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The Raspberry Pi, you may have heard of it, but may not know much about it.
In today’s article, we will talk about what this small computer is and what it can do.The article covers all current iterations of the Pi and their characteristics. Each version is slightly different, and one version may be more suitable for your needs than another!
Basics of Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi is a small computer about the size of a credit card.This board has a processor, memory, and standard hardware ports, just like most computers do.The Raspberry Pi has all the functionalities of a computer, so you can do most of the tasks that a desktop computer can do, such as document editing, playing high-definition videos, gaming, programming, and more.However, the processing power of the Raspberry Pi is not as strong as that of a desktop computer, but because it is much cheaper, it is a small computer that you can tinker with freely. If you accidentally break one, it won’t cost you a fortune to replace it.In daily life, many tasks do not require a high-performance computer to accomplish.At this point, the Raspberry Pi’s high cost-performance ratio comes into play, for example, running as a home NAS (Network Attached Storage), web server, media center, TorrentBox, and more.
Operating System
The main operating system of the Raspberry Pi is Raspbian, which is based on Debian. This is a Linux distribution, and if you are used to using Windows computers, you may find it a bit different, but I believe that once you get used to it, you will definitely love it.Although Raspbian is the main supported operating system, other operating systems can also be installed. Supported operating systems include Ubuntu Mate, Ubuntu Core, OSMC, RISC OS, Windows 10 IoT, and more.There are many models of the Raspberry Pi, and we will discuss their features one by one.
Raspberry Pi A+
The Raspberry Pi A+ is a lower-spec, cost-effective version of the Pi. This version has only one USB port, lower power consumption, no Ethernet port, and only 256MB of memory. The latest version has 512MB of memory.This version of the Pi is more suitable for projects that do not require significant processing power and has a lighter weight and smaller size.You can do many things with this board, such as robotics, remote-controlled planes, remote-controlled cars, and embedded projects.For example, it can serve as the brain of a robot, a touchscreen car dashboard, motion-sensing camera, etc.
Raspberry Pi B+ and B
The Raspberry Pi B+ and B are older versions of the Pi, now replaced by the Pi 2.The B+ version features a single-core CPU, 4 USB ports, and a microSD card slot, with lower power consumption.This model improves upon the previous B model, which only had two USB ports and higher power consumption, with a full-size SD card slot.The B+ model is still available for purchase but will gradually be replaced by better Pi versions.
Raspberry Pi 2
The Raspberry Pi 2 is the second generation of the Pi. This Pi and the B+ version are among the most popular versions.The Pi 2 is a successor to the B+, featuring a 900MHz quad-core CPU and 1GB of memory. The rest of the specifications remain consistent with the previous generation.Here are its features:
40-pin GPIO expansion
4x USB 2.0 ports
Stereo output and composite video port
HDMI port
CSI (Camera Serial Interface) and DSI (Display Serial Interface) ports.
Micro SD card slot
Micro USB power
This version of the Pi has now been replaced by more powerful Pi 3 and 4 models.
Raspberry Pi 3 & 3 B+
The Raspberry Pi 3 is the second new version of the Pi, outperforming the second version in performance and functionality. This version offers some additional features that make using the Pi easier.This version of the Pi introduces a new CPU with a clock speed of 1.2GHz, and it is 64-bit, but only 32-bit operating systems can be installed on the Pi 3.The Pi 3 also features onboard Wi-Fi (802.11n) and Bluetooth 4.1, along with more USB ports. These new features allow us to do some cool things.The other parts of the board remain essentially unchanged.Here are the new features:
Broadcom BCM2387 chipset
1.2GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU
Integrated 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1
The Raspberry Pi 3B+ is still available for purchase, with some minor upgrades, but not as many as the new Raspberry Pi 4.
Raspberry Pi 4
The Raspberry Pi 4 is the latest version in the Raspberry Pi family and is the best board to date. It has undergone significant hardware upgrades, making it far superior to its predecessors.
This version features a 1.5GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A72, which is a substantial improvement over previous generations.
This Raspberry Pi also offers multiple memory options, including a classic 1GB version, 2GB, 4GB, and the newer 8GB version.
More improvements make this board extremely attractive to both enthusiasts and everyday users. The 4GB version makes it a very viable desktop computer alternative.
Here are all the new features of the Raspberry Pi 4.
1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU (approximately 3 times the performance).
1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4 SDRAM.
Full Gigabit Ethernet
Dual-band 802.11ac wireless
Bluetooth 5.0
Two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports
Supports dual displays with resolutions up to 4K.
VideoCore VI graphics, supporting OpenGL ES 3.x.
Hardware decoding for 4Kp60 HEVC video
Fully compatible with earlier Raspberry Pi products
Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero W
The Raspberry Pi Zero is currently the smallest and cheapest of all Pis.This board is priced at 66 yuan and packs the basic functions of a Pi into an ultra-small board.Although this Pi cannot handle heavy processing tasks, it is excellent for embedded projects. It is also suitable for projects that do not require significant processing power or memory, just like the Pi A+.Here’s a summary of the Zero’s features:
1GHz single-core CPU
512MB memory
Mini HDMI
Micro USB port
Micro USB power
Micro SD card slot
40-pin header compatible with HAT
Reset header
The Raspberry Pi Zero W has wireless capabilities, which is very convenient on such a small board, allowing for some fun projects using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.I hope this article helps everyone understand what a Raspberry Pi is, what you can do with it, and which Raspberry Pi is best for you.
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