Tag Archives: RBPi

Use the Raspberry Pi for the Internet of Things

Barriers are coming down between operational technologies. Barriers such as were existing between industrial hardware and software for monitoring and controlling machines and the ERP systems and other information technology people typically use when operating and supporting their business. Manufacturers are having an exciting time as new opportunities are emerging every day for improving the productivity. Along with the rise in the challenges, there are innovations in creating new sources of customer value.

Data is not a new thing for manufacturers. In fact, there was enough data with manufacturers long before the Internet of Things and Big Data came into existence. Although manufacturers have been collecting and analyzing machine data for ages, they can now replace their legacy equipment and systems. With the explosion of the Internet of Things, the flow of data on the customers’ side is also ramping up. Networked products are tightening the connection between customers and manufacturers, with service capabilities expanding and creating entirely new revenue models.

With every organization wanting to participate in the Internet of Things, and IT professionals wanting to know how to add IoT skills to their resume, it is time to look at the different options for learning about IoT. Although there are many ways to gather this knowledge, nothing really can beat the hands-on experience.

The tiny single board computer, the Raspberry Pi or RBPi is one of the key learning platforms for IoT. Not only because this involves very low cost, but also because it offers a complete Linux server in its tiny platform. When you use the RBPi for learning about IoT, you will find that the most difficult thing to face is the picking the right project to make a start.
On the Web, you can find several thousand projects based on the RBPi. They involve the ambitious types, silly types, while some are really great for learning about Linux, RBPi, and the intricacies of the IoT.

When starting out with IoT projects and the RBPi, it is prudent to keep to a boundary – use some common sensors and or controller types. Custom-built hardware is fine for geeks, but for those who are just starting out with IoT, going wild with hardware builds can lead you astray.

While selecting a project, choose one that has something interesting going on for the control software. While it would be foolish to start with an epic development project, just to make a meaningful learning experience, simply calling pre-existing scripts and applications is also likely to cause a loss of interest.

Choose a fun project to start with. Of course, you will be training for the IoT. Nevertheless, training in the form of drudgery is no fun. Therefore, select a project that will want to make you move forward and continue your journey with the education.

You can buy individual sensors from the market and hook them up to your RBPi. However, as a beginner, you might be well off buying a kit for a specific use such as a single wire temperature sensor or a humidity sensor. Later, when more confident, you could move on to Hardware Attached on Top or HATs for the RBPi.

Pi-Top: Convert your Raspberry Pi into a Laptop

Although we call the Raspberry Pi or RBPi as a single board computer and it is small enough to fit in your pocket, it is hardly useful as a computer when you are on the move. This is mainly because the SBC comes without a keyboard, display, and mouse, intended to keep the costs down. However, if you are interested in turning your RBPi3 into a laptop, there is the Pi-Top.

You get everything necessary to turn your $35 single board computer into a laptop. For instance, you get a 13.3” HD LCD screen with an eDP interface and 1366×768 pixel resolution, which comes with an active 262K color matrix, anti-glare finish, and a 60 Hz refresh rate TFT LCD module. Additionally, you get a keyboard that is fully programmable via USB and a trackpad with a PalmCheck feature that helps prevent unwanted mouse clicks.

Although the Pi-Top converts the RBPI into a general-purpose laptop, its actual strength lies in its being a tinkerer’s toolkit. Pi-Top gives you great power management with LED battery indicators. The power supply requires an input capable of 18 V at 3 A, while it offers two outputs, one of 5 V, 3.5 A, and the other at 3.3 V, 500 mA. One good feature is the 3.3 V output is persistent. That means this voltage is available even when you have powered off the Pi-Top. Battery capacity is substantial, giving a run-time of 10-12 hours. There is protection for all outputs from over-current, over-voltage, over-temperature, and short-circuit. The smart battery pack uses a charging profile recommended by JEITA.

The hub-board of the Pi-Top has a screen driver that converts the HDMI output from the RBPi to the eDP 1.2 interface required by the LCD screen. It allows connection of UART, I2C, and SPI to the RBPi for use with add-on boards. There is even a PS/2 interface. The screen consumes 3 W, but you can dim it with a PWM screen dim control to make it consume less power.

