Updated: August 3, 2026
The fabqueue Edge is the small device in your shop that drives your printers. You buy the board, flash it once with the ready-made fabqueue Edge OS image (the in-app wizard walks you through it), and it runs itself from there. This page is the list of hardware that image supports.
The device to get
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B with 2 GB of memory or more. The 2, 4, and 8 GB variants are all fine; the 1 GB variant is too small.
Supported models
| Device | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (2 / 4 / 8 GB) | ✅ Supported | The device fabqueue stands behind. Flash it with the in-app setup wizard. |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | 🟡 Planned | Not yet supported — today's image won't boot on it. It looks a lot like a Pi 4 (same USB-C power connector, same two micro-HDMI ports), so go by the name printed in white on the board. If you're buying a board for fabqueue today, buy a Pi 4 Model B. |
| x86-64 mini-PC (Intel N100 class) | 🟡 Planned | On the roadmap as a second supported device class. |
| Raspberry Pi 3 / 400 / Zero 2 W, Compute Module 4, other boards | ⚪ Unsupported | For tinkerers only, via the self-managed container path — outside what fabqueue supports. |
What to have alongside the board
- An endurance-rated microSD card — look for "High Endurance" or "A2" on the label, 16 GB or larger. The Edge writes around the clock; ordinary cards wear out in confusing ways.
- The official Raspberry Pi USB-C power supply (5 V / 3 A, or an equivalent 3 A supply). An underpowered Pi misbehaves in ways that look like anything except a power problem.
- Ethernet if you can — the most reliable choice on a shop floor. The onboard wifi works too and is set up during flashing.
- A case or heatsink for always-on use.
Two notes on older Pi 4 boards
- Made before October 2020: the board's built-in startup software (the bootloader) needs a one-time update before it can read the fabqueue card. The setup wizard walks you through the ten-minute fix.
- Made before late 2021: these set up and print exactly the same, but the board can't use the safety-net mode fabqueue's automatic software updates normally run in. fabqueue detects this on its own and switches the board to direct updates — you may notice the first update or two arriving late and a "No rollback net" badge on your Edge agents page. If an older board seems stuck on an old version, message us via the in-app support bubble.
If something won't work
The dividing line for a device that won't come up: does the fabqueue setup screen appear? A board with no signs of life at all (no power, nothing on screen, activity light dark) is a board, power-supply, or SD-card problem — covered by the manufacturer's warranty (Raspberry Pi Ltd or your distributor). One exception before assuming a dead board: a Pi 4 made before October 2020 shows no signs of life until its one-time bootloader update — see the note above. If the fabqueue setup screen appears but the device won't join wifi, pair, or reach your printers, that's ours: message us via the in-app support bubble and we'll get you going.
Starting with no hardware at all
Everything except driving printers works with no device: connect your Etsy shop, track components and stock, and run fulfillment from day one. Add the Edge whenever you're ready to put your printers on the queue.