Raspberry Pi

Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer. What this means is that all the

components that make up a computer, such as the processor, memory, and
graphics chip, are all soldered to a single circuit board. There are also no
integrated peripheral devices, as you might find with a notebook or some
desktop computers, such as a screen, keyboard, speakers, or touchpad.

Why Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi was first developed in response to a shortage of

undergraduate students applying for university Computer Science courses
who had sufficient experience in the technical aspects of computing. A
few decades ago, home computers such as the BBC Micro and the
Commodore 64 had resulted in a generation of hobbyists growing up with
experience in tinkering with their computers and learning programming
in languages such as BASIC. But the rise in popularity of home and mobile

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computing then led to computing platforms being developed that were
more user-friendly. Users were less inclined to play around with their
computers, and these computers could be used without any knowledge of
programming. The aim of Raspberry Pi was to provide learners with a
low-cost device that was designed to be tinkered with, in order to reignite
the hobbyist culture and the associated development of key computer
skills.

What can you do with it?

Raspberry Pi has almost unlimited uses, and it is this versatility that has
led to its extraordinary success, far beyond the initial scope of the device.
While at first it was designed to be used as an educational device, it has
rapidly become one of the bestselling computers of all time. So what can
you do with a Raspberry Pi? The answer is pretty much whatever you
want. It can be used as a desktop PC, a media server, an ad-blocker for
your network, the brains of a robot, the monitoring system for a weather
station… the list goes on and on.

This is an additional video, hosted on YouTube.

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Raspberry Pi versus other computers

Before you get started learning how to use your Raspberry Pi, I’ll talk you
through how it compares to a more traditional computer.

Firstly, Raspberry Pi uses a smaller and slower processor and has less
memory than you might find in a standard consumer computer. This
means some software will run a little more slowly on Raspberry Pi, and it
also means that fewer applications can be run simultaneously. However,
the smaller chip requires less cooling and less power. This means you can
run a Raspberry Pi using a phone charger, and there is no need to have
bulky and noisy fans running constantly.

Just like a normal desktop computer, Raspberry Pi has ports for plugging
in speakers, monitors, keyboards, mice, and any other USB devices.

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However, there are some additional ways of connecting hardware that
you may not have seen before.

There’s a special port for connecting cameras, and another for connecting
LCD displays. On top of all this, there is the GPIO (General-Purpose
Input/Output) header, which consists of 40 pins and allows you to connect
electronic components such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), buttons,
sensors, and motors, as well as specialised devices known as HATs.

One other major difference between a Raspberry Pi and a traditional

computer is how data is stored. Most desktops and notebooks have hard
drives, which are often capable of storing hundreds of gigabytes of data,
including the operating system. Raspberry Pi uses a microSD card to store
the operating system and other files.

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Lastly, the operating system for Raspberry Pi is different to other
operating systems you may have used in the past, such as Windows and
macOS. The recommended operating system for Raspberry Pi is called
Raspberry Pi OS (formerly known as Raspbian). This is a version of a
popular operating system known as Linux. While not many people use
Linux on their home computers, it is the major operating system used on
the servers that drive the internet and the World Wide Web. Linux is also
the base operating system on all Android phones and Chromebooks and
many smart devices you may use, such as televisions.

Preparing your SD card

In order for your Raspberry Pi to run, you’ll need to load the Raspberry Pi
Operating System (formerly known as Raspbian) onto an SD card. There
are other operating systems you can use, but we’ll be using the full version
of the Raspberry Pi OS on this course.

If you bought a Raspberry Pi kit, it may have already come with a simple
operating system installer called NOOBS, loaded onto an SD card. If you
choose to use that card to install Raspberry Pi OS, you can skip the rest of
this step; I’ll explain how to install Raspberry Pi OS using NOOBS later.

We recommend using the Raspberry Pi Imager software on your desktop

computer or laptop (Windows, macOS, or Ubuntu) to prepare your SD
card. This step will take you through the process of preparing an SD card
using the Raspberry Pi Imager.

You will need

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You will need to have a way to connect this card to your desktop
computer or laptop.

• Many laptops will have a microSD slot

• If your desktop or laptop only has a larger SD card slot, you will
need an adapter for the microSD card to fit into; microSD cards are
often sold with this adapter
• If your desktop or laptop doesn’t have an SD card slot, you will need
to buy a USB SD card adapter

Formatting your SD card

This process will overwrite all data on the SD card, so back up any
important files first. Most operating systems have their own disk
formatting tool, but we recommend using the SD Association’s Formatter
if you are using Windows or a Mac.

