Category Archives: Raspberry Pi

The Raspberry Pi Goes to Zero

If you thought the legendary Raspberry Pi or RBPi was the smallest single board computers could get, well, you need to think again. Not only has the famous SBC shrunk in size, it has become a lot cheaper as well. The charitable Raspberry Pi foundation that launched the best selling computer in the UK is now offering their next model, the RBPI-Zero and in the US, it costs just $5.

RBPi-Zero comes with a 512MB RAM and a core that boasts of being 40-percent faster than what the RBPI-1 came with. The miniaturized SBC sports a Mini-HDMI port and two Micro USB ports, one of them for power. While comparing the RBPI-Zero with the first RBPI, the Raspberry Pi Foundation says the RBPI-Zero is equally revolutionary. They explained it would be manufactured in Wales, run the full Raspbian, while including other applications such as Minecraft and Scratch.

Similar to the requirements for the RBPi, the RBPi-Zero requires the user to attach their own power supply, keyboard, mouse or any other input device and the display screen. The cost of the new board is low because several components from the RBPi board are no longer present or have been simplified for the RBPi-Zero. According to Uben Upton, the founder of Raspberry Pi, all components on the new board justify their existence.

However, cutting features was not the sole process of getting the RBPI-Zero down to the bare-bones pricing of $5. The major contribution comes from the grand success of its predecessor, the RBPi, being the most successful computer in the UK for decades. The massive sales have enabled the Foundation to cut costs to unimaginable levels. The sheer numbers in sales have given them the economies of scale.

One of the processes in reducing the cost of the RBPi-Zero was keeping all components on one side of the board instead of two – it simplified manufacturing by removing half the assembly costs. According to Upton, they have moved the physical product around and the cost of metal connections has made an impact.

By redesigning the RBPi-Zero, the engineering solution to the necessities of space and cost has resulted in an extraordinarily aesthetic board. The precision and beauty of Zero comes out in its compactness and its symmetry. Just like its predecessor, nothing is hidden and all its inner workings are exposed to anyone with an interest. As Upton says, it is nice when things look attractive because they are functional.

The small form factor of the RBPi-Zero makes it simple for the board to be used in many more projects, whether it is robotics or Internet-connected devices. The easy to use board massively increases creative possibilities. You can use the RBPI-Zero in places where the RBPi would be difficult to fit. Presently, the Zero, a full-featured computer, will provide raw power somewhere between the first generation of the RBPi and its second generation.

The launch plans for the Zero are massive, with tens of thousands ready to ship. Raspberry Pi magazines such as the Magpi will feature a freebie RBPi-Zero with its 10,000 issues. Upton is expecting five such launch partners.

An SSD Shield for the Raspberry Pi

CSB502SSD is a multifunction storage shield for the Raspberry Pi or RBPi 2, model B. A Rhode Island based startup, Pi2Design has designed the shield and makers of the embedded modules, Cogent Computer Systems have manufactured it. The designers have targeted the shield for a variety of industrial, medical, data storage and embedded applications.

Earlier, Pi2Design had offered the PiDrive SSD expansion card to users with a 128GB mSATA solid-state drive. The CSB502SSD plugs in directly into one of the USB ports of the RBPi and similar to the PiDrive, the CSB502SSD sips power from the RBPi. Therefore, it does not completely deplete the RBPi of power, leaving enough for other peripherals.

For both products, users do not need to buy a powered USB hub for plugging in the standalone SSD – that makes them more portable. The PiDrive is a simple storage-only device and powered via its USB connection to the RBPi. More fully featured and equipped with an onboard DC/DC converter, the CSB502SSD accepts inputs from 8 to 25VDC. The shield comes with a 2A, 12VDC wall-plugin power brick. Although the price does not include the SSD, the CSB502SSD supports up to 1TB models. You also get a microUSB-B to USB-A patch cable, a Wi-Fi antenna and mounting posts with the kit. For an extra amount, you can upgrade the power brick to one of 5A rating.

