Beginner's Guide to the Raspberry Pi
Introduction
Raspberry Pi may sound more like a pastry dish than a computer, but it’s success in recent years is unquestionable. With over 12 million units sold in the past three years and hundreds of thousands of actives community members, the Raspberry Pi doesn’t appear to be leaving us any time soon. Because many people are unfamiliar with the Pi, this article will attempt to explain why it has become so popular through a “question-based” technical breakdown. As always, if you have any questions or comment please leave them below!Article Summary
What is a Raspberry Pi? The Pi is credit card-sized computer that costs as little as $35. It comes without a case and an operating system, however, it packs all of the features of a full fledged desktop.What can it do? A surprising amount. Despite its $35 price-tag, the Pi runs most version of Linux with ease and comes with USB, WiFi, Bluetooth, a quad-core processor, and 2GB of onboard RAM.
Why it is important? The Pi was originally designed for children and has been influential in creating the next generation of computer scientists. The Pi has also been great for people who want to learn more about computers, but who don’t want to break their $1000 desktops.
Who makes them? A “not-necessarily-for-profit” charity aimed at getting the world interested in how computers work.
What can I do with one? A google search will show hundreds of DIY projects ranging from retro game emulators to media servers. The possibilities are literally endless.
What is the Raspberry Pi?
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| Raspberry Pi Setup on Desktop |
The Raspberry Pi is one of the best selling computers of all time despite coming shipped without a case, power supply, or operating system. Measuring just three inches by two inches, it is roughly the size of credit card. Because of it’s small frame and ample CPU, it is highly portable and capable of running most everyday applications with little or no lag. The Pi is also able to play HD videos as well as act as a web server. Although originally designed for children, the Raspberry Pi community is mainly made up of experienced programmers who have turned their Pi’s into media players, emulators, jukeboxes, and even mouse traps.
What can a Raspberry Pi do?
The Raspberry Pi comes packed with all the hardware and I/O that typically ships with a low end desktop computer. The base model come with a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 64-bit ARM Cortex, 2 GB of RAM, and a 400MHz graphics processor. The operating systems is not stored on a hard disk but instead with boots off of a microSD card. The Raspberry Pi does not actually come with a microSD card. However, once you have a microSD card, it can easily be flashed with any version of linux in a matter of minutes. In terms of I/O, the Pi comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi, 4.1 Bluetooth, Ethernet, and four USB 2.0 ports. All these features make for a full desktop computer experience.Though most cheap desktops have the same hardware specifications, a new Pi will cost only $35. This means that if the computer breaks, it will be extremely cheap to replace or repair.
Hardware
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Software
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1.2GHz quad-core processor
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802.11n Wi-Fi
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64-bit ARM Cortex A53
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4.1 Bluetooth
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2 GB RAM
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Ethernet
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400 MHz graphic processor
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Four USB 2.0 Ports
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| Raspberry Pi 3 Hardware |
Why is the Raspberry Pi important?
Educational Opportunities
The Pi is a great machine for learning about how computers work. The computers are also reasonably priced and largely available. Many schools and universities use the Raspberry Pi Foundation’s official OS called "Raspbian" for programming classes. The OS, which is loaded with tools for learning how to program, is free to the public and comes with drag-and-drop coding offered by Scratch as well as high end debuggers for Python. A Google search for “Raspberry Pi projects" brings up images with Pi's plugged into touch screen panels showing that it is capable of more than just software.For hardware education, the Pi is equipped with 26 general purpose I/O pins, wires that allow the board to communicate with other computers and electronics. These pins are the key to the Pi's popularity with schools. If something goes wrong with the soldering iron, it is really easy to replace the board or even individual components. This low cost and flexibility has lead to many research projects on robots, servers, drones, and has even been taken to the international space station for testing.
For less ambitious projects, plug-and-play hardware is available. The components are relatively easy use thanks to the growing community that supports the Raspberry Pi.
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| Raspberry Pi used in school projects |
Homemade Projects
Open source software and cheap hardware has made possible the myriad of different projects that are capable with Pi. Projects range from game emulators and jukeboxes to laptops and media servers. All of these projects have developed out of the same idea: money. A new media server from Best Buy can cost upwards of $200. However, with modifications to a Raspberry Pi, a server could be built for less than $45. Raspberry Pi’s are changing the way people buy computers.Who makes the Raspberry Pi?
The “not-necessarily-for-profit” charity, “The Raspberry Pi Foundation”, started making these machines a few years ago in an attempt at getting the world interested in how computers work. Since then it has released three distinct models of the Raspberry Pi and ships them through most eCommerce sites (Amazon, Google Express, Buy.com).Because of the Pi’s success, the foundation has been able to hire dozens of individuals who go on tour educating people about the importance of computer education.
What can I do with a Raspberry Pi?
A quick Google search will bring you to hundreds of different projects that you can do. Although, we recommend starting with a few projects found at halfbakedpi.blogspot.com.Conclusion
The Raspberry Pi has become popular due to its low cost and high throughput. It is being used for a myriad of different projects in different fields. Due it is small size and versatilely, it has been adopted by many schools and universities for research projects. If you find yourself having purchased a Pi and need a few extra pointers on how to use it, please, check out more articles on this blog!
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