The microcomputer Raspberry Pi has become known relatively recently. What kind of device is this and why is it needed?
Raspberry pi 2
Initially, the developers planned a microcomputer as a cheap device for teaching computer science to schoolchildren. But something went wrong. "Raspberry" was quite interested in a lot of people. Everyone is interested in what kind of microcomputer it is - Raspberry Pi 2. We will analyze the application, configuration and installation of this device just below. In the meantime, a little history.
Raspberry Pi at a glance
The Raspberry Pi was developed in 2011. Over the years, he underwent serious changes. Now it is a very interesting platform with many features called Raspberry Pi 2. The use of this board is possible in all conceivable areas. It can be used as a working server of a smart home, a security system with face recognition, a multimedia center and much more. The latest Raspberry Pi 2 Model B + model has in its arsenal a quad-core processor with ARM v7 architecture , 1 GB of RAM and a video accelerator that can easily play Full HD video. Four USB connectors are also in place. An HDMI output is used to connect a monitor or TV.
In addition, the microcomputer has a meager power consumption. This applies to both the Arduino and the Raspberry Pi 2. The board is powered through the microUSB connector using a conventional smartphone charger power supply.
Raspberry's operating system
Everything here is not so simple. The initial versions of the microcomputer could not work on regular distributions. They had to create special versions of systems for them. All operating systems are based on Linux distributions. There are even special versions of ArchLinux and Kali Linux for the Raspberry Pi 2. Installing the OS on the board is carried out using a microSD memory card and a special NOOBS application. In the latest version of this device, if desired, it is quite possible to use Ubuntu and even Microsoft Windows 10 as a system. Thanks to this, it became possible to make a home multimedia center from Raspberry Pi.
However, by default, it is still highly recommended that you use the Raspbian OS specifically designed for this microcomputer. It is based on the well-known Debian distribution. All control is carried out in exactly the same way as a regular Linux system.
Install OS on Raspberry
To install the operating system on a microcomputer, we need a microSD memory card with a minimum of 8 GB. In addition, you need a "regular" working computer with Internet access. There are several ways to install the system on Raspberry Pi 2. Installing the OS can be done either using the installer itself or by deploying the system image to a memory card. We will consider the first method.
First, find the official Raspberry website and download the zip archive from the Raspbian OS. After that, unpack the archive on the memory card so that all the files are in the root of the flash drive. The preparation is over. Now insert the memory card into the microcomputer and turn it on. Do not forget to connect the keyboard and mouse to the Raspberry Pi 2 before. Connecting via USB-connectors. After a successful download, the configurator welcome window will appear. Here you can configure all the necessary parameters. The default language is English. There is no Russian and is not expected. The working environment of the software is LXDE. The slightly modified lightweight work environment is perfect for the Raspberry Pi. After successful installation of the system, the configurator will inform you about this. Now you can start working, and you have fully assembled the Raspberry Pi 2 microcomputer. We will consider the application of updates since the latest version of the operating system and installation of all necessary programs below.
Installing programs on Raspbian OS
After a successful installation of the system, you should prepare a number of programs for the Raspberry Pi 2. Installation is done through the application center of the Pi Store. Components are updated using the terminal. As with any Linux distribution, use the apt-get update command. When installing programs from the Pi Store, you should be very careful, because not all of them are free there. If you want to make your microcomputer completely free, it is best to use the Ubuntu distribution. The installation process is exactly the same.
After successfully installing and configuring the operating system for the microcomputer, it's time to think about why you can use the Raspberry Pi 2. Its application can cover a variety of areas. Raspberry Pi will find application in cars, at home, as servers, the "brains" for robots.
Raspberry Based Media Center
To do this, we need a Raspberry Pi 2 microcomputer, a TV, a PC with a bunch of movies, and broadband Internet access. First of all, you need to install the XBMC operating system on the device, created specifically for controlling TVs and “iron” players. I must say that after a successful installation, you won’t have to dig into the settings. Everything works great out of the box. This is the main plus of the Raspberry Pi 2. Application in the media center is easy. For normal operation of the microcomputer in such conditions, a minimum set of equipment is required.
Raspberry in the car
Based on the Raspberry Pi, you can also build a mini-computer for the car, which will adjust some of the settings of the machine. Such as climate control, music playback, GPS navigation and more. In addition, if you connect the camera to the microcomputer, you get an advanced DVR. To build the so-called Car PC, you will need the Raspberry Pi board itself, some USB “whistles” (for example, for receiving GPS), a touch screen and a specialized operating system. Since even car node management systems are based on Linux distributions, there will be no problems with this. The main component is the Raspberry Pi 2. Using such a system in a car will allow the driver to be less distracted by setting heating or playing music. Automation will do everything by itself.
Raspberry in Robotics
And finally, let's move on to using the Raspberry Pi board in robotics. Here the possibilities are truly endless. However, basic knowledge will not be enough. In this case, you need to know the basics of programming, robotics and mechanics. It is worth mentioning that the power of the microcomputer is enough to use it as the brain center of an advanced robot. Although not all boards will do. In this case, you will need the latest version of the microcomputer - Raspberry Pi 2 B. Using the board of this particular version will allow you to achieve truly impressive results.
To use the microcomputer in robotics, you should know that in addition to the usual user ports, such as USB and Ethernet, Raspberry has in its arsenal the so-called low-level ones for connecting various relays, motors, and everything else. It is not surprising that the choice of professionals is precisely the Raspberry Pi 2. Its use in robotics becomes possible precisely because of the presence of "low-level" connectors.
Conclusion
For many, it will be interesting to work with such a wonderful electronic device. And not only the so-called geeks (people “turned” on their hobby). Any more or less curious person will be interested to understand this "piece of iron." Indeed, for a purely nominal fee, you can get a computer system, only in the details inferior to a huge stationary PC. In addition, many will want to make their own media center or arrange a car upgrade using the Raspberry Pi. The use of this microcomputer in fact is capable of facilitating a person’s life in many ways.
It can also be used as an alternative to the electronic programmable constructor Arduino. After all, the latter can only act as a control board, while the Raspberry Pi is an almost complete computer.
It is also popular with hackers with crackers - on its basis Wi-Fi traffic interceptors are often made with passwords that are easy to disguise and only collect data from time to time.
The subject of this microcomputer is also reflected in the television series about Hackers "Mr. Robot", where the heroes used the device for remote technological sabotage.
Well, do not forget about the low cost that almost everyone can afford. And he was especially fond of the inventors because he can use the Raspberry Pi many times and any way.