The CSB502SSD has many features. Its supply powers both itself and the RBPi, including additional features such as a temperature sensor, a real time clock or RTC, a Wi-Fi radio and much more. There is also a four-port USB hub, of which two hubs are free to use – one port is for connecting to SATA and the other for connecting to the Wi-Fi. Communication between the RBPi and the CSB502SSD is via GPIO and the I2C interfaces.

Among the specifications for the CSB502SSD is a single-wire Dallas/Maxim DS18B20 temperature sensor. With this, you can monitor the health of the SSD using the I2C interface and a unique ID of 64-bits for managing assets. The DS1339 RTC from Dallas/Maxim has a programmable alarm powered by a coin cell battery backup – this ensures proper time keeping even when the network access is lacking. The 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi module from Ogemray, the GWF-3M08, has a Soft-AP Mode support, providing 150Mbps and an on-module IPEX connector for antenna placement.

The mSATA socket can handle up to 1TB SSD storage and because of the Prolific PL2571 SATA II bridge controller, offers great Linux support for USB to SATA. The two USB 2.0 ports can provide up to 1.5A power per port and the 40-pin mating connector can let you plug the shield directly on the RBPi 2.

Onboard the CSB502SSD is a 5V, 10A supply to power all peripherals in addition to the RBPi, which can take up to 2.5A. With the multi-function CSB502SSD shield, users can create a low cost, high-performance networked storage device for embedded systems. With the powerful combination of the RBPi 2 and the CSB502SSD, users can take advantage of the ever-expanding RBPi 2 ecosystem and applications.

The Raspberry Pi Zero Has It Simplified

The release of the new Raspberry Pi Zero or RBPi-Zero has taken the technical world by a storm. This tiny SBC has a 1GHz ARM11 System on Chip, 40 GPIO pins, micro-USB ports, a mini-HDMI port, a micro SD card slot and works with 512MB RAM. The 65×30 mm card has gone on sale with a price tag of a mere $5.00.

The Broadcom BCM2836, clocked to 1GHz, runs Raspbian Linux. Not only is the RBPi-Zero 40 percent faster than the original RBPi Model B, it is also 40 smaller than the B+ model of the RBPi. Although almost identical in size to the RBPi Compute Module, the RBPi-Zero has the real-world ports that the former lacks. However, like the A+ Model, the Zero lacks the Ethernet port.

People looking for the Broadcom chip on the RBPi-Zero will be disappointed at not finding it on either the top or the bottom side of the board. The Raspberry Pi Foundation has adopted the Package-on-Package or PoP manufacturing technology for RBPi-Zero. Therefore, although the Broadcom chip is present on board, the Elpida 512MB RAM chip sits piggyback on top of the Broadcom chip, hiding it from view.

The RBPi-Zero lacks the USB ports, DSI and CSI ports and the audio jack. That is because it is intended for IoT- and embedded-focused hackers. The manufacturers have kept the same 40-pin expansion header other modern RBPi boards possess. Therefore, users can attach available HATs or other expansion boards and adapters. Moreover, the Zero can run any application meant to run on the Model B+.

To use the RBPi-Zero, users will need additional cables. Although most users will have these lying around, others may need to buy them and some more. The best way to start is to go with the Adafruit kit, which is selling two versions in the US market – the Budget Pack and the more expensive Starter Kit. Other vendors offer different combos for accessories.

The Budget Pack of Adafruit comes with a RBPi-Zero board along with a 5V, 1A power supply, USB-A to USB-micro B cable, an 8GB Class 10 SD Card for the OS, a Micro-USB to USB OTG cable, 2×20 Male header strips and a Mini-HDMI to HDMI adapter.

The Starter Kit from Adafruit includes the above and adds more 2×20 male and female headers, USB Console cable and a Wi-Fi dongle. With the USB Console cable, you can put up an alternative display in place of the HDMI.

