Unfortunately this is not a tutorial nor a specific question; I'd like start a discussion to all the users that are interested and those that - hopefully - has a minimum of experience on the use of the Raspberry PI compute module.
My starting point, as far as I know and read here and there in the documentation is a bit confusing and can be synthesised as follows:
- The compute module is the "core" of a raspberry PI, probably equivalent to a B+ 512 Mb Ram and in the DIMM memory size it includes ... just only the processor and the flash memory + RAM
- There is a very good kit that can host the computer module exposing all the GPIO, interfaces, camera, display etc. But the resulting price, without the ethernet connection and a couple of other secondary components, is about the double of a Raspberry PI2 (that is the next PI version, faster, more memory etc.
- Any customer can develop its own I/O board saving money, but the Computer module alone is not sold. So the only possibility is to buy the entire kit
- It is presented like the "pro" version of the Raspberry PI for industrial applications and more sophisticated embedded developments, but has less things and my perception is that is less flexible.
- In some documents it is explained that it can be designed to support pre-built cstomer programs developed under Linux all flashed on the module, but in some other documentation are mentioned pay-per-license operating systems.
These are only some of the incongruences that it seems emerging from the first view comparison. In a project I am working with I though about the computer module as an alternative to the PI but to be honest I have a lot of perplexity.
I hope that someone explain me that I am totally wrong, I have not understood the basic principle and tell me what is the reason to make this choice creating a custom system running a bunch of specific applications. And also what can be the reason of a so high (double) price that makes this device IMHO absolutely not competitive respect the Raspberry PI 2.
Enrico
