4. A Single-Board Computer (SBC) is a computer built on a single
circuit board, with microprocessor(s), memory, input/output
(I/O) and other features required of a functional computer.
SBCs typically provide a fanless, low-power computing solution.
Current SBCs come with a wide variety of processor types, most
with GPUs on-board. These processors range from X86 based
processors from the traditional PC space (AMD and Intel) to
ARM processors which have traditionally been used in the
industrial and more recently mobile spaces. The most prevalent
form of software used on SBCs is Linux with numerous
derivations including Android, Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian and Arch
Linux as well as FreeBSD.
Many of today's SBCs have become so powerful that they are
beginning to have the capability of modern day PCs and tablets.
This trend will continue as more powerful processors make their
way into the embedded computing market as ever-increasing
performance/price ratios rise, as well as additional
manufacturers enter into this "Wild West" frontier of supporting
open source hardware and software for both DIYers and
professionals alike.
SBCs
In 2006, a group based in the University of Cambridge's
Computer Laboratory, decided to address the need for a low
cost computing platform that would allow kids to learn how to
program without the need for a full-¯edged home computer.
The result was a $35 single board computer named Raspberry
Pi. While initially designed as a tool for students to learn
programming, the Raspberry Pi was adopted by makers,
designers, students and even professional engineers and
helped to launch the current boom in interest in SBCs.
Ref: Electronic Design, Then and Now A Brief History of Single
Board Computers
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5. 5 / 59
Nine Sub-$50 SBCs
that Challenge the
Raspberry Pi and
BeagleBone Black
86Duino, A10-OLinuXino-Lime,
Arduino TRE, Banana Pi, BPi D1,
HummingBoard-i1, Odroid-C1,
Orange Pi, and pcDuino3 Nano
Ref: hackerboards.com
6. 6 / 59
Top 10 Sub-$100
Hacker SBC List for
2015 (in Order of
Importance)
Ref: hackerboards.com
9. What is a Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a
computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable
little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how
to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It's capable of doing everything
you'd expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing
high-de nition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing
games.
What's more, the Raspberry Pi has the ability to interact with the outside world, and has been used in a wide array
of digital maker projects, from music machines and parent detectors to weather stations and tweeting birdhouses
with infra-red cameras.
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10. 10 / 59
Credit card sized single board
computer
Teach computer science in
schools at an a!ordable price:
Grade School, Middle School &
High School
Design and Development started
in 2006
Raspberry PI Foundation
founded in 2009
Release to Market Feb 2012
3 Million sold by June 2014
5 Million by 03/2015
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Early Models A, B
Raspberry PI Model A $25 - 256 MB
RAM, 1 USB, No Ethernet, GPIO 26
Raspberry PI Model B $35 - 512 MB
RAM, 2 USB, Ethernet , GPIO 26
Raspberry PI Model B+ $35 - 512
MB RAM, 4 USB, Ethernet, GPIO 40
All have HDMI Out with Audio
All have Audio Jack out
37. The Raspberry Pi is a 3.3V device
The GPIO pins are unbu!ered and
unprotected, so if you short something
out, you could fry your whole Pi, so be
careful!
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Notes
On Raspberry Pi, all GPIO banks are supplied from 3.3V.
Connection of a GPIO to a voltage higher than 3.3V will likely
destroy the GPIO block within the SoC.
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Physical Computing
RPi vs. Arduino
Arduino boards are micro-controllers, not full computers.
They don't run a full operating system, but simply execute
written code as their rmware interprets it.
You lose access to the basic tools an operating system
provides, but on the other hand, directly executing simple
code is easier, and is accomplished with no operating system
overhead.
The main purpose of the Arduino board is to interface with
sensors and devices, so it's great for hardware projects in
which you simply want things to respond to various sensor
readings and manual input.
Ref: Digital Trends via Kopcak
41. 41 / 59
Raspbian Jessie
Release 2016-03-18
Full Desktop vs. Lite
42. 1. Plug the SD Card loaded with the Operating System into
the Raspberry Pi.
2. If required, plug the USB keyboard and mouse into the
Raspberry Pi, perhaps via a USB Hub. Connect the Hub to
power, if necessary.
3. If required, plug the video cable into the display and into
the Raspberry Pi.
4. Plug in your Network cable, or Wi-Fi dongle, if required.
5. Ensure that your USB Hub (if any) and display are
working.
6. With your screen on, plug the other end of the power
source into the Raspberry Pi.
7. Plug the power source into the main socket, and switch it
on.
8. If connected to a display, the Raspberry Pi should boot up
and display messages on the screen.
9. If running headless, it should boot up. When the leds
have stopped ¯ashing, connect to the Raspberry Pi from
the remote computer. Whether this works will depend on
the operating system you are using; the Raspian Linux
operating system is con gured to allow SSH connections
by default.
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General Steps
It is always recommended to connect the MicroUSB Power to
the unit last (while most connections can be made live, it is
best practice to connect items such as displays and other
connections with the power turned o!).
Ref: Basic Setup
51. Node-RED is a tool for wiring together hardware devices,
APIs and online services in new and interesting ways.
Node-RED provides a browser-based ¯ow editor that makes
it easy to wire together ¯ows using the wide range nodes in
the palette. Flows can be then deployed to the runtime in a
single-click.
JavaScript functions can be created within the editor using a
rich text editor.
A built-in library allows you to save useful functions,
templates or ¯ows for re-use.
Ref: Node-RED
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Node-RED
A visual tool for wiring the Internet of Things
58. Refs
1. Top ten sub-$100 hacker SBCs for your holiday pleasure
2. Ringing in 2015 with 40 Linux-friendly hacker SBCs
3. Cli! Ortmeyer, Then and Now A Brief History of Single Board Computers,
Electronic Design, Issue 6, December 2014
4. RPi Low-level peripherals - eLinux.org
5. Introducing the Raspberry Pi 3 | Hackaday
6. Adafruit Learning System
7. Je!rey Kopcak, An Introduction to the Credit-Card Sized Computer
8. The MagPi Magazine - The oþcial Raspberry Pi magazineThe MagPi Magazine
9. Mike Linnen, What can I do with a Raspberry Pi
10. Jon Holton and Tim Fratangelo, Raspberry Pi Architecture
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