Pi-Top comes with a manual to walk you through the assembly process in steps, while identifying clearly the part necessary to use at each stage. The manual has a pictorial guide to help in assembling the laptop. That makes the job relatively simpler. Since all the tools you need are already included, piecing together the case, cables, and boards into a working laptop is an unforgettable experience. However, you do need to be careful when tightening the smallish 2.5 mm nuts that hold the boards in place, as there are various electronic components on the boards.

Once assembled, the Pi-Top is an impressive sight, with its fluorescent green finish. The external case is injection-molded plastic and is sturdy enough to be travel-worthy. When powered on, you may be surprised at not seeing the familiar Linux-based Raspbian desktop on the screen. That is because the PI-Top re-skins the Raspbian desktop as the pi-topOS. Basically, they have added a launcher and configured the desktop to add a menu button at the bottom left corner – familiar to long-time Windows users with the Start menu.

Driving Motors and Servos with the ZeroPi

If you are looking for a development board for the 3-D printer you are designing, ZeroPi may be the best fit. Suitable for use with the Arduino and the Raspberry Pi (RBPi) single board computers, ZeroPi offers an integrated solution allowing makers to build projects easier and faster.

This miniature board for the Arduino and RBPi is a next generation development kit ideal for maker projects that involve any type of robotic motion control including CNC milling and 3-D printers. According to technical specifications, the ZeroPi runs on an Atmel 32-bit, ARM Cortex M0+ processor the SAMD21J18 operating at 48 MHz. This MCU is fully compatible with the RBPi, the Arduino Zero, and so many more hardware resources that drive robots.

Capabilities of the ZeroPi include driving and controlling 11 micro servos and 8 DC motors simultaneously. Alternatively, you can use ZeroPi to control four stepper motors. The four-channel SLOT module is compatible with the regular DC motor and stepper motor drivers such as the TB6612 DC motor driver and the A4988 or DRV8825 Stepper motor drivers.

According to the team that developed ZeroPi, the board works perfectly for a 3-D printer, acting as its mainboard. Additionally, with the ZeroPi and a web interface, it is possible to control the 3-D printer remotely. The team claims to have successfully ported the Repetier and Marlin firmware to ZeroPi. They have tested the combination on Delta and I3 open source 3-D printers, with success. The combination directly controls the printer without requiring any additional expansion boards. Compared to the Mega2560, ZeroPi is all open-source, cheaper and four times faster. In addition, it is only half the size of the Mega 2560. All board schematics, Repetier and Marlin firmware, and the user manual for the ZeroPi is available on GitHub.

Apart from 3-D printers, you can also use the ZeroPi for driving laser cutters and CNC mills. In fact, it is perfectly possible to use the ZeroPi for developing an all-in-one mainboard suitable for all three. This open-source mainboard can serve the creativity and innovation of an entire community, advancing their ambitions. That makes the ZeroPi useful to several people and projects.

Some key features of the ZeroPi are operating voltage of 3.3 V, 2 UARTs, 35 general-purpose IO pins, 4 analog input pins, 12-bit ADC channels, 1 analog output pin, 10-bit DAC. Other features include external interrupts on any pin except pin 4, 7-mADC current per IO pin, Flash memory of 256 KB, SRAM of 32 KB. The ZeroPi board has dimensions of 73 x 61 mm.

You can program the ZeroPi from the Arduino IDE using example codes available for specific functions such as temperature monitoring and encoder readout. By connecting the ZeroPi to the GPIO connector of the RBPi, it is possible to add further functionality such as controlling the ZeroPi via Bluetooth, wireless control, and tablet. By installing a web interface, it is possible to control the motors and servos remotely. The interface can use Java Script as well.

Does the NexDock Work With The Raspberry Pi 3?

Although smartphones are getting smarter all the time, some of their landmark features limit their use as a laptop, two of them standing out prominently. One is the lack of a full-fledged keyboard and the other, a reasonably sized display screen. Therefore, although the smartphone has nearly the same computing powers as your laptop, it fails to compete successfully with a laptop or netbook.

