Questions tagged [hardware]
Questions relating to the physical components that the Raspberry Pi consists of.
984
questions
71
votes
7answers
58k views
How do I control the system LEDs using my software?
There are 5 LEDs on the RPi: OK, PWR, FDX, LNK, 10M.
I'd like to know if it's possible to control any of these from software i.e. turn them on, or change intensity (or even change colour gasp).
And ...
65
votes
5answers
81k views
How do I hard reset a Raspberry Pi?
How do I hard reset a Raspberry Pi?
Obviously you can power cycle, but is there a more subtle way, like a reset pin? It would be very useful to connect a watchdog in case the Raspberry Pi crashes (...
60
votes
4answers
69k views
How do I attach a GPS receiver?
I would like to hookup a GPS receiver to my Pi so that I can:
Get my geographical position
Synchronise clock when not connected to network
What are my options? Will any hardware supported by gpsd ...
59
votes
5answers
143k views
What is the maximum / minimum operational temperature?
As per the title, what are the maximum and minimum operational temperature ratings of the Pi before it stops reliably working? Could this also depend on the SD card in use?
58
votes
3answers
18k views
Is the Raspberry Pi vulnerable to the Spectre or Meltdown exploit?
There are two new serious security flaws discovered, Spectre and Meltdown.
Is the Raspberry Pi vulnerable for Spectre and/or Meltdown?
55
votes
5answers
54k views
Why is the CPU sometimes referred to as BCM2708, sometimes BCM2835?
I've seen the System on Chip of Raspberry Pi referred to usually as "BCM2835" (e.g. on Wikipedia), but sometimes as "BCM2708" (e.g. sources for Linux SPI driver are in bcm2708.c, or in comments to my ...
40
votes
1answer
279k views
Virtual keyboard activation
I bought a raspberry pi2 and 7 inch waveshare touchscreen. The SD card came along with the system already flashed. It turns on and everything works, but how do I activate the virtual keyboard. Do I ...
40
votes
4answers
5k views
Can the Pi be potted in epoxy?
In order to completely waterproof some basic electronic circuits, I've often used potting epoxy to stop anything getting to the internals.
However, this has mainly been with stuff using PDIP, which ...
39
votes
2answers
20k views
Is it legal to use Raspberry Pi to develop a product and sell it?
I have a project in mind that uses Raspberry Pi to develop a software. The final product will be modification of the Raspberry Pi circuit (get rid of any components that the project doesn't use) and ...
37
votes
5answers
32k views
Does the Raspberry Pi have Hardware Floating Point support?
There are a few articles around that say it is best to use soft float algorithms on ARM devices, because very few ARM chips have hard float coprocessors. So, does the RPi have hard float support? If ...
35
votes
4answers
28k views
What is the highest performing hardware configuration?
I know that exact benchmark numbers will vary between manufacturers, but in general if you only consider higher end flash drives, SD cards, and USB HDDs and your Raspberry Pi is connected to a network ...
34
votes
2answers
137k views
What's the difference between the Raspberry Pi 1 Model B and B+?
I have a Model B Raspberry Pi, but what are the differences between this and the new Model B+?
Also apart from the physical differences, what could I do with a B+ that I can't do with my Model B?
33
votes
5answers
72k views
Does the Raspberry Pi need a cooling system?
Searching on Newegg for "raspberry pi", the results included many heatsinks and as well as a few other types of cooling systems, yet these items do not seem to appear when looking through the stores ...
31
votes
1answer
18k views
What are the maximum operating temperatures of the components?
What are the main sources of heat on the board?
What temperatures do these components reach under load?
30
votes
3answers
61k views
What size screws does the Raspberry Pi board use?
On the model B+ there are four screws that can be used to attach your device either to a base or firmly inside of a case or other enclosure.
What is the size of these screws? That is, if you are ...
28
votes
9answers
31k views
What are the possible OUIs for the Ethernet MAC address?
I'm setting up a computer lab in which many Raspberry Pis are going to acquire IP addresses via DHCP. I'd like to have the DHCP server to differentiate between Raspberry Pis and other clients.
What ...
27
votes
5answers
9k views
Can I switch mains devices on/off?