The Essential Kit from PiHut offers all the items of the Budget Pack of Adafruit (except the SD Card) and includes four rubber feet, one single row of 20-pin GPIO header, one dual row of 40-pin GPIO header, one dual row 40-pin female GPIO header and one dual row 40-pin right-angled GPIO header.

Pimroni offers similar kits to the two above, but offers useful zero-sized PiHATs. These include the Explorer pHAT, the Scroll pHAT and the pHAT DAC. The Explorer HAT is suitable for building a tiny robot as it can drive a motor over an H-bridge, has buffered digital IOs and four analog inputs for low-cost sensors. With the Scroll HAT, you can drive 11×5 LED matrix and the pHAT DAC adds a digital to analog converter to your RBPi-Zero.

The 4DPi-24-HAT for the Raspberry Pi

Once you have a Raspberry Pi or RBPi, you need a keyboard and a monitor to communicate with it. Provided the monitor has a touchscreen, you can dispense with the keyboard. Just such a touchscreen LCD is available from 4D systems and Newark Element14. Their 4DPi-24-HAT is a 2.4-inch, resistive QVGA LCD with a resistive touchscreen and designers claim this is the first device to use the full HAT design.

HATs or Hardware Added on Top boards enable the RBPi SBC to configure its GPIO signals and drivers for use with the external devices on the board. Users find this easy for installation, and the burden on developers reduces considerably. Although this is not the first touchscreen to use the HAT interface, the 4DPi-24-HAT has its own argument for being the first device to use the full HAT design.

For example, Adafruit offers PiTFT, a 2.4-inch TFT touchscreen supporting a HAT connection. This is 320×240-pixel kit, requiring soldering to attach the 2×20 GPIO header to the HAT board. Although this is fast and easy to do, the 4DPi-24-HAT does not require any soldering.

The 4DPi-24-HAT, with its 320×240-pixel resolution, is on the low end of the spectrum for available touchscreens for the RBPi. It also uses a 4-wire resistive touchscreen, rather than the more sensitive capacitive touch technology. With a typical video frame rate of 25 frames per second, the touchscreen supports full-color. According to 4D Systems, the frame rate can be increased with kernel compression.

Users can display the output of RBPi Models A+, B+ or the latest RBPi-2 Model B on the screen of the 30-gm, 65×56.5×14.4mm display. No external power is necessary, as the display sits directly on the 40-pin header and draws its required power from the RBPi.

4D Systems has optimized the 4DPi-24-HAT for operations with the Raspbian Linux. The RBPi communicates with the HAT via SPI connection at 48MHz. The display utilizes an on-board processor featuring a customized DMA enabled kernel. The processor interprets direct commands and takes care of the SPI communication.

An on-board jumper is useful for switching on or off the backlight of the display. Dimming of the backlight is also possible through PWM signals and controls. The RBPi is able to recognize the device quickly because of the EEPROM on board the HAT.

When you place the touchscreen on the RBPi, it sits on the entire bank of the GPIO connectors. It also almost covers the RBPi, excluding the Ethernet and USB ports. You can use standoffs to support the other end of the display to prevent it from hanging. The screen also fits neatly within the official RBPi case.

To power up the display from your RBPi, you have to download the 4DPi-24-HAT kernel from the 4D System’s website. By default, this kernel will replace the file config.txt at /boot. To get the display to work you now need to play around with the framebuffers on the device. This way, you can get it to display a higher resolution image and even enable other features on the screen.

For example, the file /boot/cmdline.txt will allow you to rotate the image on the screen to rotate by 0, 90, 180 or 270-degrees.

Raspberry Pi for the Solar Plant Monitoring System

In an effort to go green, solar energy is proving to be the forerunner. Collecting energy from the sun requires photovoltaic cells that convert the solar energy directly into the usable electrical form. Even computers are getting smaller and using less energy than before. As a result, several companies are building commercial products based on SBCs or Single Board Computers such as the hackable Raspberry Pi, or the RBPi.

