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Introduction
Welcome, Ninjas. Have you ever thought of a computer that can fit into your pocket? Yes! You heard it right; one of them which is widely used is Raspberry Pi. Even if you have not heard about Raspberry Pi, don't worry we've got you covered. In this article, we will discuss the Raspberry Pi features and its various models with its application.
About Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi is known as a single-board computer. Similar to a desktop, laptop, or smartphone, it is a computer constructed from a single printed circuit board. Like most single-board computers, the Raspberry Pi is small, about the size of a credit card, but that doesn't mean it lacks power.
Raspberry Pi boards come in various models with different specifications. They all have GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins that allow users to connect and control external devices such as sensors, motors, and cameras.
They can run various operating systems, including the Linux-based Raspberry Pi OS. They can be used for a wide range of projects, from retro gaming consoles to home automation systems.
Since the initial model, several variations of the Raspberry Pi have been there that increases the Raspberry Pi features. Each brings standards or features for a specific use case. For example, the Raspberry Pi Zero series is a Raspberry Pi that lacks several functionalities when compared to its latest version.
Models of Raspberry Pi
Following are the various models of Raspberry Pi:
Raspberry Pi 0
The Raspberry Pi 0(Zero) was released in 2015. The size of this model was smaller compared to other models in the lineup. This model comes with a 1GHz single-core CPU. The RAM size is 512MB, and a single-core ARM processor is used in model zero.
It has interfaces, including a mini HDMI port and micro USB port also supports USB OTG connection through its port. The Raspberry Pi Zero is HAT-compatible and has a 40-pin header.
Raspberry Pi 1
In this series of model 1, there are a total of four versions released namely:
Raspberry Pi 1 Model B was released in the year 2012.
Raspberry Pi 1 Model A was released in the year 2013.
Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+ was released in the year 2014.
Raspberry Pi 1 Model A+ was released in the year 2014.
The Raspberry Pi 1 model comes with a 700 MHz ARM11 processor. The size of the RAM is 512MB. It has one USB port and also supports full-size HDMI output and has a Four-pole 3.5 mm jack with audio output and composite video output. It has a 40-pin GPIO header with 0.1″-spaced male pins.
Raspberry Pi 2
The Raspberry Pi 2 was released in the year 2015. The clock speed of the CPU is higher than previous models, with the speed of 900 MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU.
It has a total of 1GB RAM. The Raspberry Model 2 has a dedicated VideoCore IV 3D graphics core. It also provides support to Ethernet ports and has a total of four USB ports. The model supports full-size HDMI output.
Raspberry Pi 3
The Raspberry Pi 3 was released in the year 2016. As compared to its previous model, the Raspberry Pi 3 has an increased clock frequency of 1.2 GHz.The chipset(SoC) used is Broadcom BCM2837. The processor used in this model is a 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53, and the graphic processor used is Broadcom Dual Core VideoCore IV (OpenGL ES 2.0, H.264 Full HD @ 30 fps). The RAM used is SDRAM of size 1 GB LPDDR2. The port is also upgraded and comes with USB 2.0 ports.
Raspberry Pi 4
The Raspberry Pi 4 was released in the year 2019. It is the latest model of Raspberry Pi and has many extra features compared to its previous model. Raspberry Pi 4 has a quad-core 64-bit processor. The clock frequency is also increased to 1.8 GHz. Apart from it, SDRAM support is also available in various sizes (1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB).
In Raspberry Pi 4, there is a gigabit ethernet access along with Bluetooth 5.0 and BLE. It has 2 USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports each for various connection purposes.
Raspberry Pi Features
CPU
As we know, the central Processing Unit acts as the brain of a computer. In the raspberry pi, too, the CPU carries out instructions using logical and mathematical operations. In raspberry pi, the ARM11 series processor is used on its boards.
HDMI Port
When talking about Raspberry Pi, we know that it has video output options which are then displayed on the computer. For this, we use High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI). With an HDMI cable, we can connect a raspberry pi to a display device such as a TV. Apart from it, it also has an RCA port for other display options.
Graphic Processing Unit
GPU(Graphic Processing Unit) is another part of the Raspberry Pi board. Its primary purpose is to fasten the speed of image calculations.
Memory (RAM)
Random Access Memory(RAM) is a core part of a computer’s processing. It is where real-time information is stored for easy access. The Raspberry Pi had an initial 256MB RAM size. Over the years, developers gradually and significantly improved their size. Various Raspberry Pi models come with varying capacities. The latest model with the maximum capacity is the Raspberry Pi 4 model with 8GB RAM space.
Wifi
Wi-Fi is a wireless network that allows devices such as mobile devices, computers, wearables, and other equipment to interface with the Internet wirelessly using radio waves. Raspberry Pi supports 2.4/5 GHz dual-band Wi-Fi.
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a high-speed wireless connectivity technology that is used to transfer data within a small range. It is used to connect one device with other devices wirelessly. The latest version of Raspberry supports Bluetooth 5 connectivity.
Ethernet Port
A computer has many features, but with connectivity to the internet, we can explore additional features afterward. We can use the Ethernet Port to establish an internet connection for the Raspberry Pi. With the help of Ethernet ports, we can establish a wired internet connection to the Raspberry Pi.
If you take out the internet option on your minicomputer, you cannot update your apps, do web surfing, etc. We use the RJ45 Ethernet Jack for the Ethernet port.
SD Card Slot
Well, we have seen many essential features of Raspberry Pi. But we are still lacking some sort of storage device in our minicomputer. Unlike our traditional PCs, our minicomputers don’t have any hard drive or memory card. User can insert their SD cards into the SD card slot on the Raspberry Pi board.
It will help the SD card to act as a hard drive, and it can also contain the operating system necessary for turning the system on. Apart from it, you can simply use it to store data.
Applications of Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi boards are used in several projects and applications, some of them are as follows:
Raspberry PI is used for Game plays in Media streamers.
Raspberry Pi is used in arcade machines cabinet for Game plays.
It is also used in tablets and home automation systems for general-purpose uses.
Raspberry Pi is installed in cars and internet radios for entertainment purposes.
In modern technologies like controlling robots, cosmic computers, looking for meteorites, etc.
Also, Raspberry Pi is used widely in making Bots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some of the benefits of a Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi is a small, inexpensive gadget with a lot of processing power. It has numerous interfaces, including Ethernet, onboard Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-powered, HDMI and USB ports, many GPIOs, etc. The gadget supports both Python and Linux.
Does Raspberry Pi run on Python or Linux?
Python is chosen as the primary language by Raspberry Pi Foundation precisely because of its power, adaptability, and simplicity to use. Raspbian already have Python installed. Also, Raspbian or Raspberry Pi OS is a Linux-based operating system built specifically for Raspberry Pi.
What are the specifications of Raspberry Pi?
The Raspberry Pi comes with a high-speed 64-bit quad-core processor with clock speed up to 1GHz, dual-display support at resolutions up to 4K via a pair of micro-HDMI ports, hardware video decode at up to 4Kp60, up to 4GB of RAM, dual-band 2.4/5.0 GHz wireless LAN.
Conclusion
This article briefly discussed the Raspberry Pi features. We started our discussion by learning about Raspberry Pi. Afterward, we discussed different models of Raspberry Pi. At last, we discussed Raspberry Pi features. We hope that this article helped you understand the Raspberry Pi features.
For further reading, refer to our articles on similar topics:
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