I thought I would start a thread about SoC (System On a Chip) devices as they are becoming more a part of everyday computing than one would expect. The entire smart phone and tablet industry is the most obvious outcome of an industry that has been built up using this technology. Other applications including robotics, control systems, and lightweight computing are now evolving as well. Kits have since appeared that hobbyists, developers, and tinkerers alike can now experiment using these systems. Raspberry Pi may have become one of the more popular examples out there, but other systems such as Arduino along with others do exist. Here is a small sampling of what Microsoft is now supporting from their IoT site: Getting Started
The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games.
What’s more, the Raspberry Pi has the ability to interact with the outside world, and has been used in a wide array of digital maker projects, from music machines and parent detectors to weather stations and tweeting birdhouses with infra-red cameras. We want to see the Raspberry Pi being used by kids all over the world to learn to program and understand how computers work.
I bought myself a Pi - fantastic little machine with some great free software. Am in the process of setting it up as a VPN but got a little stuck setting up the DDNS, however, there are plenty of resources out there to help you an I'm working my way through it. Accessing the Pi via my LAN, using my laptop as a terminal was a breeze and I can't get over how like BASIC Python is, but without line numbers. Best £50 I've spent in a long time. The only thing that my Pi will never see is Win X
I use RPi as my main XBMC server for over 2 years now (installed on large external USB HDD). Perfect for watching 1080p movies & receiving streamed HD TV :-)))
It is a nice and very capable little system. I have the RPi Model B and was impressed enough by it that I went out and bought nearly all of the accessories that was available for it at the time so I could do more tinkering with it. I rather enjoyed playing with the different OS's for it both from the Raspberry PI Site and from the eLinux Site. I was a little disappointed that I would need to go a buy the RPi Model 2 when Microsoft announced that they were going to support Windows 10 on Raspberry Pie. No big loss though as Windows 10 is such a resource hog that it can only do the Command Line Interface at the moment.
Post by big bad bombastic bob on Nov 7, 2015 1:42:29 GMT -6
have worked with several RPi devices, most recently used 2 of them for 2 'bed of nails' test rigs for a customer project. The RPi runs Raspbian Linux and is able to communicate via bluetooth (and scan for devices) as well as flashing firmware using a USB device with a PDI header and 'avrdude'. From the command line. The RPi is connected to 'various circuitry' to sense button presses and display text on a 2-line LCD (they're $10 each from Adafruit). I ripped off code from some Arduino stuff I'd done before and modified it to work on the RPi generically [on my own time so I could use it for my own stuff]. In short you twiddle some bits using a design I came up with years ago, with a shift register connecting the 3.3V RPi to the 5V LCD. Shift register accepts 3.3v logic no problem. Then you just display text on the screen.
simple command line utilities are run with a shell script, which senses button presses, displays the text, and controls I/O pins, flashes firmware, connects via bluetooth, and so forth. If the test fails, it displays a failure message, otherwise a success message at the end [instructing that the operator remove the device under test, etc.]
all this with a $40 computer. yeah.
'Bed o nails' devices that do things like this typically cost over $10k *EACH*. I built 2 of them for around half of that, and it's super-easy to modify the test code because it's a FUCKING SHELL SCRIPT.
heh
here's a prototype bed of nails that generically lets you flash via PDI or SPI header [same layout and flasher]
obviously something I'd do for a customer would look a lot nicer, but it's the same basic functionality. Spring-loaded pins go underneath the board where the holes are for the SPI/PDI header. Then you crank down the clamp, and then flash via an attached 'flasher' device [in this case, AVR ISP Mk II which is now obsolete, dammit].
So the RPi controls the flash process and everything else [testing the unit, testing the bluetooth, running a test function ON the unit that verifies all of the data collection devices are working, yotta yotta] and has the USB connectivity necessary for the 2 devices (bluetooth, AVR ISP Mk II) and runs Linux and has the drivers for all of it as part of the OS and an installable package [avrdude].
It's amazing such a tiny device has so enough compute power to be able to emulate an old video game - which admittedly was from ancient times, but probably had some specialized hardware support, and the instruction set is being emulated. Wow.
-Noel
Author of the "How to Configure the 'To Work' Options" series of Windows books. Not feeling enough love to do one for Windows 10.
Post by Bayer A.User on Jan 5, 2016 14:20:07 GMT -6
From super Hi-Tech Raspberry Pi to the realm of absurd . I give you the latest "ioT" devices courtesy of Amazon.com Sticky back wireless "buttons" that connect to an app on your smartphone. Need to order more of important household items ? Hit the damn button. The drone is on its way.
