During my time with the Pi I’ve experimented with various devices and
sensors. Here is my Top 10 list of devices to connect to the Raspberry
Pi. In most cases they are very cheap and easy to interface and are
great building blocks for more complicated future projects. I’ve
included links to more detailed posts where I can and many of these
include example Python scripts to help you get going.
From robot cars to security systems there are plenty of ways of
combining these mini-projects into some amazing creations! If you need
to buy a present for a Pi owner then these are good starting point.
Ultrasonic Module
Ultrasonic Sensor
Ultrasonic transducer modules are an easy way to add distance
measuring capability to your Pi. The device shown in the photo has 2
power pins, 1 trigger pin and 1 echo pin.
Take a look at my “
Ultrasonic Distance Measurement Using Python” posts to see how you can connect one to the GPIO header and read it via a simple Python script.
PIR Movement Sensor
PIR Module
Simple “Passive Infra-Red” sensors allow you to detect movement. The
sensors I found on eBay only cost a few pounds. They have three pins
which can be connected directly to the Raspberry Pi’s GPIO header. These
are great for security systems or robotic sensors.
An example python script can be found on the “
Cheap PIR Sensors and the Raspberry Pi” page.
Stepper Motor
28BJY-48 Stepper Motor
This was one of the first bits of hardware I attempted to control
from the GPIO. The stepper motor came with a controller board which
interfaced directly with the GPIO. You feed the device a sequence of
inputs and it turns the motor.
Instructions and some example Python can be found on my
Stepper Motor Control In Python page.
16×2 or 20×4 Character LCD Display
20×4 LCD Module
16 or 20 character LCD displays are cheap to buy and easy to hook up to the GPIO pins on the Pi. I wrote articles about the
16×2 LCD and
20×4 LCD
screens both of which I got from eBay. It doesn’t matter which device
you get as long as it is compatible with the “Hitachi HD44780″ LCD
controller. Luckily most are based on this very common controller.
With the addition of some basic components you can also adjust the brightness or turn the screen on and off.
USB to Serial Module
USB to Serial Module
A USB to Serial device allows your Pi to communicate over a USB
interface. The USB end can be plugged into a PC, Laptop or tablet and
the pins can be connected to GPIO pins 8 and 10.
These pins are configured as a serial terminal interface by default
and allow you to access the Linux command line from your PC or tablet.
It is even possible to power the Pi from the host device if its USB port
can supply enough power!
USB WiFi Dongle
Edimax 7811un WiFi Dongle
WiFi dongles are fairly cheap and a great way to connect your Pi to a
network without cables. The Edimax 7811 is a popular choice and is easy
to configure using the WiFi utility included with the latest Raspbian
image.
[Buy on Amazon]
I’ve also used an Edimax 7711 dongle.
[Buy on Amazon]
Mini LCD Screen
3.5 inch LCD Screen
There are plenty of small screens available that accept a composite
video input. Perfect for hooking up to the Raspberry Pi’s video output.
Most of these screens are sold as car reversing camera screens, are
powered from 12V and often have two video inputs available.
The one I’ve got was £16 on eBay and I wrote about it in my
Cheap Miniature LCD Screen article. I also used it to create a
Matrix Screen.
BerryClip 6 LED Buzzer Board
BerryClip Add-on Board
The BerryClip is an addon board for the Pi which plugs directly onto
the GPIO header. It provides 6 coloured LEDs, 1 buzzer and 1 momentary
switch. These can be controlled using whatever language you prefer but
there are lots of example Python scripts to try.
For more details visit the
BerryClip page on this site.
USB Bluetooth Dongle
USB Bluetooth Dongle
Bluetooth dongles are cheap and are readily available on the high
street or online. I have successfully used a “Origo” branded device and a
Tesco “Technika” Nano Bluetooth Adapter. The Tesco dongle cost £5 and
isn’t much bigger than the USB plug itself.
A dongle allows you to connect various Bluetooth enabled devices such as keyboards, mice and Wii Controllers.
Nintendo Wii Controller
Nintendo Wii Remote
If you’ve got a Nintendo Wii then it is worth taking a look at my “
Nintendo Wii Remote, Python and The Raspberry Pi”
page. This explains how you can connect a Wiimote to your Pi and read
the status of its buttons in Python. This opens up a whole world of
remote control projects.
The
YouTube video created by RasPi.TV gives you a taster of the possibilities!
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