Raspberry Pi is considered a mini-computer that can work similarly to a computer. It was developed by the Raspberry Pi foundation in association with Broadcom. It is a series of small single-board computers that then looks like a shiny green circuit board on which you can program your operations to be completed.

You can start programming, create your new software, tinker, and play with it on the Raspberry Pi board. It is a low-cost model that is known for its open design. Earlier, it was primarily used for teaching computer science in colleges, and nowadays, it is highly used in robotics and has many practical applications.

Raspberry Pi includes 1GB RAM, 1.2 GHz quadcore ARM CPU, 4x USB, LAN, HDMI, built-in Bluetooth or WiFi support, 40 GPIO(General Purpose Input Output) pins, audio, and composite video output, and more. You can use Raspberry Pi on cars, learn cluster computing through it, and mainly utilize it in robotics.

It is used as home security cameras, low-level machines that run low-weight scripts 24/7 with a low-cost server monitoring device, used in media centers. It is also used in many IoT applications. It is also used in making gaming devices, weather stations, fitness gadgets, and more.

The company launched Raspberry Pi in 2012. Several improvised models of Raspberry Pi have been released. Its current generation includes Zero, 1, 2,3, and 4. Generation 1 of Raspberry Pi has four main models. They are:

• Model A
• Model A+
• Model B
• Model B+

Raspberry Pi B models are found to be the same as the original credit-card-sized format. Raspberry Pi A models are smaller and have a more compact footprint. Thus, they have reduced connectivity options. Raspberry Pi Zero models are considered the most compact one among all the Raspberry Pi board types. These models may come with or without GPIO headers installed.

Raspberry Pi is a tiny circuit board on which small codes are printed which makes it more appealing. It is also designed in a way where it accepts text commands through shells. It is as helpful as a desktop computer, and you can do almost anything that you accomplish through computers. Through Raspberry Pi’s graphical windows desktop, you can start and manage programs.

The use cases of Raspberry Pi includes:

• Word processing
• Editing images
• Play games
• Spreadsheets
• Pay bills online
• Browse through internet
• Manage your accounts

Raspberry Pi is best used to learn how a computer works and is widely utilized in electronics projects and design programs. By default, Raspberry Pi comes with two programming languages Python and Scratch. Through Raspberry Pi’s GPIO pins, you can control other devices by connecting other circuits through these pins.

To work with the Raspberry Pi board in an enhanced way, you have to connect to devices like:

• Monitor
• Television
• USB Hub
• Keyboard and Mouse
• SD or micro SD card
• External Hard drive
• USB WiFi adapter
• Speakers
• Raspberry Pi camera module
• Power supply
• Cables

Cables that are useful in connections of the Raspberry Pi include HDMI Cables, RCA Cables for connecting to an older television, HDMI to DVI adapter for using DVI (Digital Visual Interface) monitor, audio cables, and ethernet cables. Before using the Raspberry Pi, you must look into the compatible and incompatible devices. 

Different models of the Raspberry Pi support different devices. Hence, you must be wise in choosing the model that is useful for you. To learn Raspberry Pi in-depth, enroll in free Raspberry Pi courses offered by Great Learning Academy and secure Raspberry Pi Certificates for free.