What you can do with the new Raspberry PI 5: (A review)
From Apple's iPhone 15 release a few days ago and now this,the world of tech keeps adding new, better and more efficient features to serve the population's needs,now and in future cohorts.And whether you are directly affected by these upgrades or not,it still makes sense to check out what is defining the world around us,for better or worse.
Raspberry PI is a series of Single Board Computers(SBCs) produced by Raspberry Pi.If you have used the Arduino board then RaspberryPi might be familiar to you,as it is an upgrade to the former.Well,Arduino cannot be classified as a computer in itself,but both are popular for Robotics,Electronics and any other programmable fields.
fig1.shows parts of the Raspberry Pi 5.
So let's break the parts down;
Photography
Imagine using a tiny board to view the sky at night or join a meeting.All these can be made possible by the camera connectors in the Raspberry board ,all you need is a camera module and depending on the complexity of your usage,you might need additional high-quality cameras.
Something worth noting is that Raspberry Pi also provides connecting cables that makes it possible for camera owners to convert mini to standard formats for as low as $1.
As a Desktop
From having its own Operating System,ethernet port,USB ports and an HDMI port,what else do you need for a device to be a desktop or computer?
Or maybe add a display screen? Well now we got everything.However,I'd like to point out some features that make the PI a good substitute for a desktop computer.
quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 processor [1]with clock speeds of up to 2.4GHz.
VideoCore VII GPU.
Dual 4Kp60 HDMI® display output.[10]
Bluetooth 5.0 and Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi
All these with ample 4/8GB RAM [3]ensure more and more applications can be run concurrently,with higher resolutions while also efficiently using minimal power as compared to its predecessors.
Embedded Systems
For tech tinkerers and hobbyists,nothing is better than an improved microcontroller unit board,the brain of robotics,electronics and other projects.You can even integrate the Arduino or another board!
fig 2.shows many embedded applications of the Raspberry.
This is made possible by the many features that the Raspberry comes with;
Real Time Clock(RTC)-Unlike previous versions,Pi 5 comes with a RTC which can be powered externally and used to keep track of time.
Ports -from USB[2],HDMI,camera[5],ethernet all ensure peripherals for embedded systems are possible.
Power-the board has an on/off button and also comes with USB-c port for power input.
I/O pins-The standard 40-pin GPIO header [8]is available which ensures a large bandwidth for projects.
Gaming
For gaming enthusiasts,all I say is there's a lot to explore with Raspberry PI5.One popular for gamers is using the Pi as a Minecraft server.Here you'll require;
micro sd card-the board provides an interface with SDR104 mode support
power supply-15.3W
Linux-based operating system
You can check the step-by-step tutorial on how you can proceed here
Accessories
For a perfect feel of Raspberry PI5,The board comes with lots of devices for cheaper prices;
RTC battery
Board case
27W USB-C Power Supply
Active cooler
Camera and display connectors
Surely we'll go on and on about uses of Raspberry Pi but the possibilities are endless.One thing for sure is that,they are exciting and worth diving into each.
The writer is a tech enthusiast who also loves raspberries. Credit to the following sources :