For example, Storm Energy is a Germany-based firm designing the SunSniffer system that monitors photovoltaic solar power installations or all sizes. According to the company, their latest version is capable of even controlling the equipment. They have enhanced the flexibility and upgradability of their system by adding an RBPi SBC running a customized Linux OS, along with a customized expansion board.

Users can utilize the SunSniffer system and its backend software for monitoring and controlling solar equipment at the system, string and module levels. According to Storm Energy, use of the system enhances the system efficiency by more than 7 percent, as it enables monitoring temperature, cable power loss, interconnection bandwidth and many more functions that are important. An included iPhone application or SMS allows the SunSniffer system to present reports online, as well as on mobile devices.

The open Linux platform is the chief attraction for the company to select an RBPi for its proprietary SunSniffer solar plant monitoring system. According to Storm Energy, using Linux has brought it maximum upgradability for SunSniffer. The Google translation of their website indicates that the company is able to make necessary changes and adjustments most economically because of Linux.

Storm Energy uses a Radio Ripple Control Receiver to turn on/off their solar inverters. This is an addition to simply monitoring their data. That gives them support for real-time reduction of their system’s performance for compensation just as the market premium models do. Apart from the system supporting meter readings, which are useful for solar-powered apartment buildings, the system also has SSL encryption to support future requirements complying with BSI Smart Meter Gateway.

Users can opt for additional integrated anti-theft protection on the SunSniffer. It includes features such as an emergency shutdown system and nighttime surveillance. According to the company, using the RBPi enables integration of cameras for optically monitoring the PV system with up to 1920×1080 pixels at 30 frames per second.

Just like any other conventional power station, constant monitoring of solar installations is necessary, since a solar plant is as prone to errors as with any other technical system. That includes pollution from soot, accumulation of dust and flower pollen. Usually, these form a thin layer on the surface of the modules, preventing sunlight from reaching the solar cells.

In addition, there can be damage such as glass breakage because of extreme temperature fluctuations, high snow loads, hail, swarms of birds soiling the modules and martens biting through cables. Moreover, there can be manufacturing defects such as joints becoming brittle leading to hot sports. Installation errors can include incorrect sorting of modules and forgotten plug connections leading to losses, and perilous electric arcs, etc. SunSniffer detects such errors and malfunctions quickly, enabling an increase in system efficiency.

Papirus E-HAT Supports Multiple Display Sizes on Raspberry Pi

You can transform regular paper into almost anything – write on it, make origami or even change it into paper-mache. Similarly, e-paper is also proving to be a platform for realizing incredible and versatile projects. E-paper has amazing properties such as excellent visibility, paper like readability and very low energy consumption. That makes e-paper a perfect platform for making phones, accessories and digital signs.

Pi Supply is now offering Papirus, a display HAT supporting e-paper displays up to 2.7-inches on the Raspberry Pi or RBPi Single Board Computer. Although another e-paper HAT is also available from Percheron Electronics, Papirus is priced lower than the Percheron e-paper HAT.

According to Pi Supply, Papirus is optimized for the RBPi Models A+, B+ and the RBPi 2 Model B. However, Papirus works well with any SBC running on 3.3 or 5V logic and power, provided the SBC includes I2C and SPI interfaces. Therefore, apart from the RBPi, you can use Papirus with Arduino, BeagleBone and possibly, the RBPi-Zero.

Similar to the Percheron e-paper HAT, Papirus also offers the three options of Pervasive Display. These options include displays of 1.44-in. 128×96 pixels, 2-in. 200X96 pixels and 2.7-in. 264X176 pixels. Papirus has optional slim-line switches.

The display on Papirus is supported by on-board 32Mbit flash memory. As the display is in the form of Hardware on Top or HAT, it has the necessary EEPROM to make it plug and play with the RBPi. A battery-backed RTC allows keeping real time. The on-board digital temperature sensor and thermal watchdog provide a safeguard against unnatural temperature excursions.

