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Raspberry Pi

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The Raspberry Pi is a series of small single-board computers (SBCs). These devices are compact, flexible, and inexpensive. They were originally developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Foundation worked with Broadcom to create these machines. While they began as educational tools, they are now used for many things. You can find them in industrial automation, robotics, and home automation. They are even used in Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Raspberry Pi board at TransferSummit 2011 cropped
Raspberry Pi board at TransferSummit 2011 cropped

Most Raspberry Pi models function using a system on a chip (SoC). An SoC is a single integrated circuit that holds many components. It typically includes a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The CPU acts as the main brain for processing instructions. The GPU handles the rendering of images and video.

Raspi 15807388763 6d259773fb o
Raspi 15807388763 6d259773fb o

These computers offer various ports for connectivity. They include HDMI ports for video and audio output. They also feature USB ports for peripherals and GPIO pins for hardware control. Storage is usually provided by a microSD card. Some models also include wireless networking via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

The Raspberry Pi product line is divided into several distinct series. The flagship series consists of standard boards about the size of a credit card. These include the Model B and Model A series. The flagship series has evolved from the original 2012 Model B to the powerful Raspberry Pi 5. The Raspberry Pi 400 is a unique keyboard series. This model integrates the computer hardware directly into a keyboard.

Raspberry Pi 400 (50586757772)
Raspberry Pi 400 (50586757772)

There is also the Compute Module series. These are miniature versions designed for industrial and embedded applications. Finally, the Pico series consists of microcontrollers. The Pico uses a custom RP2040 chip and does not have a GPU.

Raspberry Pi Pico top and bottom composite
Raspberry Pi Pico top and bottom composite

The history of the Raspberry Pi began in 2008. The Raspberry Pi Foundation was established by a group including Eben Upton. They noticed a decline in students studying computer science at the University of Cambridge. Their goal was to rekindle interest in programming among schoolchildren. This mission was inspired by the BBC Micro computer from the early 1980s. The names "Model A" and "Model B" honor that history. The name "Raspberry Pi" combines fruit-themed naming with a nod to the Python programming language.

Raspberry Pi Model 3B+
Raspberry Pi Model 3B+

The first commercial model, the Model B, launched on February 29, 2012. It had an initial price of $35. Demand was so high that distributor websites crashed. One distributor reported over 100,000 pre-orders on the first day. To meet demand, production was increased to 4,000 units per day by July 2012. Manufacturing eventually moved to a Sony factory in Pencoed, Wales. In 2012, the Foundation created Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd. to handle commercial activities. This allowed the Foundation to focus on its charitable mission. In June 2024, the company went public on the London Stock Exchange.

The growth of the Raspberry Pi has been massive. In 2015, it surpassed the ZX Spectrum as the best-selling British computer. By February 2016, sales reached eight million units. By May 2021, sales hit forty million units. Total sales eventually reached 68 million units.

Raspberry-Pi-2-Bare-FL
Raspberry-Pi-2-Bare-FL

The hardware has seen many significant leaps. The Raspberry Pi 2 arrived in 2015 with a quad-core CPU. The Raspberry Pi 4 launched in 2019 with USB 3.0 and dual-monitor support. The Raspberry Pi 5, released in October 2023, features an upgraded CPU and up to 16 GB of RAM.

Raspberry Pi 4B digital media player (2026-01-16) 4
Raspberry Pi 4B digital media player (2026-01-16) 4

Today, the Raspberry Pi ecosystem connects to many advanced fields. The company has expanded into artificial intelligence hardware. They released the Raspberry Pi AI Camera, which uses an Intelligent Vision Sensor. This allows for computer vision applications at the "edge," or directly on the device. They also introduced the AI HAT+, which uses a neural processing unit (NPU).

These tools help with machine learning workloads. From simple hobbyist projects to complex industrial robots, the Raspberry Pi remains a vital tool in modern computing.

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🖼️ Images & Media (16)
File:Raspberry Pi board at TransferSummit 2011 cropped.jpg
Raspberry Pi board at TransferSummit 2011...
File:Raspberry Pi 400 (50586757772).jpg
Raspberry Pi 400 (50586757772).jpg
File:Raspberry Pi Pico top and bottom composite.jpg
Raspberry Pi Pico top and bottom composite.jpg
File:Raspberry Pi Model 3B+.jpg
Raspberry Pi Model 3B+.jpg
File:Raspi 15807388763 6d259773fb o.png
Raspi 15807388763 6d259773fb o.png
File:Raspberry-Pi-2-Bare-FL.jpg
Raspberry-Pi-2-Bare-FL.jpg
File:Raspberry PiM2.0 HAT+ 01 04.jpg
Raspberry PiM2.0 HAT+ 01 04.jpg
File:Raspberry Pi OS 12 screenshot.png
Raspberry Pi OS 12 screenshot.png
File:Raspberrypi video API 03.svg
Raspberrypi video API 03.svg
File:Raspberry Pi Camera Module - Hand-Held (14672275231).jpg
Raspberry Pi Camera Module - Hand-Held...
File:Raspberry pi camera.jpg
Raspberry pi camera.jpg
File:Raspberry Pi 4B DVB TV μHat (angle).jpg
Raspberry Pi 4B DVB TV μHat (angle).jpg

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