# New Buildbotics controller or raspberry pi upgrade **URL:** \ **Category:** Original/PRO Series (Buildbotics) (Gen 1)\ **Created:** [March 20, 2024, 8:24pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/new-buildbotics-controller-or-raspberry-pi-upgrade/26045 "2024-03-20T20:24:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 4
**Author:** ![349iq2345](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/bb73d2/32.png) [@349iq2345](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/349iq2345)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2024, 9:44pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/new-buildbotics-controller-or-raspberry-pi-upgrade/26045/4 "2024-03-20T21:44:53Z")
Hey JFab, the current [Raspberry Pi 3B](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-3-model-b/) is already 64-bit capable, however Buildbotics and Onefinity run a 32-bit Raspbian of 2017 on it. Onefinity said to work on a [2.0 firmware](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/2-0-0-alpha-3-bb-firmware-latest-beta-6-23-23/21177) that will run on Raspberry Pi 3 and [Raspberry Pi 4](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/). > [@Buildbotics upgrading to PI4](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/buildbotics-upgrading-to-pi4/18726/2): > > the [Raspberry Pi 4](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/) is for the first time is a major redesign. In comparison to the [Raspberry Pi 3](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-3-model-b/) and older, it mainly brings advantages to the **desktop** computer user, as the USB, Ethernet and all other peripheral chips are now connected more directly to the [CPU](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_processing_unit) so are all much faster (Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3, etc.). The Pi 4 is able to run much better graphics standards, i.e. OpenGL-ES 3.0, Vulkan 1.0 and 4K resolution (over two mini-HDMI outputs). Also the CPU is a little more powerful type (ARM Cortex A72-based instead of A53 on older Raspberry Pis). Also you can now attach much more, more fast, and more recent [memory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_data_storage#Primary_storage) (LPDDR4 instead of LPDDR2, and up to 8 GB), which makes it run faster. High amounts of [RAM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random-access_memory) are necessary to run powerful desktop applications. Of course, it also consumes more power. If you want to know what is the main difference in internal redesign between the Pi \<=3 and the new Raspberry Pi 4, [see here](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/how-long-will-original-controller-be-available/17882/22). > > It is the first time that a Raspberry Pi is marketed as a [desktop computer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_computer) (while Raspberry Pi 3 and the others are offered as [single-board computers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-board_computer), mainly intended for _embedded use_ or as _experimental board_). You can even get a Pi 4 as [complete personal computer, built into a compact keyboard](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-400-unit/) (or as [desktop kit to assemble it yourself](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-desktop-kit/)). > > But regarding its use in a small universal 4-axis CNC controller, … > > > … RPi 3’s seem to have more than enough compute power for our application. > > > > – [Doug Coffland](https://forum.buildbotics.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=125&p=200#p200) > [@How long will original controller be available](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/how-long-will-original-controller-be-available/17882/18): > > > [@How long will original controller be available](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/how-long-will-original-controller-be-available/17882/17): > > > > Based on threads on the buildbotics forum a year or more ago there were issues which prevented upgrading the rpi to a later version. Don’t recall specifics though… > > this interested me and I searched for it, but as far as I can see on the Buildbotics Forum, [they mainly see the problem that Raspberry Pi altered the connectors positions](https://forum.buildbotics.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=125&p=200#p200) on the Raspberry Pi 4, so that **Pi 4 would no longer fit into the Controller’s case backplate** (compare yourself: [Raspberry Pi 3B](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-3-model-b/) vs. [Raspberry Pi 4B](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/)). The Ethernet port is now on the right of the USB ports. Also Buildbotics sees increased heat implications with Pi 4 with their current casing. > > Other than that, [one user reports](https://forum.buildbotics.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=295&p=923#p921) that he **was able to successfully build** the [Buildbotics-firmware sources](https://github.com/buildbotics/bbctrl-firmware) on the [Raspberry Pi 400](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-400/) (Pi 4 based). So I would see no reason why it wouldn’t work with [Onefinity-firmware sources](https://github.com/OneFinityCNC/onefinity-firmware) too – both upgrading the hardware to a Raspberry Pi 4 **and** upgrading the [Raspberry Pi OS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi_OS) to a recent version as well _(usually recommended in order not to have a device with a lot of old security issues in your home network)_. So, you could build a Onefinity Controller from the sources on a recent Raspberry Pi 4 board and use a recent [Raspberry Pi OS SD card image](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems/#raspberry-pi-os-64-bit) as base. Such a recent Raspberry Pi OS SD card image also boots fine on the original Raspberry Pi 3B inside your Onefinity Controller (I tested that). So if you build the [onefinity-firmware](https://github.com/OneFinityCNC/onefinity-firmware) from the souces, as it would be a switch to a 64-bit operating system, you would already have a faster system, even without exchanging the Raspberry Pi. By the way, I don’t think that you would be able to mill your toolpaths faster with a faster Raspberry Pi or a faster Raspberry Pi OS installed, as it is the bit, the spindle and the workpiece material that limits the speed of operation. If you want to mill projects faster, you would rather buy a more powerful spindle. > [@Upgrade the Raspberry Pi (hardware) in the controller?](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/upgrade-the-raspberry-pi-hardware-in-the-controller/23987/2): > > As for the Onefinity Controller’s current operating system, a frozen and totally outdated Raspbian OS from 2017, updating this OS on the Onefinity SD card image brings many problems and will not work, as explained in the following below. So what would work instead, is take a recent [Raspberry Pi OS (64-bit)](https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems/#raspberry-pi-os-64-bit), flash it on a SD card, boot it, and **[build](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_build)** (=compile and install) the Onefinity System from its [sources](https://github.com/OneFinityCNC/onefinity-firmware). > [@JFab](#): > > > [@349iq2345](#): > > > > > [@JFab](#): > > > > > > It is getting older now and is obviously slow. > > > > in what respect is it slow? > > Its an old raspberry pi now and as with all computers run slow as compared to brand new. I build PC’s and just waiting for them to give us old customers an upgrade route, Make sense now? You did not really answer my question. I think the parsing step of the uploaded g-code could run faster with a faster hardware or faster operating system, but I don’t know if this really does matter to everyone. --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/new-buildbotics-controller-or-raspberry-pi-upgrade/26045)._