Is it possible to switch mains-powered devices (such as a coffee machine) on and off using the Pi? If so, what extra components do I need?
26
votes
6answers
34k views
26
votes
4answers
58k views
What are the RUN pin holes on Raspberry Pi 2?
Inbetween the Display port, and the Activity LED on my Raspbery Pi 2, There are 2 holes boxed off, labled with: "Run".
What are those pins? What do they do? Is it a reset?
26
votes
4answers
27k views
Why is my SD card slow?
My SD card seems to be running slow. I have an ADATA 16 GB SDHC Class 10 card. I checked the compatibility list which lists a card with similar specifications, and it states that it is "working". Even ...
26
votes
3answers
32k views
How can I record audio using a microphone?
Just came across this question while trying to connect a webcam. If the webcam encapsulated audio that is fine. But what if I want to attach a microphone in another location / locations.
Question: ...
24
votes
5answers
41k views
What SPI frequencies does Raspberry Pi support?
What SPI frequencies does Raspberry Pi support?
Additionally:
Are they all supported by the bootc.net SPI driver?
Are there any additinal things I should be cautious about when trying to ...
24
votes
10answers
28k views
Is it possible to support a remote infrared control using the Raspberry Pi?
It would be interesting to use the Raspberry Pi as a replacement for a media center; however, as I see it now the Raspberry Pi needs to be controlled by means of a keyboard or over the network. Is it ...
24
votes
3answers
18k views
How can I visually identify which board revision I have?
This question asks about using /proc/cpuinfo to identify the revision of the board I have.
Are there any visual characteristics that differentiate between the different board revisions?
23
votes
3answers
84k views
Control Hardware PWM frequency
I'm using the hardware PWM output with wiringpi. It provides the function pwmSetClock that should make it possible to change the frequency. (https://projects.drogon.net/raspberry-pi/wiringpi/functions/...
23
votes
7answers
33k views
Using PCI or PCIe Devices
Is it possible to use some sort of adapter, or even to solder a device to the Raspberry Pi board to support PCI or PCI express devices? I'm thinking smaller devices such as NICs or Sound Cards. I ...
22
votes
5answers
32k views
Raspberry Pi hardware ID
Is there a possibility to store a hardware ID for each Raspberry Pi based device?
Let's say I have 10 custom devices based on Raspberry Pi platform that are used for distributed tasks. At some point, ...
22
votes
3answers
6k views
Is my Raspi okay sitting on a magnet?
I have a big magnetic sheet that my Raspberry Pi is sitting on. It seems fine, but are there any dangers?
22
votes
6answers
54k views
Can the Raspberry Pi power this 2.5" drive without a USB hub?
I want to use my Raspberry Pi model B as a NAS, but I'd like to avoid using a USB hub. I have a 2.5" Western Digital 1 TB USB hard disk drive (this one), and a 2 A power supply for the Raspberry ...
19
votes
2answers
12k views
Editing Serial Number
On the official raspberrypi.org forum, "Dom" - a moderator wrote:
I've fudged my board to have your serial number
How do I edit the serial number of a Raspberry Pi?
18
votes
8answers
38k views
Is Pi powerful enough for an oscilloscope project?
My goal is to make Pi based instruments, starting with an oscilloscope. So I read answers to
What Analog to Digital Converters Are Available For RPI?
How can I connect an analog to digital converter ...
18
votes
1answer
23k views
Raspberry Pi Zero W is ARMv6 or ARMv7?
I would like update Node.js to the latest version and I need to choose between ARMv6 and ARMv7. From the package manager point of view this is an ARMv6 processor and dmesg tells it is
CPU: ARMv6-...
18
votes
1answer
5k views
Why does the SD card random write performance for record size 8-128 kB drops below the performance of record size 4 kB?
When I check the performance of SD cards for random write, I can see the performance is quite bad for record size 4 kB (this is not surprising) but then for several cards it even drops for larger ...
17
votes
5answers
4k views
How do you protect the Raspberry Pi when you are carrying it about?
I am getting mine this week (or so I am told) and I am nervous about breaking it on the move since it looks so open and bare.
