GPU.
Memory/Storage: LPDDR4X 28GB, microSD-dependent (eMMC module optional).
Special Capabilities: Strong multimedia capabilities (dual 4K output, hardware encoding/decoding), but lacks industrial-grade wide-temperature and robust EMC design.
Power Consumption: 515W (full load), requires 5V/3A power supply.
III. Interface and Expandability Differences
Core Board
Interfaces: Primarily gold-finger/board-to-board, with outgoing signals such as UART/SPI/I2C/CAN/Ethernet/USB, no peripheral interfaces.
Expansion: Customizable baseboard, can be customized with RS485/RS232, PoE, industrial bus, analog inputs, etc., suitable for specialized scenarios.
Advantages: Extremely flexible, adaptable to industrial equipment form factors and interface requirements.
Raspberry Pi
Interfaces: Onboard HDMI, USB 3.0/2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, 40-pin GPIO, CSI/DSI.
Expansion: Relies on HAT expansion boards, fixed interfaces, mature ecosystem but weak customization.
Advantages: Out-of-the-box, no additional design required, quick to learn.
IV. Development and Software Ecosystem
Core Board
Systems: Linux (Yocto/Buildroot), Android, FreeRTOS, etc., driver adaptation required.
Development: Requires hardware design (baseboard), complex low-level debugging, suitable for professional teams.
Support: Manufacturer provides BSP and technical support, documentation is technically focused.
Raspberry Pi
Systems: Raspberry Pi OS (Debian), Ubuntu, Windows IoT, etc., complete images.
Development: No hardware design required, good support for Python/C/C++, rich community resources.
Support: Abundant tutorials and open-source projects, easy problem solving.
V. Typical Application Scenarios
Core Board is more suitable for:
Industrial Control: PLC, industrial gateway, HMI, requiring wide temperature range and interference resistance.
Dedicated Equipment: Medical instruments, vehicle terminals, IoT base stations, requiring customized interfaces and low power consumption.
Mass Production Products: Requires stable, reliable, and reusable core designs to reduce costs and timelines.
Raspberry Pi is more suitable for:
Education and Learning: Programming introductions and hardware practice, low cost and easy to learn.
Prototype Verification: Quickly build IoT, robot, and AI prototypes, shortening verification cycles.
Lightweight and General-Purpose: Home servers, media centers, smart home control systems, no industrial-grade design required.
Both are suitable.
IoT Gateways: Core boards are suitable for industrial-grade long-distance/multi-protocol applications; Raspberry Pi is suitable for prototyping and lightweight deployment.
Edge Computing: Core boards are suitable for dedicated algorithm acceleration; Raspberry Pi is suitable for general-purpose lightweight inference.
VI. Key Selection Dimensions
1. Scenario Priority: Mass production/industrial/customization → Core board; Education/prototyping/general-purpose → Raspberry Pi.
2. Development Resources: Hardware team and customization capabilities available → Core board; Rapid verification, no hardware design required → Raspberry Pi.
3. Environmental Requirements: Wide temperature range, strong EMC, vibration resistant → Core board; Ordinary environment → Raspberry Pi.
4. Cost Considerations: Small batches (<100 units) → Raspberry Pi is more cost-effective; Large batches → Core board + BOM optimization is more economical.
VII. Summary and Complementary Uses
Core Board: Highly customizable, industrial-grade, suitable for mass production, high development threshold but low long-term cost.
Raspberry Pi: Strong ecosystem, easy to use, suitable for prototyping, fast development but weak mass production adaptability.
Complementary Uses: Use Raspberry Pi for prototyping and verification, then switch to the core board + BSP for migration after finalization, balancing speed and mass production requirements; or use Raspberry Pi CM4 as the core board, balancing ecosystem and customization.