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Last Edit: Jan 5, 2016 14:21:23 GMT -6 by Bayer A.User
This article may be a bit dated as it is referencing Raspberry Pi 2, but I'm sure the information contained there in can easily be applied to other devices within the family.
Fans of the Raspberry Pi were astonished to learn that a powerful new model is being released, an announcement that came just a couple of months after the Raspberry Pi Model A+ and Model B+ flew off virtual shelves.
With a quad core CPU and boasts of being able to run Windows 10, the Raspberry Pi 2 is the first genuine upgrade of the original board from 2012.
But is the Raspberry Pi 2 really all that? Has the surprise of Windows 10 somehow got in the way of the facts? Well, yes it has. In fact, despite the hype, there are a few things that you still can’t do with a Raspberry Pi 2. At least five, in fact.
It (Still) Won’t Run Most Software
As with other versions of the Raspberry Pi, the new version isn’t capable of running a large proportion of applications and tools available for Linux computers.
The reason? Well, it’s easy to forget, but the Raspberry Pi has an ARM processor, and this new version is no different. Other than a higher spec (900 Mhz and four cores) the CPU architecture means that applications written for a computer with an Intel x86 or x64 CPU simply won’t run without considerable reworking, a task many developers simply don’t have the time to do.
So while you’ll be able to run a certain amount of useful software on your Raspberry Pi, this is all compiled to run on a device with an ARM processor. The rest of the Linux application library is nevertheless closed to you.
You Can’t Photograph the Raspberry Pi 2 with a Flash!
Following the announcement of the Raspberry Pi 2, excitement turned into amusement when it transpired that the device is prone to one of the most unusual hardware bugs ever recorded.
Basically, it resets in the presence of a bright light.
Rather than being an amazingly compact and sophisticated example of an AI, the shutdown is due to the sensitivity of the U16 power supply chip. The bug was discovered by Peter Onion, as explained on the Raspberry Pi website.
Xenon flashes found on many smartphone cameras interfere with the chip because of the photoelectric effect, which results in electrons being emitted and interference with the activity of the transistors within the chip.
In most cases you probably won’t be photographing your Raspberry Pi 2, but as the previous versions of the little computer are one of the most widely snapped pieces of hardware around, there is a good chance that it will happen at some point. It’s worth pointing out that the device shutting down without warning can corrupt the SD card so we wouldn’t advise you do this to your Raspberry Pi 2 without having a contingency for your current project (like a cloned SD card).
No More Retro Gaming Centre… (For Now)
One of the great uses for the Raspberry Pi’s original version is as the main component of a retro gaming system. While emulators will continue to run on the new model the most popular solution for retro gaming fans to get all of their game ROMs and images in one place isn’t currently an option.
Sadly, a new build is required for RetroPie to be compatible with the quad core processor found in the Raspberry Pi 2, so for now at least, you won’t be able to take advantage of the extra RAM to improve emulation of N64 and PSX games…
Hold On, That’s Not Windows 10… Is it?
Windows 10’s “compatibility” with the Raspberry Pi 2 has made a few headlines, but how accurate is it, really? Well, the headlines never tell the whole story, do they?
Microsoft are keen to support the maker community, which is why they’re providing this new version for the Raspberry Pi (and other hobby development boards), but it won’t be anything like the Windows 10 you see on a desktop PC. Instead, it will likely be a version of the ARM build of Windows 10, a successor to the tablet-based Windows 8 RT.
It’s also unlikely that there will be a GUI at all with this version, and will instead be purely a command-line OS. That’s nothing to be ashamed of, but not quite the story sold in the headlines. Even with a GUI, the best anyone can expect is the ability to run apps intended for Windows RT or Windows Phone devices – not exactly a great selection of software.
Instead, Microsoft are hoping people will use languages widely used in its own applications to develop projects that might highlight new areas of development by the tech giant.
To find out more, it’s worth registering for the Windows for IoT Development program.
So, You Can’t Run Microsoft Office On It
With a more powerful Raspberry Pi 2 capable of running Windows 10, there is an obvious possible use for the new computer. With Windows 10 support, surely the low price can save IT budgets around the world, enabling organizations to spend money on easy to set up compact computers that cost a fraction of their desktop competitors?
As we’ve seen, there is no way standard Windows applications can run on the Raspberry Pi 2.
This shouldn’t put anyone off, though. Office suites that run on ARM are available, and the current Raspberry Pi computers are already capable of performing the basic office tasks of email and word processing.
The key to this is in choosing the right office suite, and scaling hardware to the needs of the user.
Raspberry Pi 2: Evolution, Not Revolution
Obviously, these are the main problems with the Raspberry Pi 2, a computer that is the evolution of the fascinating and flexible device envisioned by Eben Upton. There is no doubt that the successor to the Raspberry Pi will prove to be hugely flexible, but it will continue to have its shortcomings, especially when it comes to tasks that are neither educational nor DIY projects.
