Keywords: Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi Imager, Pico
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If you are using Raspberry Pi for development, C or Python are both good choices. Before you start playing with your Raspberry Pi, you can first see how to get started quickly;
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The Raspberry Pi Imager tool is a graphical SD card writing tool that runs on Mac OS, Ubuntu, and Windows, and for most users, this is the easiest choice;
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Most players are familiar with the classic series of Raspberry Pi, but for some lightweight applications, the excess resources can indeed be a waste. In this case, the Raspberry Pi Pico undoubtedly provides a suitable compromise.
The Raspberry Pi is a credit card-sized single-board computer that integrates all the components and interfaces needed for a microcomputer, designed for computer programming education. If you are using Raspberry Pi for development, C or Python are both good choices. Before you start playing with your Raspberry Pi, you can take a look at the following…
Figure 1. Raspberry Pi 4B (2GB RAM, 4GB RAM, 8GB RAM)
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Quick Start
1. SD card suitable for Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi does not include internal storage. Users must use a micro SD card, which acts as the computer’s hard drive. (The early Raspberry Pi models used full-size SD cards.) The operating system and applications are installed on the micro SD card, and the Raspberry Pi board also boots from the SD card.
Note — SD card requirements
Due to hardware limitations in Raspberry Pi 0, 1, and 2, the boot partition on the SD card must be 256GB or less; otherwise, the device will not boot.
Subsequent models of Raspberry Pi 2 (equipped with BCM2837 SoC) such as Raspberry Pi 3, 4, Zero 2 W, and Raspberry Pi 400 do not have this limitation. They use smaller boot partitions, which do not affect the Raspberry Pi operating system.
Recommended SD card capacity
Generally, it is recommended to use an SD card with a capacity of 8GB or larger in the Raspberry Pi operating system. If you are using LiteOS, you can use a 4GB card. Other operating systems have different requirements: for example, LibreELEC can run on smaller cards. Please consult the operating system vendor for their recommended SD card capacity.
2. Install the operating system
Raspberry Pi recommends using the Raspberry Pi Imager tool to install the operating system directly onto the SD card. You will need another computer with an SD card reader to install this tool. Before starting the installation, don’t forget to check the SD card requirements.
Note:
You may have heard of the NOOBS installation system, which stands for New Out Of the Box Software, allowing users to use Raspberry Pi boards more easily. However, Raspberry Pi no longer recommends or supports the use of NOOBS. So in the future, please use the Raspberry Pi Imager.
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Raspberry Pi Imager Tool
It is a graphical SD card writing tool that runs on Mac OS, Ubuntu, and Windows, called Raspberry Pi Imager; for most users, this is the easiest choice because it automatically downloads the image and installs it onto the SD card.
Figure 2. Raspberry Pi Imager Tool
Raspberry Pi Imager supports Windows, Mac, and Linux (for x86 Ubuntu). The easiest way is to download directly from the official website and save it to your computer. Then:
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First, prepare an SD card and connect it to your computer via an SD card reader (of course, the computer must recognize this SD card!)
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Open Raspberry Pi Imager and select the desired operating system from the displayed menu (CHOOSE OS) (Figure 3)
Figure 3 Raspberry Pi Operating System Menu
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Select where you want to write the image (CHOOSE STORAGE) (Figure 2)
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Check your selection and click the write button (WRITE) to write the software to the SD card.
Note:
If using Raspberry Pi Imager on Windows 10 with controlled folder access enabled, you need to explicitly allow Raspberry Pi Imager permission to write to the SD card. If you do not do this, the imaging process will fail and a “write failed” error will occur.
For more information on installing the operating system, please refer to the official website.
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Another Option for Raspberry Pi Development Boards
Most players are familiar with the classic series of Raspberry Pi, from the original Raspberry Pi 0 to today’s Raspberry Pi 4, but for some lightweight applications, the excess resources can indeed be a waste. In this case, the Raspberry Pi Pico undoubtedly provides a suitable compromise.