Papirus interfaces with the RBPi through its GPIO connector. Pi Supply offers users an optional GPIO breakout board and an optional reset pin header for a wake on alarm with RTC. Other optional offers are a pogo pin and four slim-line switches, which the user can solder on top of the board.

Currently, one can use Papirus with rePaper, the free software offering from Pervasive. Pi Supply is planning to add enhancements above the free offering. According to Pi Supply, this could be in the form of an Easy Installer and include example scripts, which will help to push the Raspbian desktop to the e-paper screen. Another possibility is the addition of a web application for remote screen management.

Functionally, E-paper is similar to ordinary paper. When jotting down something on ordinary paper, your pen leaves well-defined lines or text. Electronic paper displays give the same crispness and high-readability of their contents. However, the method of displaying contents on an e-paper display is different from that used by Liquid Crystal Displays.

E-paper uses e-ink technology for displaying its contents. Electronic paper display is actually made up of millions of capsules within a thin film. Each capsule contains a clear fluid in which there are several tiny particles of black and white colors and with different electric charges. On each capsule are two transparent electrodes on its top and bottom sides. Applying a positive or a negative electric field to an individual electrode makes particles with the corresponding charge move to either the top or the bottom of the capsule. The surface of the e-paper display on the capsule now appears to be either black or white.

The Ultimate GPS HAT for the Raspberry Pi

If your smartphone is lost or misplaced, you can trace it using its GPS or Global Positioning System receiver. The US Department of Defense has placed 24 satellites into the Earth’s orbit making it a satellite based navigation system. Although GPS was conceived originally for military applications, in the 1980s, the government allowed the civilians to use the system as well. GPS works without any subscription fees or setup charges for 24 hours a day, covering the entire world in any weather condition.

Circling the earth twice a day in very precise orbits, the GPS satellites transmit signal information to the earth. GPS receivers calculate their exact location by receiving and tri-lateraling this signal information. GPS receivers compare the time the signal was transmitted from the satellite with the time of its reception. The difference tells the GPS receiver its distance from the satellite.

After computing the distance measurements from at least two more satellites, the receiver determines its 2-D position and displays it on the electronic map of the unit. That allows it to know its latitude and longitude and to track its movement. If the receiver is able to contact four or more satellites, it can determine its 3-D position – latitude, longitude and altitude. With this information, the GPS unit of the receiver can compute other information such as speed, track, bearing, trip distance, sunrise and sunset time, distance to destination and much more.

The popular single board computer, the RBPi or Raspberry Pi, does not have a GPS receiver built-in. However, you can add a GPS unit to the SBC by plugging in a new HAT from Adafruit. This Hardware Attached on Top board conforms to standard specifications, enabling the board to be identified by the RBPi. Once identified, the SBC configures its GPIO ports and its drivers to suit the attached HAT.

The new HAT has an Ultimate GPS on it and enables the RBPi to know its exact position and time. It fits the RBPi Models A+ or B+. If you slip in a coin cell in the holder provided, it will power its RTC, and the RBPi will keep precise time. As the GPS unit does not take up much space, the HAT has plenty of prototyping area for adding sensors, LEDs and much more.

It must be noted that the GPS HAT uses the hardware UART of the RBPi. Once you are using this HAT, you will be unable to use the Rx/Tx pins of the RBPi for any other purpose. If you plan to use the GPS HAT along with a console, you will have to change the application and use a composite or HDMI monitor and log in with a keyboard. Of course, you can still use ssh to connect to your RBPi over the network.

Adafruit has very informative tutorials for using this HAT. They offer the HAT in a fully assembled condition, with the GPS unit already soldered in along with an unsoldered 2×20 header for sitting on the RBPi GPIO. Once you have soldered in the header, you are all set to connect the GPS HAT on your RBPi. The coin battery is not included in the kit.