• Visit the SD Association’s website and download SD Formatter

5.0 for Windows or Mac
• Follow the instructions to install the software
• Insert your SD card into the computer’s SD card reader and make a
note of the drive letter allocated to it in Windows, e.g. F:/; in Mac
OS X, the drive will be allocated a number, for example disk6; you
can identify the disk and its allocated number by opening Disk
Utility
• In SD Formatter, select the drive letter or number for your SD card,
and format it

Downloading and launching the Raspberry Pi Imager

• Visit the Raspberry Pi downloads page

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• Click on the link for the Raspberry Pi Imager that matches your
operating system

• When the download finishes, click on it to launch the installer

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Using the Raspberry Pi Imager

When you launch the installer, your operating system may try to block
you from running it. For example, Windows may give the following
message:

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 • If you get this, click on More info and then Run anyway
• Insert your SD card into the computer’s SD card slot

Note: In this course, you will want to explore a wide range of software, so
you will choose the full version of Raspberry Pi OS and not the
recommended version that appears at the top of the list.

• In the Raspberry Pi Imager, click on Operating System and

select Raspberry Pi OS (Other)

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• In the next dialog box, pick Raspberry Pi OS Full

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 • Select the SD card you would like to install it on; different platforms
will display the drives in different ways—Mac OS, for example, will
show you all drives, including your main operating system

Note: Make sure you are selecting the correct drive. The drive’s memory
capacity can be a useful indicator of which drive you are selecting.

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Once you have selected both the OS and the SD card, a
new WRITE button will appear.

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• Click the WRITE button
• Wait for the Raspberry Pi Imager to finish writing
• Once you get the following message, your SD card has been safely
ejected and you can remove it from the computer

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Your SD card now has Raspberry Pi OS fully loaded and is ready to go into
your Raspberry Pi’s SD card slot.

Raspberry Pi hardware and set-up

Before you boot up your Raspberry Pi, I’d like to take you on a little tour
of it. In this step you will learn about the main components on a
Raspberry Pi computer.

This course uses the latest Raspberry Pi 4 model. If you are using an older
model, you will see some differences, but most instructions will still work
the same.

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What’s on the board?

Get out your Raspberry Pi computer and take a look at it. Find the
Raspberry logo and make sure it is the right way up, as shown on the
diagram.

The green board is a printed circuit board. You’ll see various large and
small components on it. If you look closely, you’ll see that the components
are connected by conductive lines that are printed onto the board. You’ll
also see some helpful labels that identify some of the components you can
see.

• Processor: The large silver square to the right of the Raspberry Pi

logo is the processor or CPU; it’s a 64-bit, quad-core ARM processor

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 • RAM (memory): To the right of the processor you’ll see a large black
rectangle, which is the RAM, the computer’s working memory

Your Raspberry Pi 4 could have come with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of RAM,
depending on the model. If you will be using your Raspberry Pi as a
desktop computer, it is worth choosing the largest amount of RAM that
you can afford.

• Connectivity: The shiny rectangular chip above the Raspberry Pi

logo provides wireless networking and Bluetooth connectivity

There are also connectors on top of the board:

• Display and camera: There are also two connection ports on top of
the board; if you look closely you’ll see that one is labelled DISPLAY
and can be used for connecting a display such as a touchscreen, and
the other is labelled CAMERA and can be used to connect an official
Raspberry Pi camera

Around the edge of the board you’ll find lots more ports to connect
additional components:

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• GPIO pins: At the top of the board, you’ll find two rows of General-
Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins, which are used to connect and
interact with additional electronics components such as buttons and
LEDs; I’ll explain more about this later in the course
• Ethernet port: Along the right-hand side, you’ll find an Ethernet
port for optionally connecting to a wired network
• USB ports: There are four USB ports for connecting a variety of
devices such as keyboards, cameras, and external storage drives; two
of these (the blue ones) are faster USB 3 ports and the other two are
USB 2 ports
• USB C power: Along the bottom, you’ll find the USB-C power
connector; a Raspberry Pi doesn’t have an on/off switch, but turns
on when you connect the power and off when you shut it down

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 • Micro HDMI ports: To the right of the power connector, there are
two micro HDMI ports for connecting screens

You’ll need an adaptor if you have a regular HDMI cable. If your HDMI
monitor has a speaker, you’ll also be able to play sound through the
monitor.

• 3.5mm audio jack: The audio jack is helpful if your monitor doesn’t
have a speaker

• microSD card slot: Turn your Raspberry Pi board upside down and
you’ll see the SD card slot where you can place the SD card that you
prepared in the previous step

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The SD card stores the Raspberry Pi OS and your programs and files. The
data remains on the SD card when you turn your Raspberry Pi off and will
still be there when you turn it on again.

