A Raspberry Pi is a compact, inexpensive, low-power computer board designed for learning computing, Linux, programming, and electronics.
It is one of those little machines that have ended up having a huge impact on the maker, educational, and technical community. It can be used as a mini PC, as a home server, as the brain of IoT projects, or simply as the perfect excuse to learn Linux without fear of breaking your main computer.
So before we start installing systems, opening terminals, and connecting things to the GPIO, it is worth starting at the beginning: what Raspberry Pi is, where it comes from, and why it has been so successful.
What is Raspberry Pi?
Raspberry Pi is a small-sized, low-cost, low-power mini computer whose first models were launched in April 2012.
Generally, these types of mini computers run operating systems based on Linux and are closely related to Open Software.
However, the development of Raspberry Pi itself is not Open Hardware.
In addition to being a computer, Raspberry incorporates electronics functions such as:
- GPIO pins (General Purpose Input/Output)
- UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter)
- SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface)
- I²C (Inter-Integrated Circuit)
These functions mean it can be used in electronics and robotics projects interacting with sensors (temperature, light, acceleration…) and actuators (motors, servos, relays…). In this sense, we could say it “shares” certain capabilities with devices like Arduino.
However, it must be emphasized that the power of these mini PCs is not comparable to what we have in a “conventional” computer. Although the latest models incorporate processors far superior to the first versions, the computing power (to give you an idea, it is more comparable to that of a modern smartphone).
Where did Raspberry Pi come from?
Raspberry Pi was developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, formed in 2008 by a group of technicians and academics such as Eben Upton, Rob Mulins, Jack Lang, Alan Mycroft, Pete Lomas, and David Braben.
According to its creators, the goal was to create a low-cost device that would allow everyone to have access to a computer to improve skills in computing, programming, and electronics.
The Raspberry Pi project started in 2006 and was inspired by the BBC Micro, a computer that helped popularize computing in 1981. This computer had two models, A and B, and for this reason, the first version of Raspberry Pi also had two variants, A and B.
Precisely, the name Raspberry is another historical nod to the fact that many computing developments of that era were named after fruits (Apple, Apricot, Tangerine…). For its part, Pi refers to the Python programming language, as it was originally intended for learning this programming language.
Why has Raspberry Pi been successful?
Beyond its initial goal of bringing computing to everyone, especially in education, the truth is that its low price, low power consumption, small size, and its electronics capabilities (GPIOs, UART, etc.) meant it was a great success among the geek/maker community.
This has contributed enormously to its popularity, creating an active community of users who use devices like Raspberry Pi in a wide variety of projects.
The user community is one of Raspberry’s strong points, because it provides a large amount of developments, documentation, tutorials, which contribute to the introduction and popularization of the device.
In fact, Raspberry boards have been so successful that at various times there have even been supply problems for some models, especially after the launch of new versions or during periods of high demand.
Some sellers take advantage of times of scarcity to increase the price of these models. Be careful not to pay quite a lot more than necessary just because of impatience.
What can I do with a Raspberry Pi?
Although a Raspberry Pi’s power is more limited than a conventional computer, it is still a fully functional computer. To this, we must add that it has electronics functions.
Therefore, the possible uses are almost infinite, as many as you can imagine. In an internet search, you will find thousands of projects using a Raspberry Pi.
Some of the most “conventional” and common projects are, for example, learning Linux or programming, connecting it to a television and using it as a media center, connecting hard drives and using it as a NAS server, or even as a small home server.
The less common (and more interesting) applications include all kinds of electronics and robotics projects, computer vision applications, IoT (Internet of Things) applications. There are even projects that connect several Raspberry Pis in parallel to make a mini computing cluster.
What models are there?
There are several Raspberry Pi families. The most common ones for getting started are the “traditional” Model B boards and the Zero family, which is smaller and uses less power. There are also other formats, such as Compute Module or Raspberry Pi Pico, aimed at different uses.
The topic goes a long way, because each model has its own characteristics (CPU, RAM, number of ports, connectivity, power consumption, form factor, etc.). That is why in the course we treat it separately, comparing the main families and when it makes sense to choose one or another.
Is it really that cheap?
This is a very interesting question. Is it that cheap? Yes and no. On the one hand, the price of the boards is what it is, but many considerations must be taken into account.
The first factor is, as we mentioned, the scarcity of some models due to high demand. In addition, prices change quite a lot depending on the country, the store, the model’s memory, and whether we buy the bare board or a full kit.
On the other hand, depending on where you buy, you have to consider that the price given includes taxes and shipping costs.
Furthermore, we must consider the additional components we need to add for it to work. Some of these components are optional and others are mandatory.
Among the unavoidable components we will need a suitable power supply. Any old charger we have at home will not do. The required current depends on the model, but it is worth using a quality supply and, on recent models, respecting the manufacturer’s recommendation.
On the other hand, Raspberry does not have a “hard drive”; instead, we will normally use a micro SD card that we also have to buy. It is worth getting a good one with enough capacity for the operating system and the data. On recent models we can also boot from USB or NVMe if we have the right hardware.
On the other hand, we have optional components. In many cases, we will use Raspberry Pi by connecting remotely via SSH or VNC, so we will not need a monitor, keyboard, or mouse.
Even so, it is very convenient to have a keyboard, mouse, and monitor nearby. Especially the first boot and initial configuration is difficult to do completely remotely. Even more so if we are learning.
If we have an HDMI cable, a keyboard and mouse, and a monitor (or use the television) at home that we can use temporarily, we can avoid the expense. If not, add it to the total price.
Optionally, we can add a plastic case (€1-5 depending on models), and heat sinks for the processors (€0.25) or a fan. These components are also sold in packs, for €2.5-5.
In summary, taking a Raspberry Pi as an example, we can buy the board “alone” for €31, shipping included. If we look, we can find a Kit with the board, 2.5A adapter, HDMI cable, 16Gb class 10 card, case, fan, and heat sinks for €48.
If we cannot use a keyboard, mouse, and monitor temporarily, or if we want to leave it fixed and use it as a “traditional computer”, we will have to add their cost. Let’s assume €20 for keyboard and mouse and €80 for the monitor.
If we need everything, we would be looking at €150 and entering a range where we already have other alternatives, such as cheap tablets and laptops.
Are there alternatives/competitors?
Of course, just as we have a whole community revolving around Raspberry Pi, we also have a large number of alternatives and competitors.
Among the many alternatives we can highlight Orange Pi, a board of Chinese manufacture with characteristics similar to Raspberry Pi and a much lower cost. Other notable alternatives include Banana Pi, Cubieboard, ODroid, Pine64, BeagleBone, among many others.
However, it must be taken into account that these alternatives do not have the strong community that Raspberry Pi has, which means that generally it is much more complicated to learn how to use them because it is more difficult to find software, documentation, tutorials, etc.
On the other hand, we sometimes see Raspberry Pi compared to boards and mini PCs costing €100-200. Well, for me that is not an appropriate comparison, because we have completely left the range of €30-60 mini PCs and entered the range of conventional computers and barebones.
It is also common to see comparisons with mini PCs that lack electronics functions (GPIO, UART, SPI…). For me, this is also not an appropriate comparison, because they lack one of the most interesting and distinctive characteristics of Raspberry Pi and its real alternatives.
In future posts, we will also talk about some of these alternatives. But, for now, this is enough to introduce what Raspberry Pi is, its origins, and some of the key reasons for its success. Soon we will continue delving into these interesting devices and the Raspberry Pi community.
