Raspberry Pi

An Introduction

Open Education Week

Oxford University Computing Services
 Introduction
• The Raspberry Pi is a credit-card sized
computer that plugs into your TV and a
keyboard, which can be used for many
of the things that your average desktop
does - spreadsheets, word-processing,
games and it also plays high-definition
video.
• The Raspberry Pi charitable foundation
wants to see the device being used by
kids all over the world to learn
programming and electronics.
 Computing in
Schools
What educational material will be available?
The Raspberry Pi charitable foundation is working with
partners to get software materials developed, as
well as with the open source community.

Computing at School.org.uk are writing a user guide

and programming manual, the foundation is aware of
books being planned and written around the Raspberry
Pi, and enthusiasts have already started to produce
some excellent tutorials including video.

The foundation is also working with partners to use it as

a teaching platform for other subjects, including design,
art, languages and maths.
 Background
• 6+ years
• Pi Foundation
• Cambridge Uni
• Programmers
• Education
• Industry support
 USP ?
• Model A - $ 25
• Model B - $ 35
• Why so cheap ?
• SoC - System on a chip, a computer
on a single low voltage chip
• Linux OS
A Naked Pi
A 3D printed protype case available for free to
reuse by http://marcoalici.wordpress.com/
on Shapeways.com. .. Thanks Marco
Operating System
• Linux on a bootable SD card
• Fedora
• Debian
• ArchLinux
 Programming
• By default, supporting Python as
the educational language.
• Any language which will compile
for ARMv6 can be used with the
Raspberry Pi, though; so you’re not
limited to using Python.
• For primary age SCRATCH game
maker is bundled
 Scratch

scratch is free from MIT .. thanks MIT !

Scratch
 Python Code

http://teampython.wordpress.com/category/pi
What kind of projects
?
• Video DJ Mixer integrated Media player
for your TV to fight the rampant Lego
Robot Monster who is detected by your
Home monitoring webcam network
which reports also from the Weather
Station that uses the Car Super
Bramble Computer to tell the School
Notice-board that the Solar powered
Wireless Rocket Widget should be sent
back to earth ...
 Tinkering
• GPIO pins if you’re after an
interesting electronics project.
• Gertboard - A GPIO expansion board
from the foundation for electronics
projects
• USB Devices / Ethernet / Hubs / AV out
• Can be powered by 4 x AA batteries ...
 Your own pocket
laboratory

Thanks to everyone at the Raspberry Pi Foundation

- Alan Mycroft, Liz, Eben and the wider community
#raspberry_pi
Open Education Week
Oxford University Computing Services
http://openspires.oucs.ox.ac.uk