The Raspberry Pi Piano HAT

Not only musicians, but children also like to play on pianos. A real piano takes up too much space and is an expensive acquisition, but electronic pianos are affordable and their small size offers a great opportunity for music aficionados to practice at their leisure. Creating a piano with a Raspberry Pi or RBPi, the versatile single board computer, enables the designer to learn to program a computer as well as distinguish nuances in music.

That inspired the 14-year old Zachary Igielman to design PiPiano, and the Piano HAT is based on Zachary’s PiPiano. Where PiPiano is an add-on for the RBPI, the Piano HAT is a full-fledged Hardware Attached on Top board specifically designed for the RBPi.

Hardware Attached on Top or HAT boards sit on the RBPi models B+, conforming to a specific set of rules. HAT boards include a system to allow the RBPi to identify it. Based on the identification, the RBPi automatically configures its GPIO pins and drivers to suit the HAT board.

You can use the Piano HAT with RBPi models 2, B+ and A+. The kit comes in a fully assembled state and has a trove of software examples so that you can start playing music with it immediately as soon as you plug it in. The Piano HAT is completely touch-sensitive and you can use it to play music and generate software synthesizers using Python, control hardware synthesizers or simply be creative.

The Piano HAT kit comes with 16 touch-sensitive buttons, a full octave of 13 piano touch keys, buttons to shift the octave up or down, an instrument cycle button and 16 LEDs. You can let the program play and light up the LEDs auto-magically, or control them with Python.

You can use Python to program the 16 touch-sensitive buttons individually on the Piano HAT. Hook up the buttons to any of your projects and use them as you like. Two dedicated buttons are available to allow you to shift the music scale up or down an octave, offering a chance of expanding your playing horizons.

Using a little Python glue, it is possible to send a patch change event from your RBPi to a synthesizer such as the Yoshimi – the Instrument cycle button allows this. With the 16 LEDs available, you can light up the keys, making the Piano HAT a learn-to-play keyboard. With Python, you can use the LEDs as a visual metronome or allow your child to walk through his or her favorite tune.

The Piano HAT and RBPi combination, with some Python programming thrown in, allows creation of Piano-controlled contraptions. This includes a variety of synthesizers, both hardware and software types. MIDI examples included in the kit let you play music with synthesizers such as the Yoshini, Sunvox and others. The kit also includes a PyGame example that can generate a few octaves of great piano and includes drums as well.

Python on your RBPi allows your Piano HAT to output regular MIDI commands, with which you can use your MIDI adapter over USB to take control of your hardware synthesizer gear.

HACK3R: The Black HAT for your Raspberry Pi

Have you ever wondered whether it is possible to use two HATs at the same time on your single board computer, the Raspberry Pi (RBPi)? Alternatively, how to access the GPIO pins with the HAT sitting atop your RBPi? People who design HATs also faced the same problems and as a solution designed Hack3r, the Black HAT for the RBPi. Initially, this was a tool for debugging HATs under design, but later on, the debugging tool took on the form of another useful HAT.

HATs for the RBPi are Hardware Attached on Top boards with special design. One of their specialties is automatic detection by the host RBPi when the HAT is plugged in. Depending on the settings indicated by the particular HAT plugged on, your RBPi can adjust its hardware and software settings to allow the HAT to function properly. That is, if the HAT functions as intended.

Trouble starts when the functioning of the HAT and your expectations of its functioning do not match. As the design of the HAT makes it sit firmly atop the RBPi, there is practically no access to the pins of the RBPi underneath, making troubleshooting an impossible task. With the Hack3r available, you plug in your HAT into it, while connecting the Hack3r to your RBPi with a flat ribbon cable and connectors. Not only this, the Hack3r has additional pins, two sets of 40 pins each mirroring the 40-pin GPIO set of the RBPi.