To remedy the situation, you can take recourse to the lapdock. This is a mobile docking station with a built-in battery, a Bluetooth keyboard, and a 14” LCD monitor. While you can connect your smartphone or tablet to the lapdock, it also allows you to dock your single board computer such as the Raspberry Pi or RBPi with equal ease. The lapdock can make use of any device that has an HDMI output.

NexDock is a budget lapdock with a built-in battery that supplies 3.8 V with a capacity of 10,000 mAH. It provides the user with a Bluetooth keyboard, a 14” display, two USB ports, and one micro SD card slot. NexDock has two small loudspeakers built-in, but you can use headphones on the 3.5 mm socket. This is a revolutionary concept helping to harness the productivity of single board computers, tablets, and smartphones.

Single board computers such as the RBPi3 come with an HDMI output. That makes the RBPi3 a suitable candidate for use with the NexDock. As the NexDock uses the operating system of the RBPi, you can use either Linux or Windows 10 easily. An advantage with using the Windows 10 is its Continuum feature, which allows switching between touch and desktop modes. Using NexDock with the iPhone or Android provides the user with a substantial screen size and upgrades the productivity.

This revolutionary budget concept allows you to have the best of both worlds with an SBC, a smartphone, tablet or mini PC. Simply plug in your device and continue to work with it without fear of the battery running out of juice. The massive battery in the NexDock lasts for days on one charge. That means you now have a powerful laptop to take anywhere and do anything along the way. The device measures 351 x 233 x 20 mm, and weighs 1,490 gm. Most of this weight is due to the generously sized battery with a capacity of 10,000 mAH. The display screen is 14.1 inch TN, with a resolution of 1,366 x 768 pixels.

Although the main functionality of the NexDock is boosting mobile productivity, it can also serve to turn your RBPi into a full-fledged computer. However, you can also use it as a secondary portable monitor, a game controller for your iPhone or use it as a dual-screen for AirPlay-enabled games.

For the future, the company is planning to build high-end mini-computers, where you can swap parts. These will have the capability to connect with devices via a single USB-C port. This will serve to reduce the cost of upgrading your computer, as the process serves to separate components that need frequent updates from those that do not. Therefore, while you retain the keyboard, display and the battery, you can update the processor, memory, and operating system as you wish.

How Can I Protect My Raspberry Pi?

By connecting the Single Board Computer to the Internet, you actually run the risk of compromising your Raspberry Pi or RBPi to different types of attacks from malicious persons. However, as several advantages of an Internet connection far outweigh such risks from attackers, there is merit in looking for ways to mitigate them. Spain Hardware from Madrid is venturing on a Kick Starter project to enable hardware protection for the RBPi.

When your RBPi requires secure communication, you can rely on the PiSec module, from Spain Hardware, to provide the necessary assistance. PiSec, being a protecting module, uses its own hardware to protect and encrypt all the inputs and outputs on the RBPi. PiSec protects the RBPi from all angles – SD card, USB, and Ethernet, offering a strong hardware base security that includes Elliptic curves and AES-256 XTS.

PiSec, based on a True Random Number Generator, works by generating safe and strong encryption keys and certificates. Internally, PiSec uses a protected file system that it protects with an internal certificate making it impervious to unauthorized access. The processor on board the PiSec module makes use of Elliptic Curve Cryptography to reduce its own overhead and speed up the process of verification.

PiSec provides protection complying with certificates such as the AES 256-bit XTS Military Grade Encryption and X.509. Repeated attempts after a predefined number of unsuccessful attempts to gain access to the RBPi results in the PiSec automatically blocking access. This helps in preventing DoS or Denial-of-Service and brute force attacks.

Typically, you can use your RBPi right out of its box, including its Ethernet connection, the USB ports, and its SD card. You can use the SBC to collect, store, and transfer data, but the RBPi handles all this using clear text, which anyone can intercept and read. You can use your tiny but powerful computer in several ways, for instance, as a standalone PC as a storage system, data logger, and standalone server, a device to control complex systems/machines, or used with licensed software. In all these cases, it will certainly hurt your business if your data is exposed and someone sniffs the actuator or the sensor communication lines and steals your telemetry.

