Understanding the Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi is a credit card sized, Linux-based minicomputer invented by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in 2012. The first Raspberry Pi model was called the Raspberry Pi 1B, which was then followed by the Model A. Raspberry Pi boards were initially intended to promote computer science programs in schools. However, their inexpensive hardware and free, open source software, quickly made the Raspberry Pi popular among hackers and robotics developers.

The Raspberry Pi can be used as a fully functional computer. It can be used to perform tasks such as browsing the internet, playing games, and watching HD videos, as well as creating Excel and Word documents. But what really differentiates it from a normal computer is its programmable GPIO pins. The Raspberry Pi consists of 40 digital I/O GPIO pins that can be programmed.

In simple terms, the Raspberry Pi can be thought of as a combination of a minicomputer, as it can be used as a fully fledged computer, and an electronics hardware board, as it can be used to create electronics and robotics projects.

There are different Raspberry Pi models. In this book, we are going to be using the following two models:

• The Raspberry Pi 3B+
• The Raspberry Pi Zero W