Raspberry Pi - A new type of RAM
The latest batch of Raspberry Pi's we have been selling through the shop (manufactured in South Wales, UK) have use a new type of RAM chip.
Previously the Pi used a Samsung chip, they have now switched to using a chip manufactured by Micron marked with 3KA18 D9QHN and an 'M' logo. This chip is visible in the middle of the photo below mounted on top of the processor using their cleaver package-on-package technology. This RAM chip is still 512Mb in size
 |
| Raspberry Pi with new type of RAM chip |
 |
| Older Samsung RAM chip |
To my knowledge there has been no evidence that the new chip give any performance benefit, the change is probably due to cost or logistic reasons.
To make the Raspberry Pi boot you will need to download the following files and put them in the SD cards FAT (boot) partition overwriting the older files:
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/fixup.dat
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/bootcode.bin
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/fixup_cd.dat
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/fixup.dat
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/fixup_x.dat
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/kernel_emergency.img
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/kernel.img
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/start_cd.elf
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/start.elf
https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/raw/master/boot/start_x.elf
Alternative you could download the whole Raspberry Pi firmware repository (95.6Mb) and copy out the files from the boot directory https://github.com/raspberrypi/firmware/archive/master.zip
I'm currently working on getting a new ready-to-go SD card image download uploaded with the changes above included. This should be available to download soon from: http://emoncms.org/site/docs/raspberrypigateway. Look for the 22nd Oct 2013 image.
All SD cards purchased in the shop after today will have the new image which works on the Raspberry Pi's with the new RAM.
Onwards!
To engage in discussion regarding this post, please post on our Community Forum.