What do you think? Have we covered everything you can’t do with the Raspberry Pi 2? Are we being unfair? Tell us in the comments.
Raspberry Pi sells 12.5-million boards in five years.
General purpose computer becomes third best-selling of all time.
Recent Raspberry Pi sales figures show that the series of small single-board computers has become the world’s third best-selling general purpose computer, according to the official Raspberry Pi magazine – The MagPi.
Raspberry Pi achieved this milestone by selling more than 12.5-million boards in five years, emerging past the previous third place holder, the Commodore 64.
Developed in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation to promote the teaching of basic computer science in schools and in developing countries, the original model became far more popular than anticipated, selling outside of its target market for uses such as robotics. Peripherals (including keyboards, mice and cases) are not included with the Raspberry Pi. Some accessories however have been included in several official and unofficial bundles.
As The MagPipoints out, this puts the Raspberry Pi past Commodore 64 sales, according to some estimates. That would make the Pi the third best-selling “general purpose computer” ever, behind Apple Macintosh and Microsoft Windows PCs. Not bad considering the original plan was to produce between 10 and 20,000 boards.
The Raspberry Pi Model 3 is the best-selling Raspberry Pi. This chart shows that Raspberry Pi 3 has accounted for almost a third of all Raspberry Pi boards sold. The Model 3 sits next to its immediate predecessor, the Raspberry Pi 2B+ (which has the same board shape but a slightly slower CPU). These two boards account for over half of all Raspberry Pi boards sold.
The rest of the sales are between older models. The original Model A accounts for just 2 percent of sales – making it a rare find today.
<Rick> Good video. It's almost hard to believe that at one time Windows 98 was the resource hog, but even then, it still ran circles around what Windows 10 can do on today's modern hardware and look a heck of alot better doing it.
May 25, 2021 22:55:12 GMT -6
<Rick> As stated elsewhere, So much for the launch of Windows 11, "The Great Crash." Myself, I had a hard time getting into the site listed above, when I did get in, the video was partly done and then it crashed. There has been many other reports of crashing.
Jun 24, 2021 9:52:33 GMT -6
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<Rick> I see Microsoft has been very quick to pull down reports of site crashing regarding the Launch of Windows 11 on the Microsoft Insiders forum.
Jun 24, 2021 9:57:31 GMT -6
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<Rick> The rebroadcast is working okay.
Jun 24, 2021 11:00:25 GMT -6
<Rick> With reports of people being able to install the dev-edition of Windows 11 on machines not meeting spec, I thought I would give it a what-the-heck try. Lucky me, I'm caught in the downloading, doesn't meet spec, clearing, re-downloading loop on my machine!
Jul 2, 2021 7:08:46 GMT -6
<Rick> I've recently purchased a license for ArcaOS from www.arcanoae.com/ to play with. First impressions, it's still OS/2, but it now has a Linux twist to it.
Jul 2, 2021 7:32:53 GMT -6
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<dozrguy> laptop shit out and am stuck buying a new one. os win11 as fucked as win10 was?
Oct 2, 2021 12:56:10 GMT -6
<Rick> Let's see ..., my impression of Windows 11 is that it is a spruced up version of Windows 10 requiring a 64-bit processor plus a piece of security hardware that is less than 4 years old in order for it to run.
Oct 4, 2021 18:25:49 GMT -6
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<Rick> On the plus side, Microsoft is supposed to be supporting Windows 10 for some time to come for those of us still using systems with I7 or older processors.
Oct 4, 2021 18:44:35 GMT -6
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<dozrguy> i tried installing win10 om the 'shitout' pc this morning usung media creation. EPIC FAIL! went into an endless bootloop. win7 reinstalled just fine
Oct 21, 2021 11:23:38 GMT -6
<dozrguy> STILL so much bullshit and so little time for the kiddie ideas from the hill. My new laptop (MSI GE 11-UH461) would be an awesome "10" machine but because of Winblows I can only give it a "2"......wasted $3500
Oct 27, 2021 9:36:47 GMT -6
<Rick> Hello. Just checking in.
Mar 17, 2022 10:46:54 GMT -6
<isidroco> Each new w10 update adds >100000 useless files to \Windows\Servicing\LCU\Package_for_RollupFix... folders. Even in a SSD takes time to delete that stuff. In each version they manage to worsen stuff.
Mar 27, 2022 16:14:51 GMT -6
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<dozerguy> still traffic here?
Oct 9, 2022 17:32:44 GMT -6
<Rick> No, there does not seem to be very much traffic these days. I still check in from time to time.
Oct 9, 2022 20:08:58 GMT -6