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[oahda]

While I don't have money for anything right now, the incredibly cheap price of the Pi has made it seem at least like possible prospect of the future.

In the meantime, it would be fun to hear people talk about it. Your own experiences and projects, and projects of others that you think are cool.

Because I feel I want one simply because it's so easy to get (due to being cheap), but something's telling me I wouldn't really need it for anything, necessarily, so I might need to be taken down a few notches.

And it's a really interesting subject, anyhow!


For those who don't know what it is:

It's a tiny computer with all the basic necessities (depending on model, but the latest seems to have a quad core processor, a decent GPU, 1GB of RAM, four USB ports, an ethernet port, headphone port, HDMI port and more) to get it up and running like a regular computer quite easily — perhaps installing Linux as the OS. Storage seems to be SD cards primarily.

There are also add-ons made specifically for the Pi. It has been used to make game consoles, cameras, robot kits (think LEGO Mindstorms) and all sorts of great stuff, or some people just use them as servers or even proper work computers if their stuff isn't too heavy for the machine.

And it's really cheap!


Also there seem to be similar projects like Banana Pi (is this one made by the same people as Raspberry Pi?) and related things like Arduino which seems to be possible to connect to the Raspberry Pi?


UPDATE: C.H.I.P. was suggested in this thread, which seems even cooler than the Pi now IMO!

[oahda]

So, some links from me to kick this off:






A video showing off two kits for making robots, some weird camera with a bit too little information on it in this video, a gaming system and a media system.

Linking this mostly for the first project, since I was actually thinking about LEGO Mindstorms just the other day and then I found this, which is LEGO robotics using a Raspberry Pi (and if I understood it correctly it seems to work with the actual Mindstorms software or something..?).






Useful introduction. A bit outdated and not about the most recent version, but still useful — just read the comments to find out about stuff that might have changed since then.


"Raspberry Pi 2 workstation"

A Linux guy trying out the capabilities of the Pi as a proper (Linux) workstation. He plugs it into dual monitors, overclocks it a bit and all sorts of stuff, and it actually ends up running quite well using a Linux distro. Of course, his work seems to mostly involve doing stuff in the Terminal, but nonetheless it's a graphical interface he's installed.

[Polly]

If you don't need the horsepower of the Pi2, i'd recommend getting a PiZero* Only costs $5 and is super-small, so it's ideal for embedding in a DIY project.



*They are sold-out ( again ) at the moment though.

[oahda]

Yeah, I know about those too. Seems a bit useless not to have even a single USB port tho, but maybe a hub that connects through micro USB could work? Do those exist or would I need an adapter? And no ethernet port, so I'd need to buy some USB Wi-Fi receiver as well if I wanted to connect it to the internet. That still adds immediate additional costs, tho.

Do you think a Zero would be enough for a LAMP server?

Seems worth it going midway and getting a B+ that has a cost in between Zero and 2 B just to get the USB ports and ethernet port built in. Seems to have more or less the same specs otherwise (one core, same GPU I think, same RAM).

[Polly]

Seems a bit useless not to have even a single USB port tho, but maybe a hub that connects through mini USB could work?

You can use a micro-USB hub, but by doing that you lose the biggest strength of the Zero ( in my opinion ) .. its size.

And no ethernet port, so I'd need to buy some USB Wi-Fi receiver as well if I wanted to connect it to the internet.

Sounds like the Zero is not for you then

Do you think a Zero would be enough for a LAMP server?

For a LAMP server i'd probably go with a CHIP instead ( if you can wait a couple of months ).

[oahda]

Right, micro, not mini.

CHIP looks really cool! Built-in Wi-Fi and that thing that makes it portable makes it seem extremely handy. And bluetooth! And it's even cheaper than the Pi! I could definitely see myself getting this.

I can't seem to find how many cores the processor has, tho? Do you know?

Seems the whole package I'd want/need (CHIP, PocketCHIP, CHIP case and USB charger) adds up to $67 already tho. But I guess I could start out without the portable kit since I never expected that from a Pi anyway and just get the CHIP and a case for $11 ($17.22 with shipping apparently)... Except I need to buy an HDMI ($15) or VGA ($10) adapter as well if I don't get the pocket thingy. That makes it $33.15 in total with shipping if I get the HDMI adapter. At least I already have cables.

Calling it a $9 computer seems slightly deceptive to me since it's not very useful for a lot of purposes without at least one add-on.

[InfiniteStateMachine]

yeah it was the same deal with the originals. 35$ but then I had to get a wifi addon and I chose to buy a case and directly hook it up to a monitor rather than use a shell.

Regardless it's pretty damn cool. I've been toying with an idea to essentially crate a shock therapy device for condescension :D

[Cheesegrater]

Also there seem to be similar projects like Banana Pi (is this one made by the same people as Raspberry Pi?)

No, Banana Pi is a knockoff.

I have a Raspberry Pi. I have it hooked up to my television so I can use Kodi on it to stream video.

I also have openVPN installed on there, which I use to access my home network from work.

[oahda]

yeah it was the same deal with the originals. 35$ but then I had to get a wifi addon and I chose to buy a case and directly hook it up to a monitor rather than use a shell.

Regardless it's pretty damn cool. I've been toying with an idea to essentially crate a shock therapy device for condescension :D

Yeah, it's of course incredibly cheap either way. I hope people are using this sort of stuff in poor places to introduce computers in schools and whatnot. That'd be great use of this revolution.

Shock yourself into getting back to work when you're slacking off?

[Polly]

I can't seem to find how many cores the processor has, tho? Do you know?