What advantages does Pico have over the traditional Raspberry Pi series? How do the main chips RP2040 and ESP32 compare? Which languages can support development? Are there any good expansion boards that can match it?
Click the image below, and the famous Bilibili UP master “Engineering Man Sun” will take everyone through the Pico lightweight Raspberry Pi development board.
We have also organized the corresponding materials and resources that appeared in the video, as follows: Micropython firmware download link:
https://micropython.org/download/rp2-pico/rp2-pico-latest.uf2
Thonny software download link:
https://thonny.org/
DFR0836 Pico IO Expansion Board DFR0836 is an IO expansion board specifically designed for Raspberry Pi Pico, which expands the connection method of pin headers and sockets, both of which can connect and provide detailed pin information printing, making it easy for beginners to understand and use Pico for development. DigiKey online purchase link
(https://www.digikey.cn/zh/products/detail/dfrobot/DFR0836/15283076utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)DFrobot product warehouse link
(https://wiki.dfrobot.com.cn/_SKU_DFR0836_PICO__IO_Expansion_Shieldutm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)
SC0915 Raspberry Pi Pico SC0915 (Raspberry Pi Pico) provides the minimum external circuit, with the on-chip main chip RP2040, and the on-board components include flash memory (Winbond W25Q16JV), crystal, power supply, and USB interface. DigiKey online purchase link
(https://www.digikey.cn/zh/products/detail/dfrobot/DFR0836/15283076utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)）Raspberry Pi product specification sheet
(https://datasheets.raspberrypi.com/pico/pico-datasheet.pdf?
utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)
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What to do if Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi interfaces are insufficient?
Many computer enthusiasts and makers rely on the compact body and powerful computing power of Raspberry Pi (Raspberry Pi) to create various novel play methods, such as drones, smart home, and home robots… These hot applications often show its presence.
However, during the initial use process, we will encounter problems such as messy wiring in Figure 4, insufficient interfaces, and difficulties in extending specialized applications.
Figure 4 Messy wiring, insufficient interfaces, difficulties in extending specialized applications.
No worries, click the image below, and application engineers from DFRobot will introduce various specialized interface expansion boards and functional expansion boards to help everyone with urgent needs during use.
We have also organized the corresponding materials and resources that appeared in the video, as follows: Raspberry Pi electronic piano web link: Raspberry Pi Electronic Piano – MPR121 Touch Panel – DF Maker Community – Sharing the Joy of Creation
(https://mc.dfrobot.com.cn/thread-307677-1-1.html#pid473963?utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial) Raspberry Pi temperature-controlled small fan: Implementing an automatic temperature-controlled small fan with Raspberry Pi – DF Maker Community – Sharing the Joy of Creation
(https://mc.dfrobot.com.cn/thread-307213-1-1.html)
DFR0828 Raspberry Pi 400IO Expansion Board DFR0828 is an IO expansion board compatible with PI3, PI4, and PI400, containing detailed 40PIN correspondence printing. DFR0828 is an IO expansion board designed specifically for Raspberry Pi, which perfectly matches PI3, PI4, and PI400. The expansion board corresponds the Raspberry Pi IO ports one by one and provides 40PIN pin correspondence printing, including detailed BCM coding and WPI coding correspondence information, saving Raspberry Pi programming from frequently checking pin correspondence charts. DigiKey online purchase link
(https://www.digikey.cn/zh/products/detail/dfrobot/DFR0836/15283076utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial))
DFrobot product warehouse link
(https://wiki.dfrobot.com.cn/_SKU_DFR0836_PICO__IO_Expansion_Shield?utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)
DFR0566 Raspberry Pi 4B/3B+ IO Expansion Board DFR0566 is an IO expansion board developed specifically for Raspberry Pi, which expands the Raspberry Pi IO ports, including digital ports, analog ports, PWM ports, IIC ports, UART ports, SPI ports, and IIS ports, perfectly compatible with DFRobot’s Gravity sensor series products, saving complicated wiring and troubleshooting for Raspberry Pi users, allowing students, developers, and researchers to focus on implementing their projects. DigiKey online purchase link
