Complete Parts List
| Qty | Component | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1× | Raspberry Pi 4 — 2 GB | Acts as MASTER / Swarm Manager |
| 3× | Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ | SLAVE1, SLAVE2, SLAVE3 — Worker nodes |
| 1× | Power Supply — RawPower RP-PC029 | Max 2.4 A per USB port (**see note) |
| 6× | 32 GB micro SD card (High Speed) | 2 surplus cards for MASTER backup |
| 1× | Network Switch — D-Link DES-105 (5 port) | Connects all 4 nodes + uplink to router |
| 1× | micro HDMI cable | For initial Pi 4 setup |
| 4× | 25 cm Ethernet cable (straight) | Node-to-switch connections |
| 1× | 1.5 m Ethernet cable (straight) | Switch to router uplink |
| 3× | 25 cm USB-A to micro-USB power cable | Power supply → Pi 3 nodes |
| 1× | Special USB-A to USB-C power cable | Merges 2× USB outputs to reach ≥3 A for Pi 4 |
| 1× | USB to micro SD adapter | For flashing SD cards from a laptop/desktop |
| 1× | Tower housing — acrylic plastic | Optional: heatsinks and fans as needed |
Power Note (**) — Raspberry Pi 4 charges over USB-C (not micro-USB). It requires at least 3 A at 5 V. The RawPower supply only delivers 2.4 A per port, so you must merge two ports using a Y-cable to meet the minimum. If you attach many USB peripherals to the Pi 4, aim for 3 A.
CPU & RAM Summary
| Node | Model | CPU Cores | RAM | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MASTER | Raspberry Pi 4 (2 GB) | 4× Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz | 2 GB | Swarm Manager |
| SLAVE1 | Raspberry Pi 3 B+ | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1.4 GHz | 1 GB | Worker |
| SLAVE2 | Raspberry Pi 3 B+ | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1.4 GHz | 1 GB | Worker |
| SLAVE3 | Raspberry Pi 3 B+ | 4× Cortex-A53 @ 1.4 GHz | 1 GB | Worker |
| Total | 16 cores | 8 GB | ||
Optional Accessories
- Heatsinks for all SoC chips (recommended if running sustained workloads)
- Small 5 V fans for the tower enclosure
- Right-angle micro HDMI adapters to reduce cable stress
- Velcro cable ties for cable management inside the tower
You can check the CPU temperature at any time with:
$ vcgencmd measure_temp. The Pi will throttle at 80 °C and hard-cut at 85 °C.