In the next section, you will look at additional components that you will
need to make a fully functioning desktop computer and it will be time to
get started connecting everything together.

Setting up your hardware

In this section, you’ll look at the other components you need to get
started, bring everything together, and set up your Raspberry Pi
hardware.

What else do you need?

Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer. To turn it into a complete

desktop computer system, you’ll need some additional items.

If you have the official Raspberry Pi 4 Desktop Kit, most of these items
will be included.

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You’ll need:

• A microSD card with a capacity of at least 8GB, either prepared with

Raspberry Pi OS as in the previous step of this course, or preinstalled
with NOOBS
• A USB keyboard and mouse (you can also use wireless RF or
Bluetooth devices later, but you may need USB for the set-up)
• An HDMI monitor (or two) and a micro HDMI-to-HDMI cable (or
two). Raspberry Pi 4 has smaller micro HDMI ports, so if you have a
regular HDMI-to-HDMI cable, you’ll need an adapter
• A speaker or headphones if your monitor does not have a speaker;
these can have a USB or 3.5mm jack connector

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 • A 15W USB-C power supply; we recommend the official Raspberry
Pi USB-C Power Supply

If you want to connect to a wired network, you’ll need an Ethernet cable,

but you can also connect to a wireless network.

It’s also useful to have a case to protect your Raspberry Pi, but it’s not
necessary.

Connecting everything up

Now it’s time to connect everything to your Raspberry Pi. It’s important
to leave the power supply until last, to avoid damaging any components.

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Take the SD card that you prepared with Raspberry Pi Imager, or one
preinstalled with NOOBS, and insert it into the microSD card slot on the
underside of your Raspberry Pi. The metal connector pins need to be
facing upwards. The SD card has a lip on the bottom that you can use to
remove the card if you need to update or swap it.

Your SD card may have arrived inside a larger adapter; you can slide the
smaller card out using the lip.

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Connect the mouse to a USB port on your Raspberry Pi; it doesn’t matter
which port you use. Connect the keyboard in the same way.

Plug in your HDMI monitor and turn it on. Look at the shape of the
HDMI ports on your Raspberry Pi; they have a longer flat side on top. The
connector on the cable is the same shape, and you need to make sure you
have it the correct way up.

Use a cable to connect the monitor to the first of Raspberry Pi 4’s HDMI
ports, the one labelled HDMI0 on the board. Don’t expect anything to
happen yet, as your Raspberry Pi isn’t running. It’s important to have the
monitor turned on and connected before you power on your Raspberry Pi,
so that it can detect the monitor.

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If the HDMI monitor you are using has speakers, sound will play through
them. If you’re using separate speakers or headphones, connect them via a
USB port or the 3.5mm audio jack.

If you want to connect your Raspberry Pi to your computer network via

Ethernet, use an Ethernet cable to connect the Ethernet port on your
Raspberry Pi to an Ethernet socket on the wall or on your internet router.
You don’t need to do this if you want to use wireless connectivity, or if
you don’t want to connect to a computer network.

Finally, plug the USB power supply into a socket and connect it to your
Raspberry Pi’s USB-C power port. Your Raspberry Pi doesn’t have a power
switch and will turn on as soon as you connect it to a power outlet.

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You should see a red LED light up on your Raspberry Pi, which indicates
that it is connected to power. As it starts up (this is also called ‘booting’),
you will see raspberries appear in the top left-hand corner of your screen.

Setting up your Raspberry Pi operating system

If you have installed Raspberry Pi OS onto an SD card using Raspberry Pi

Imager, the SD card is ready to boot straight into your fresh install of
Raspberry Pi OS and you can skip to the Set-up section later in this step.

If you are using an SD card preinstalled with NOOBS, you will be taken
through the easy installer when you power up your Raspberry Pi for the
first time.

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Installation process for NOOBS (if you didn’t use Raspberry Pi Imager)

After you power up your Raspberry Pi with an SD card with NOOBS, you
will be asked to choose which operating system you wish to install. You
will need to check the box beside Raspberry Pi OS Full
[RECOMMENDED] and then click on Install.

A dialog box will appear to check that you are happy for the SD card to be
erased and Raspberry Pi OS installed, so click on Yes and the install will
begin.

This process can take quite a few minutes, but you can leave your
Raspberry Pi unattended while Raspberry Pi OS is installed.

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Once Raspberry Pi OS has been installed, a dialog box will appear to tell
you that the OS has been installed. Click on OK and your Raspberry Pi
will restart.

