Raspberry Pi: Raspberry Pi programming for beginners, including Raspberry Pi projects, tips, tricks, and more!

By Craig Newport

RASPBERRY PI
 

The Raspberry Pi is an impressive, yet affordable Microcomputer, capable of performing hundreds of different tasks.
This small computer can be used to perform simple tasks such as making lights flash, as well as perform more complicated processes such as powering a robot!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ingram Publishing
• Release date: Mar 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781761033292

Book preview

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to read this book about the Raspberry Pi.  

This book covers the topic of Raspberry Pi and will teach you all about how to use and program your own Pi for a variety of projects! We will begin this book by discussing the different models of the Raspberry Pi, and each of their features.

The primary focus of this book will be on the newest and most complete Raspberry Pi model; the Raspberry Pi 3. You will learn all about how the Raspberry Pi 3 operates, how to get started with it, and all of the basic commands that you will need to know.

Also included in this book are a number of interesting Raspberry Pi projects for you to test out for yourself. This includes doing things such as using your Pi to create a media center, powering a security system with the Pi, and even using the Raspberry Pi to build your very own robot!

This book is perfect for beginners, and will have even the most computer-illiterate person understanding and enjoying the Raspberry Pi in no time at all!

Once again, thanks for choosing this book, I hope you find it to be helpful!

Let’s get started...

Chapter 1: Welcome to Raspberry Pi

Every time you pick up your smartphone, drive your car, order fast food, or program your alarm clock, you are handling an embedded system. An embedded system is a computer system that is embedded into a product, and they work much differently to a general-purpose home computer. They are usually small systems which perform a single task in real-time.

When a user operates a typical home computer, they are guided through an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) that offers endless amounts of utility, software, and interactivity. These computers manage processing power between multiple tasks, and may slow down when handling a heavy load. The user may also replace the parts of a home computer so that they can keep up with technological advances, and extend the lifetime of their system.

Embedded systems are small computers with light-weight operating systems (OS) that are not meant for user modification or access. A user can not easily add new components to an embedded system, such as a microwave, nor can they directly control its processes. They are usually programmed with custom OS’s that carry out processes with undivided attention, working and returning results in real-time speed. All of the functions of a typical embedded system are pre-programmed into their microcontroller during its manufacturing.

A microcontroller is an embedded system that generally features a CPU, timer, RAM, ROM, and input/output (I/O) ports. These tiny computers often act as the heart of an embedded system, executing its programmed functions and controlling the other components of a system, like LED’s, motors, and speakers.

Most microcontrollers are pre-programmed at the factory, though some microcontrollers like the Arduino Uno are made to allow the user to easily program and reprogram their microcontroller. They can be applied to electronics and also to computers.

Microcontrollers are often centered in system-on-chip (SoC) computers. SoC computers are small, single-board computers that mount multiple components onto one piece. Embedded systems like these attempt to pack as much computing power as possible onto smaller and smaller frames.

SoC computers are all different and can have many various components. A smartphone SoC would carry a cellular radio, though it may not be equipped with an LED. Most SoC computers are built with ARM processors for their power efficiency, though limited x86 SoC computers are manufactured.

As SoC computers become more and more powerful, they start to infringe on the field of personal computers. The Raspberry Pi is an example of such a computer; it is a single-board machine that offers a GUI and the power to browse the web, play video games, and multi-task. It, unlike typical PC’s, also offers general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins for usage in electronics systems, like a microcontroller. In this way, Raspberry Pi is bridging the gap between SoC computers and home PC’s.

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History of the Raspberry Pi

Before the release of the first Raspberry Pi, it was becoming apparent that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education was simultaneously becoming more in-demand and less attractive to youth. Mobile phones and tablets had become the default with end-user-friendly interfaces that help them not to worry about the intricacies of computing. It was this