This nifty little tool comes unsoldered. Therefore, you will need a good soldering iron, one preferably with a fine tip and a fair amount of solder. You will also need plenty of patience while soldering the 120 points, which include the two sets of 40 pins for the GPIO, and one set of 40 pins for the ribbon cable. The pins supplied are individual pins, and you must make sure to solder them in straight. In case this looks tough for you, substitute the individual pins with three strips of 2×20 pin male headers. Use open type headers as there is no polarity involved and the plastic base holds the pins upright and straight.

The Hack3r board comes with all the GPIO pins labeled neatly with their function, the BCM pin number and the physical pin number. Therefore, while troubleshooting the board, one look at it is enough to tell you a lot about the signal you are accessing. There is no need to keep another reference diagram for cross checking the signal source.

If you have two Hack3r boards, they will help when you need to use two HATs at the same time. Of course, you must make sure the HATs are not using the same GPIO pins simultaneously. One of the Hack3r boards connects to the RBPi with a ribbon cable, while the second Hack3r connects to the first Hack3r board with the second ribbon cable. Now you can plug in one HAT on to the first Hack3r and the second HAT on the second Hack3r.

In conclusion, the Hack3r is a wonderful and nifty little debugging tool for the RBPi to help you at times when you are developing or troubleshooting your HAT.

Pi-DAC+ — An Audiophile’s HAT for the Raspberry Pi

Earlier, you may have faced problems with sound cards for your single board computer, the Raspberry Pi (RBPi). It is time to look for a DAC or Digital to Analog Converter that is simple to use and easy to set up to work with your RBPi. The IOAudio HAT fits the bill very well and you can use it to learn your way around the audio capabilities of the RBPi.

The earlier cards for the RBPi had a long series of compiling issues that left their users yearning for a simpler card. The Pi-DAC+ HAT from IOAudio is compatible to RBPi models A+, B+ and RBPi 2. It brings to the RBPi the ability of playing back full-HD audio up to 24-bits/192KHz. Additionally, the HAT is compatible with RuneAudio, Volumio, Moode and many others.

The Pi-DAC+ HAT from IOAudio is fully HAT compliant. It meets all the requirements for the Hardware Added on Top board specifications including the auto-detection by the RBPi. The Pi-DAC+ takes the digital audio signals from the RBPi and passes them through the onboard PCM5122 DAC from Texas Instruments. The output from the DAC is an analog audio signal that can be picked up from the phono connectors onboard the Pi-DAC+. The DAC also consists of a built-in electronic volume control. This eliminates the need for a physical potentiometer based volume control, which is likely to introduce noise in the audio path.

You do not need any soldering to use the Pi-DAC+ HAT with your RBPi. Simply plug it on and you are ready to go. When used for the first time, the Pi-DAC+ requires setting some configuration with the existing setup of the RBPi. If you mess up or are unable to get through, a visit to the manufacturer’s website will give you different pre-configured operating systems for your RBPi. Use them and you will find excellent sound quality from the HAT. The resulting audio output is certainly louder than and clearer than the default audio from the RBPI.

The Pi-DAC+ offers leading audio with a signal to noise ratio of 112dB and a total harmonic distortion of -93dB. The PCM5122 is a 32-bit/384KHz DAC from Texas Instruments. The board has advanced ESD protection to prevent it from handling damages. It requires no external power supply, taking all it wants from the RBPi.

If you do not have an amplifier at present, you can listen to the audio output using a headphone through the 3.5mm audio jack on the board. The board has a built-in high quality audio headphone amplifier, the TPA6133A, also from Texas Instruments. For volume control, RBPi can use ALSA, which gives a full range of control.

If you are an audiophile and an RBPi enthusiast too, the Pi-DAC+ will certainly combine both the worlds for you. You can use raw Linux, RuneAudio, Volumio, SqueezePlug, MDP, AirplaySync or similar on your RBPi and Pi-DAC+ combination for listening to internet radio, streaming music services such as Spotify or your own digital music library, in magnificent audio quality.