(https://www.digikey.cn/zh/products/detail/dfrobot/DFR0836/15283076utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial))DFrobot product warehouse link
(https://wiki.dfrobot.com.cn/_SKU_DFR0836_PICO__IO_Expansion_Shield?utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)
DFR0592 Raspberry Pi DC Motor Expansion Board DFR0592 is a Raspberry Pi DC motor driver board with on-board encoder interface, capable of driving 2 DC motors or DC motors with encoders simultaneously, communicating with Raspberry Pi via I2C, allowing configuration and driving of each motor interface. This Raspberry Pi motor driver board uses STM32 as the motor driving microprocessor, responsible for interpreting the instructions sent by the host computer and converting them into motor driving signals. It uses the TB6612FNG high-performance motor driver chip, with a continuous current of 1.2A per channel and a peak current of up to 2A, supporting a wide voltage input for motor drive (motor power supply) of 7~12V. It can be paired with Raspberry Pi for applications such as smart cars, balance cars, tanks, and mechanical fish. DigiKey online purchase link
(https://www.digikey.cn/zh/products/detail/dfrobot/DFR0836/15283076utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial))
DFrobot product warehouse link
(https://wiki.dfrobot.com.cn/_SKU_DFR0836_PICO__IO_Expansion_Shield?utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)
DFR0494 Raspberry Pi UPS Power Expansion Board DFR0494 is an uninterruptible power supply expansion board for Raspberry Pi. The UPS HAT can continuously provide power to Raspberry Pi for a certain period of time in case of a power outage, preventing system damage caused by sudden power outages during projects such as routing. Additionally, in some mobile projects, such as Raspberry Pi cameras, tablets, and outdoor data collection systems, a battery is needed to provide stable power. DigiKey online purchase link
(https://www.digikey.cn/zh/products/detail/dfrobot/DFR0836/15283076utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial))
DFrobot product warehouse link
(https://wiki.dfrobot.com.cn/_SKU_DFR0836_PICO__IO_Expansion_Shieldutm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)
DFR0836 Pico IO Expansion Board DFR0836 is an IO expansion board specifically designed for Raspberry Pi Pico, which expands the connection method of pin headers and sockets, both of which can connect and provide detailed pin information printing, making it easy for beginners to understand and use Pico for development. DigiKey online purchase link
(https://www.digikey.cn/zh/products/detail/dfrobot/DFR0836/15283076utm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial))
DFrobot product warehouse link
(https://wiki.dfrobot.com.cn/_SKU_DFR0836_PICO__IO_Expansion_Shieldutm_medium=social&utm_source=wechat&utm_campaign=wechatsocial)
Finally
The Raspberry Pi is truly an amazing small computer, fully equipped, and no different from a regular computer. More importantly, the Raspberry Pi has a great operating system that can run various functions such as spreadsheets, word processing, playing games, and playing high-definition videos as a minimal system. For beginners or makers, the Raspberry Pi includes everything you might want; what to do next is entirely up to you!
For more technical articles about mastering Raspberry Pi, please click the following links, and everyone is welcome to leave comments for discussion at the end of the article.
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Home Raspberry Pi temperature and humidity recorder, try making one~ (Detailed tutorial)
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Raspberry Pi Pico development board, a lightweight application choice you cannot miss
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Raspberry Pi OpenCV face recognition tutorial
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Raspberry Pi electronic paper (E-Ink module) low-power isolation day reminder
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Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi interfaces are insufficient, this content cannot be missed
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What can Raspberry Pi CM4 computing module do? Customizing a router!
Editor’s Note
The Raspberry Pi is not only a piece of hardware but also an open-source creative platform. Mastering Raspberry Pi is not just about mastering a technology, but also about an innovative attitude. Whether writing a simple program or designing a complex system, the development process of Raspberry Pi is a journey full of creativity and challenges. What experiences and insights do you have when using Raspberry Pi? What issues are you most concerned about? Feel free to leave a message and share your thoughts!
