Description

Getting Started with the Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi is an inexpensive, fully capable computing platform that includes everything you need (A/V outputs, usb ports, onboard memory, flash card drive) to run a desktop operating system. All you need is to connect a monitor, USB keyboard and mouse; insert a pre-programmed flash card (sold separately); power it on, and you're ready to access a plethora of applications as you would on a standard desktop computer.

The Raspberry Pi was developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation as a tool to facilitate teaching basic computer science in schools.

The Raspberry Pi Model B is based on the Broadcom BCM2835 System-on-Chip that uses an ARM1176JZF-S 700MHz as its core CPU. The Broadcom chip uses a VideoCore IV GPU for graphics, and it also has 512MB of RAM. Even though it lacks a 'standard' hard or solid-state drive, it uses an SD card to store the files needed to run the Operating System. Currently, the board supports several versions of standard GNU/Linux Operating System distributions such as Debian, Fedora, and Arch Linux that have been ported to run on an ARM processor. The full list is available here.

The Raspberry Pi, more than just a computer

The neatest feature about the Raspberry Pi is that it allows us to access low-level ports as we would on a Microcontroller. These include General Purpose digital Input/Output, UART, I2C and SPI for communication, and both 3.3V and 5.5V voltage levels. Have a look at our tutorials to see some great applications using this great little board!

What’s the difference between Model A and Model B?

Model A has 256MB of RAM, one USB port and no Ethernet (network connection). Model B has 512MB of RAM, 2 USB port and an Ethernet port.

Technical Details