In terms of benchmark scores, this article reports that the Raspberry Pi Zero (the W version) has a dhrystone score of 871.43. This is less than the Raspberry Pi 3 (which has a 1.2 GHz quad-core) but the Raspberry Pi Zero is on par with the Raspberry Pi 2 B+ and way faster than the original RPi. Meanwhile the Raspberry Pi Zero contains a Broadcom BCM2835 system on chip (SoC) with 1 GHz, single core 32-bit ARM11 CPU and Videocore IV GPU. Wrapping up its internals are 512MB of RAM and 4kB of EEPROM. This means the PocketBeagle has the same computing capabilities as the bigger Beaglebone Black! Also similar to the BBB, the PocketBeagle has two 32-bit programmable real-time units (PRU) which are very useful in real-time applications. The PocketBeagle is powered by Octavo System OSD3359-SM System in Package (SIP) module which contains the BBB’s Sitara AM3358 SoC, and PowerVR SGX530. Just like the Beaglebone Black, just connect the PocketBeagle to your computer via USB and you can access it via browser or SSH. The PocketBeagle, I believe, is targeted towards experienced Linux users. This makes the Raspberry Pi Zero more beginner friendly as you can connect it to your monitor (via a mini-HDMI to HDMI cable) and add USB keyboard and mouse (via a hub). The PocketBeagle only has a microSD card port and the microUSB OTG. The Raspberry Pi Zero W has a number of ports: mini-HDMI, microUSB OTG, microUSB power, camera, and microSD card. There’s also a hack to add WiFi without using a dongle.
Raspberry pi zero w pinout diagram usb Bluetooth#
You can add a WiFI or Bluetooth dongle through the PocketBeagle’s USB OTG though. The PocketBeagle doesn’t come with WiFi or Bluetooth while the “W” version of the Raspberry Pi Zero contains both. You can fit the PocketBeagle to a can like this though: I’ll add that the PocketBeagle is yet to have an official case while the Raspberry Pi Zero has these: No pin names are printed on the Zero but if you have been using the RPi for a long time, you must have familiarized all of them by now. This was a problem for me with the BBB where I had to always consult the pinout diagram. I liked how the pin names are now printed on the underside of the PocketBeagle. The BeagleBoard and Raspberry Pi logo is on the underside of the boards. This makes it harder for the PocketBeagle to secure inside a case or a top another board.
The Raspberry Pi Zero has four mounting holes in the corner while the PocketBeagle doesn’t have any. Here they are together with the Raspberry Pi 3 and Beaglebone Black:
The PocketBeagle is 56mm x 35mm x 5mm (2.2” x 1.4” x 0.2”) while the Raspberry Pi Zero is 65mm x 30mm x 5mm (2.6” x 1.2” x 0.2”). This means that capes for the BBB, unless modified, will not fit the Pocketbeagle. Meanwhile, the Pocketbeagle has 72 pins compared to the BBB’s 92 pins. The Raspberry Pi Zero has the same number of pins as its bigger counterparts which is actually a good thing because you can use the same Raspberry Pi hats. The Beaglebone Black’s pins outnumber that of the Raspberry Pi and it’s the same with their mini counterpart. Which small-size single board computer (SBC) is better? It’s Raspberry Pi Zero vs. I happened to own both and had a chance to compare. Last year, both Raspberry Pi and Beaglebone Black released mini versions of their popular microcomputers: the Raspberry Pi Zero and PocketBeagle.