How do you bring it around without breaking it?
It has arrived. The ...
17
votes
2answers
18k views
What hardware do I need to turn Raspberry Pi into a TV remote controller?
I would like to control my TV using a Raspberry Pi. I would like my Raspberry Pi to act like a TV remote controller.
What kind of hardware do I need to make it? Do I need something like IR emitter, ...
17
votes
3answers
2k views
How can I identify from command line which board revision I have?
I just ran
cat /proc/cpuinfo
on my board. I get "Revision : 1000002". I've failed to find any mention of which version of the board this is.
Any help?
16
votes
3answers
8k views
If connected over HDMI will the 3.5mm audio jack socket work?
As far as I know only one video output, either the HDMI or RCA video socket, will work at a time. Now I want to know if this also applies to the audio output.
Will it be transmitted over both sockets,...
16
votes
2answers
5k views
The Manufacturing Cost Of Raspberry Pi
I am curious to know how much raspberry pi cost to manufacture (not the cost to us) at the volume it is being manufactured now? I mostly want to know who how much margin is left in the larger ...
16
votes
3answers
3k views
Is there a good comparison chart for Raspberry Pi and similar enthusiast project boards?
I hear and see things about Raspberry Pi, Arduino (someone gave me one and I have tried a few things), and Beagle Board (and variations).
What other boards should be on this list?
Where do these ...
16
votes
3answers
6k views
Pi as a RFID Reader
I have a need for a quick and dirty UHF RFID reader. I'm very green when it comes to electronics and have a couple questions:
Has someone already done (documented) this?
Can a UHF antenna be ...
15
votes
4answers
15k views
How can I use more GPIO ports on the Raspberry Pi?
I am currently planning a project for a course at school which involves using the Raspberry Pi - however I'm worried that I will not have enough GPIO connectors for the inputs and outputs that I will ...
14
votes
4answers
13k views
Long (30 to 50 foot) USB power only cable
I want to place my Raspberry Pi in a remote location to act as a surveillance camera and need to run a power-ONLY USB cable over a long distance of 30 to 50 feet.
Can I safely extend a normal USB 2.0 ...
14
votes
4answers
10k views
Turning on and off a 3G (or any USB) port?
I have a project which will require using a Raspberry Pi in a low power environment, but it will also require a 3G connection. I have not done any tests, yet, but I am under the assumption (and ...
14
votes
2answers
2k views
Where can I find the schematics and supporting design documents for the hardware?
I've tried to search for this online, but other than a few posts on the Raspberry Pi blog, I can't find an official source of the design documentation for the hardware.
It was my understanding that ...
14
votes
4answers
12k views
Home cloud server with raspberryPI. What caveats I may get?
Originally my question is here. But nevertheless I will copy part of it here.
At home I have external USB 3TB HDD. Also at home I have a wifi, but there is no strict computer place.
So my first goal ...
14
votes
2answers
1k views
What are the two long components on the board?
On the Raspberry Pi there are two components about an inch long, one next to the ethernet and one next to the logo. I have been wondering since I received the device what these components are?
These ...
14
votes
1answer
2k views
Where can I find the relevant ARM documentation?
Could someone provide links to the correct documentation on the ARM site that relates to the processor in the Raspberry Pi?
It would be useful to have a canonical answer for which ARM docs to use and ...
14
votes
2answers
16k views
Is there a 802.11ac dongle with drivers ready for the raspberry pi?
I understand the USB2 bus will limit the speed gain from the 802.11ac network interface. I still would rather buy a 802.11ac usb dongle as its primary use will not be with the raspberry pi.
Is there ...
14
votes
1answer
4k views
Can the video acceleration on the Raspberry Pi be used for video compression for surveillance and recording?
I was wondering about installing the Raspberry Pi as a video recording device and connecting a USB camera to it. Of course, I'd rather compress it using something like MPEG. Does the hardware support ...
13
votes
6answers
4k views
Raspberry Pi Cluster Computer
I have recently bought a Porta Pi Arcade, which is basically an RPi powered arcade machine running emulation station and retro pi. I am currently running mame, Sega genesis etc. Using the Pi 2 i have ...
