The Raspberry Pi, developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and first released in 2012, has evolved into one of the most popular platforms for developers. This low-cost computer connects to a display and can function as a regular computer with the addition of a mouse and a keyboard. In the Raspberry Pi Tutorial Part 1, we will explore deeper the history of the Pi and its capabilities.
You can use this small Raspberry Pi board to do whatever your computer can do. Browsing the internet, playing high‑resolution video and games is now possible on the Pi. You can learn programming languages and explore the world of IT. The original idea behind this tiny computer was to teach children the basics of programming.
See also: How to install Ubuntu MATE on Raspberry Pi 4?
Different versions of the Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi 1
The original Raspberry Pi line started with the Raspberry Pi 1 Model A released in February 2012. Followed by this, the Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+ was the successor of the Model A released in November 2014.
The A series dealt with basic specifications at an exceptionally affordable price, but for people who required more, the Pi 1 B and B+ were other revisions of the Pi 1 with more powerful specifications. The first-generation model of the Raspberry Pi provided graphics capabilities equal to those of the 2001 Xbox.
RPI 1 Model B+ Specifications:
- 512 MB RAM
- Four USB 2.0 ports
- Ethernet port
- Full-size HDMI output
- 700 MHz ARM Cortex-A11 SoC
- 4‑pole 3.5 mm jack with audio output and “composite video output”
- 40‑pin GPIO header.
- Camera interface
- Screen interface
- Micro SD card slot
See also: Raspberry Pi 400: Keyboard and computer for $70
Raspberry Pi 2
The Raspberry Pi 2 is one of the most popular releases of the Raspberry Pi. It has been used in most projects. The Pi 1 A and A+ models did not have a USB and Ethernet hub. For connectivity, the Raspberry Pi 2 provides an Ethernet interface up to 100Mbps. You are also provided with 4 USB 2.0 ports on the Pi 2 Model B.
In contrast to many revisions of the Raspberry Pi 1, the Raspberry Pi 2 had only one revision of the Model B, that is the Raspberry Pi 2 B. Now, there are not many differences between the Pi 1 B+ and Pi 2 B, except for the double amount of RAM (512 MB vs 1 GB) and an improved quad‑core ARM Cortex‑A7 processor with a clock speed of 900 MHz.
The Raspberry Pi 2 was also the first Pi that introduced an external distro that loads using an SD card. Note that you need to use a class 10 SD card for this purpose. A micro-USB powers the Pi and it is recommended to use a socket for stable power supply.
Raspberry Pi 3
The Raspberry Pi 3 is another very popular board from the Raspberry Pi foundation. The Pi 3 had three revisions – the first was the Pi 3 Model B, the second Model B+ and the third Model A+.
The Pi 3 Model B is the successor to the Pi 2 Model B. Some of the most important differentiating factors of the Pi 3 Model B were the upgraded processor supply rating and power source. It was also the first Raspberry Pi that featured Wi‑Fi (wireless LAN) and Bluetooth.
The Pi 3 Model B + is an extremely improved version of the Pi 3 Model B. Compared to the Pi 3 model, it had a faster clock speed (200 MHz faster), introduced Gigabit Ethernet via USB 2.0 and added a new Wi-Fi module with support for 5 GHz networks.
The Pi 3 Model A was a limited edition of the Pi 3 Model B+, but with the Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+ chassis. It is affordable and a great board for building IoT.
See also: Ubuntu Retro Remix: A gaming distribution for Raspberry Pi devices
Raspberry Pi 4
As with the Raspberry Pi 2, the Pi 4 has only one revision, that is, the Raspberry Pi 4 B. As one would expect from the next generation Raspberry Pi, it comes in RAM variants of 2 GB, 4 GB and 8 GB, a huge upgrade from the 1 GB RAM of the 3 B+. Some of the other upgrades were the introduction of a Gigabit Ethernet port, dual Mini HDMI ports with 4K support, the addition of 2 USB 3.0 ports, an improved Broadcom processor with more powerful Cortex-A72 cores, and finally a USB Type-C power connector.
Raspberry Pi Hardware
If you are familiar with Arduino, you will know that you can connect other boards that add various switches, sensors, controllers, LED etc. The Raspberry Pi has modules such as camera add-on or mini LCD – it is an excellent device for DIY projects.
Also, you can add a touch screen for Raspberry Pi. If you feel that you need it, but you can connect the screen over the network to another computer using the Terminal SSH command or Putty on Windows.
Raspberry Pi Software
The Raspberry Pi uses operating systems based on the Linux kernel. The official operating system is based on Debian Linux and is called Raspberry Pi OS.
The always active open-source communities always create and support the newer and existing distributions such as Ubuntu/Ubuntu MATE. The community also provides LineageOS Android for the Pi.
The Raspberry Pi is a versatile piece of engineering that could be used in various DIY projects. For example, you can create your own anonymous Tor router, music playback device, radio, personal VPN, personal web server, connect it to a DSLR, and many more.
Information source: fossbytes.com
