What does work!

Just about all our Pi plates work fine (except for the Wolfson Audio plates, see below!) They just may overhang the USB/Ethernet port side by 1/2cm
  • PiTFT - pinout and electric-wise it works and is tested, but our custom PiTFT kernel does not support the new USB/Ethernet chipset. We're working on it and hope to release a new version soon!
  • 16x2 Character LCD plates (not tested yet but we're pretty confident it works)
  • Proto Plate (not tested yet but we're pretty confident)
Any USB-based devices, WiFi dongles, etc.

Any monitors that are HDMI based

Any displays that are NTSC-based - they just need to have a proper A/V cable that brings out the 4th Video pin!

Pi Cameras

Any other cables, such as USB console cables, microUSB cables, Ethernet cables, HDMI to VGA adapters, USB hubs, power packs.

What doesn't work


We'll try to keep track of all the things that would work with the model B that no longer does!

You may need a new Kernel/Firmware

If you have an older Raspbian or NooBs or whatever (before ~ June 20 2014) do a sudo apt-get update and sudo apt-get upgrade to update your kernel & firmware! Without new kernel/firmware, the USB/Ethernet chip doesn't work so make sure you do this on a Model B since you need to have ethernet or USB to work in order to download the files over the Internet!

GPIO Cables & Cobblers

#1 thing is anything that using a 26-pin GPIO cable:
Even though the 'top 26 pins' are still compatible pinouts, IDC cables have a bit of a thicker part and the ends, so it will bump into the #27 and #28'th pins when you try to plug it in. If you're desperate, you can cut those two pins with diagonal cutters

This means that Adafruit Cobbler, T-Cobbler, PermaProto Pi do not work anymore out-of-the-box.

However you can make them work if you have a 40pin->26pin 'downgrader' cable

Wolfson Audio Card & Other I2S (not I2C) Devices

These devices depend on the I2S pins that were next to the Pi GPIO header. Those pins are now on the 'main' GPIO header!

Enclosures

We don't know of any old Model B enclosures that still work. Since the ports have switched around, and the mounting holes moved... unless the case specifically says it works with B+ it probably doesn't!

This guide was first published on Jul 14, 2014. It was last updated on Jul 14, 2014.

This page (What does/doesn't work anymore) was last updated on Jul 13, 2014.

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