Set-up

Once Raspberry Pi OS has started, having used either the Raspberry Pi

Imager or NOOBS, you will be invited to set up your operating system.
Click on Next to begin.

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You can now set up your locales. Choose your Country, Language,
and Timezone. You can optionally choose to Use English
language and Use US keyboard, regardless of the country you choose.

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Click on Next when you are happy with your choices.

Almost every operating system requires you to sign in with a username

and password, and Raspberry Pi OS is no different. Raspberry Pi OS has a
default user called pi, and a default password, which is raspberry.

As every Raspberry Pi OS install initially has a widely known username

and password, this could be a security risk, especially if you connect your
Raspberry Pi to your home or work network. Anyone that happens to also
be on your network would have full access to your Raspberry Pi. To
protect against this, you need to choose a new password in the next step in
the set-up routine.

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Sometimes, depending on your monitor or TV, you can get a black border
around the edge of your desktop. If this is the case, then on the next dialog
box, you should check the box, and then click Next. If not, then just
click Next.

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If you have a WiFi network available, the next step will allow you to
connect to it. Choose your WiFi network from the displayed list and
click Next.

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In the next dialog box, enter the password for your WiFi network.

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Once you are connected to a network, you will be given the option to
update your Raspberry Pi OS install.

Debian-based Linux systems use a piece of software called APT to manage

installation and updates of software on your computer. APT uses security
certificates, so you always know that the software you are downloading is
from a legitimate source, and these certificates require that your
computer’s clock is set to the correct time.

Most computers have a hardware clock. This is a device that uses a

battery, so that even when your computer is switched off, the clock can
keep ticking. Raspberry Pi has no hardware clock. Instead, it connects to
the internet and requests the time from a Network Time Protocol (NTP)
server.

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Before you can update the software on your Raspberry Pi, you need to
make sure the time is correct. Wait until the time display in the top right
of the screen is correct before proceeding with an update.

Click on Next when the time is correct; your operating system will then
collect and install updates.

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When the update is finished, click on OK and then click on Restart.

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You Raspberry Pi operating system is now ready to be used. In the next
step, you’ll take a tour of the Raspberry Pi Desktop, the graphical user
interface for Raspberry Pi OS.

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Digital making

So far in this course, you have learnt how to use your Raspberry Pi as a
desktop computer. Now you’re going to find out how to use your
Raspberry Pi for digital making. Over the rest of this week, you’ll just get
a taster of what’s possible and learn about other Raspberry Pi Foundation
FutureLearn courses that cover digital making skills in more detail.

Digital making is learning about technology by using it to make projects.

A digital making project could include any combination of computer
programming, digital art and music, and using physical computing to
interact with the world using electronic components such as buttons,
sensors, and motors.

Example: laser tripwire

This laser tripwire is a fun example of digital making with a Raspberry Pi.
It sounds an alarm when an intruder breaks a laser beam.

This is an additional video, hosted on YouTube.

If you develop your digital making skills, you’ll be able to make cool
projects like this.

Why use Raspberry Pi for digital making?

Raspberry Pi has lots of features that make it particularly good for digital
making:

• It’s small, energy-efficient, and inexpensive

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 • It supports lots of programming languages and editors for creating
code, including Scratch and Python
• It has an amazing community and lots of educational resources are
available
• It has GPIO pins that allow you to program and interact with
electronic components
• There are lots of add-ons available that add more features to your
Raspberry Pi, such as the Sense HAT, which adds sensors, buttons,
and an LED display

This Raspberry Pi has a Sense HAT attached to

it:

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Example digital making projects

Astro Pi is a European Space Agency Education project that is run in

collaboration with the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Young people have the
opportunity to develop projects that use Raspberry Pi with a Sense HAT
and then have those projects run on the International Space Station.

A weather station kit has also been developed for Raspberry Pi, and you
can build your own Raspberry Pi weather station using readily available
components.

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Digital making opens up lots of possibilities

Digital making opens up a whole range of possibilities for making projects

by combining coding, electronics, art, music, science, and more.

This is an additional video, hosted on YouTube.

These are all examples of digital making:

• Creating interactive digital art

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 • Writing a computer game or app
• Making a home security and monitoring system
• Using sensors to record how much energy you use and plotting
graphs so that you can see changes
• Making a costume prop such as a time machine with light and sound
effects
• Trying to make a useful gadget and ending up with a useless gadget
that makes people laugh

Discuss: what do you want to make?

What would you like to make with your Raspberry Pi? What skills will
you need to learn? Share your ideas in the comments section.

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