It has a 1GHz ARMv7 ( Allwinner R8 ) .. which is based on the A13.

Seems the whole package I'd want/need (CHIP, PocketCHIP, CHIP case and USB charger) adds up to $67 already tho. But I guess I could start out without the portable kit since I never expected that from a Pi anyway and just get the CHIP and a case for $11 ($17.22 with shipping apparently)... Except I need to buy an HDMI ($15) or VGA ($10) adapter as well if I don't get the pocket thingy. That makes it $33.15 in total with shipping if I get the HDMI adapter. At least I already have cables.

For a LAMP server you don't need the HDMI / VGA board though .. nor a PocketCHIP ( obviously )

Calling it a $9 computer seems slightly deceptive to me since it's not very useful for a lot of purposes without at least one add-on.

I understand were you're coming from, but most people already have a TV ( and a composite cable ) and a keyboard .. which is all that you need to use CHIP as a regular computer.

[oahda]

Seems the whole package I'd want/need (CHIP, PocketCHIP, CHIP case and USB charger) adds up to $67 already tho. But I guess I could start out without the portable kit since I never expected that from a Pi anyway and just get the CHIP and a case for $11 ($17.22 with shipping apparently)... Except I need to buy an HDMI ($15) or VGA ($10) adapter as well if I don't get the pocket thingy. That makes it $33.15 in total with shipping if I get the HDMI adapter. At least I already have cables.

For a LAMP server you don't need the HDMI / VGA board though .. nor a PocketCHIP ( obviously )

Yeah, I know, but that was just one of my ideas and one I'm unlikely to realise anyway because our net is too slow and we can't afford more right now anyway. So I would probably do something else if I actually got one.

[InfiniteStateMachine]

yeah it was the same deal with the originals. 35$ but then I had to get a wifi addon and I chose to buy a case and directly hook it up to a monitor rather than use a shell.

Regardless it's pretty damn cool. I've been toying with an idea to essentially crate a shock therapy device for condescension :D

Yeah, it's of course incredibly cheap either way. I hope people are using this sort of stuff in poor places to introduce computers in schools and whatnot. That'd be great use of this revolution.

Shock yourself into getting back to work when you're slacking off?

Heh I wanted to make something that uses the google voice recognition to detect when someone starts a sentence with the word "actually" at which point a red light starts flashing and noise goes off.

PATENT PENDING!

[oahda]

Don't forget to make it work with "I'm not a racist/homophobe/transphobe/etc, but..."!

[InfiniteStateMachine]

That one would probably involve a taser of some sort.

[ProgramGamer]

I bought a raspberry pi last october and it's been sitting on my desk since then. I've thought about turning it into a capture device for recording videos, any thoughts?

[InfiniteStateMachine]

Perf would be my only concern. I had some perf stuff when trying to do some emulator stuff.

I'm really interested to hear your results if you do try though. Having a cheap capture device would be great.

[gimymblert]

This is something I have investigate from sometimes ago when I realized you could produce a game a sell it for normal retail price directly with those kind of hardware. NO need for external machine, plug and play on your tv. They are call single board computer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_single-board_computers. The raspi and equivalent are roughly equivalent to a HD gamecube, but some board are more powerful.

The main interest as a game developer is that they also allow for full customizable controller per game and erasing the diference between video games and toys (going beyond the Toy to life trend like skylander or amiibo)

Unfortunately the Raspberry pi GPU is not compatible with unity.

BUT the odroid C1 and the CHIP ARE!! (gpu mali400)
http://www.hardkernel.com/main/products/prdt_info.php?g_code=G141578608433

For all your electronic extension need I recommend:
https://www.adafruit.com/
In learn there is many project to make you up to speed with various stuff (down to your VR helmet).

If you want to go hardcore there is also computer with FPGA ie customizable hardware CPU circuits ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field-programmable_gate_array ), which can be VERY handy, but it's also more expensive, the accessible posterchild is teh Novena:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novena_(computing_platform)
Although to start with FGPA harware programming this comes handy
https://www.adafruit.com/products/451
Apparently learning verilog (hardware programming language) is a bit hard as it is lower level that assembly (you literally rearrange the hardware circuit instead of addressing it with instruction) but initiative set out to democratize it:
https://blog.adafruit.com/2015/04/14/the-new-lucid-hardware-description-language-and-the-mojo-ide/

The gist with FGPA is that you are free from concept like "core", you can make the hardware execute sequentially or in parallel "at will", making as many non homogeneous thread if you want too, or making some part parallel or sequential whatever you want. However compile time might be longer.
https://blog.adafruit.com/2013/06/18/how-fpgas-work-and-why-youll-buy-one/


FGPA and raspi
https://blog.adafruit.com/2015/10/23/fpgas-for-the-raspberry-pi-piday-raspberrypi-raspberry_pi/

[gimymblert]

I bought a raspberry pi last october and it's been sitting on my desk since then. I've thought about turning it into a capture device for recording videos, any thoughts?

The raspi have a gpu that can encode/decode HD video at 30 image seconde on the fly I believe, this should not be a problem, people make camera with it using a camera captor. The problem would be to get the video signal. I haven't done this but there is many tut if you google it.

[ProgramGamer]

Nice, I'll try doing something with those tutorials. I imagine that all you need to do is change the input method, but I'll have to see how complex/simple that is.

[InfiniteStateMachine]

Pairing a computer like the rasp with a massive resource hog like unity is a recipe for disaster. Similar to pairing unity with a gamecube.

Something lower level with the ability to directly manage data on the other hand is feasible. I really like the idea of a game so standalone it comes with the computer that runs it.