What is Raspberry Pi? – its Pin Diagram | New Topic [2024]

In this note, we will learn “What is Raspberry Pi?“. Also about its Pin Diagram and the function of every pin. Welcome to Poly Notes Hub, a leading destination for polytechnic notes and engineering notes.

Author Name: Arun Paul.

What is Raspberry Pi?

Raspberry Pi is a small, low-cost computer created by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK-based charitable organization. It was developed to support the teaching of basic computer science in schools and underdeveloped nations, but it has since grown in popularity among hobbyists, educators, and professionals for a variety of applications.

The Raspberry Pi board is around the size of a credit card and runs a variety of Linux operating systems. It includes input/output ports for connecting peripherals like keyboards, mouse, displays, cameras, and sensors. Despite its small size, the Raspberry Pi can perform many of the same functions as a standard desktop computer, including online surfing, word processing, gaming, and programming.

The function of Each Section of Raspberry Pi

Below we discuss every section of the Raspberry Pi Development Board –

• USB Port: Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports let you to connect external devices such as keyboards, mouse, USB flash drives, and other peripherals to your Raspberry Pi for input, output, and data transfer.
• Ethernet Port: The Ethernet port supports wired network connections, letting your Raspberry Pi to connect to a local network or the internet using an Ethernet cable.
• Audio Jack: The audio jack allows you to connect audio equipment such as headphones or speakers to your Raspberry Pi for output or input.
• GPIO Pins: General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins are used to connect external electrical components and sensors. They may be designed to send and receive digital, analog, and control signals for a variety of applications, including controlling LEDs, motors, sensors, and more.
• MicroSD Port: The MicroSD connector allows you to insert a MicroSD card, which acts as the primary storage for the Raspberry Pi’s operating system, applications, and data.
• Camera Port: The Raspberry Pi’s CSI (Camera Serial Interface) camera port provides a particular interface for connecting camera modules to the board. It allows you to connect a compatible camera module directly to the Raspberry Pi, allowing you to take images or videos with the camera and process them using the Raspberry Pi’s hardware and software.
• HDMI Port: The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connector connects your Raspberry Pi to a display device such as a monitor, TV, or projector, allowing you to watch the graphical user interface (GUI) or multimedia material produced by the Raspberry Pi.

Specifications of Raspberry Pi

Here are the Raspberry Pi Specifications –

1. Processor: Broadcom BCM2711, Quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARM v8) 64-bit SoC
2. CPU Clock Speed: 1.5 GHz
3. RAM: 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM (depending on the model)
4. Connectivity:
   • 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz IEEE 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 5.0, BLE
   • Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45)
5. Ports:
   • 2 × USB 3.0 ports
   • 2 × USB 2.0 ports
   • 2 × micro HDMI ports (supports up to 4Kp60)
   • 1 × 3.5mm audio/video jack
   • CSI camera port for connecting a Raspberry Pi camera module
   • DSI display port for connecting a Raspberry Pi touchscreen display
   • MicroSD card slot for operating system and data storage
   • GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins for interfacing with external devices and components
6. Video & Audio:
   • H.265 (4Kp60 decode), H.264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode)
   • OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics
   • MIPI DSI display port, MIPI CSI camera port, 3.5mm audio jack
7. Power:
   • 5V DC via USB-C connector
   • 5V DC via GPIO header
8. Operating System: Various Linux distributions (e.g., Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu) and other compatible operating systems
9. Dimensions: 85mm x 56mm x 17mm (approx.)

Raspberry Pi Pin Diagram

The Raspberry Pi GPIO pins serve as an interface between the Raspberry Pi and other electronic components. Here are the important details about the GPIO pins –

1. Pin Number: To facilitate identification, each GPIO pin is allocated a particular number.
2. Function: GPIO pins can be used for a variety of purposes, including input (reading data from sensors and buttons) and output (controlling LEDs and motors). Furthermore, some GPIO pins perform particular operations such as SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, and so on.
3. Physical Location: The Raspberry Pi board has GPIO pins arrayed in rows along its edge. Each pin’s physical location matches with its pin number.
4. Voltage: GPIO pins typically operate at 3.3 volts. However, some pins may handle 5 volts (V) to ensure compatibility with specific components.
5. Additional Features: Some GPIO pins provide extra features or capabilities, such as built-in pull-up or pull-down resistors that can be enabled or disabled as needed.
6. Usage: External electronic parts like sensors, actuators, displays, and communication modules are connected to the Raspberry Pi via GPIO pins.

Advantages of Raspberry Pi

Below we listed some important Raspberry Pi Advantages –

1. Raspberry Pi boards are less expensive than typical computers, making them available to a diverse spectrum of users, including hobbyists, students, and educators.
2. Raspberry Pi may be used for a wide variety of projects.
3. Raspberry Pi’s compact shape makes it ideal for embedded systems and projects where room is constrained.
4. Raspberry Pi uses extremely little power, making it energy-efficient and ideal for applications where power consumption is an issue.
5. The Raspberry Pi is commonly used in educational settings to teach programming, electronics, and computer science principles. It offers a hands-on learning experience that promotes experimentation and creativity.
6. Raspberry Pi has GPIO pins, which allow users to connect a variety of peripherals and sensors.