There are several ways to achieve security through software generated keys and certificates. However, relying on a hardware solution is a far better solution, as most of such software solutions do not use a true random generated number. PiSec offers this strong protection security to the entire RBPi, including all devices on its SPI bus, without overloading the processor of the RBPi, nor collapsing its OS. Being a hardware solution, it is simple enough to plug the PiSec on your RBPi, without any necessity of a learning curve or any previous experience on security.

Features of the PiSec include a TRNG or true random number generator. It obtains the random seed from on-board white noise generators that are FIPS and AIS 31 compliant, and with a very high entropy level. TRNG is crucial to creating strong secure keys and certificates.

Sleep Better with a Raspberry Pi

Sleep is an integral part of our lives, and lack of quality sleep quickly leads to a whole host of issues related to physical, emotional, behavioral, etc. Quality sleep is linked to a good environment that includes proper bedding, clothing, temperature, humidity, and lighting among other things. Although electronics may not be able to help much with the proper choice of bedding and clothing, a cheap but versatile single board computer such as the RBPi or Raspberry Pi is a good contender for controlling temperature, humidity and lighting during sleep hours.

When using the RBPi for controlling the environment of the bedroom, it is necessary to build an RBPi-based temperature-monitoring network in the house. This helps to get some hard data on the existing temperature trends at different places, so it will be easy to know whether the solutions tried did actually work. Since temperature is to be monitored at different places at the same time, it is necessary to use remote sensors.

You can use temperature sensors such as the single-wire DS18B20 thermometers for inexpensive and accurate temperature measurement. This model has two types of sensors – transistor-sized and waterproof, and you can use either for the purpose. However, people have found the waterproof sensors were easier to position and calibrate, and they were slightly more accurate as well.

Testing the sensors on the RBPi is simple as this SBC supports the DS18B20 sensors by the built-in w1-gpio library. The RBPi allows easy readouts of the 1-Wire devices. You can wire up a few DS18B20s to multiple RBPI, Model A+ and position them at all main parts of the house. It also helps to integrate data from your Nest Thermostat API, if you are using this and collect the local outdoor temperature data as well – use the Weather Underground, for instance. Monitor the temperatures from the different sensors on a rolling 24-hour graph, and you can make out if there is a trend.

It is possible to even out temperature variations in the house by sealing vents and leakages in areas where the temperature dips. However, this may not be enough to raise the temperature to comfortable levels at locations distant from central heating ducts. Moreover, not all walls of the house may receive equal amounts of sunlight, and this may be another reason for the temperature dropping in certain rooms after sunset.

You can use unobtrusive wall-mounted space heaters to boost the temperature up in these areas. Usually, these are slabs of stone with heating wires running through them. Stone has high thermal capacity, meaning it retains and radiates heat for a long time. This arrangement is also safe for use in children’s bedrooms. When used on a thermostat-triggered outlet, the heater only turns on at a select temperature that you choose. You can fine-tune the settings after monitoring the temperature data for a couple of nights.

This project is useful if you are planning to have an extended network, with remote-controlled HVAC using branch air ducts. Individual controls on the branch ducts can control the airflow, so the system efficiency goes up, such as by turning down the airflow to sections of the house where there is no one present.

PINE64 : A 64-bit Contender for the Raspberry Pi

Earlier, a DIY computing project could cost an enthusiast hundreds of dollars. Now, with single board computers such as the Raspberry Pi or RBPi or its latest kin, the Raspberry Pi Zero, anyone can start a new project at the cost of a cup of coffee. Seen from the other side of the fence, a competitor has to include a better choice of components, offer a better price or both. PINE64 Inc. has taken the third route.
PINE54 Inc. is attempting to improve on the legacy so far built up by the RBPi. According to the team, two mathematical constants make up the name of their board – Pi and Euler’s Number e. As it has a 64-bit processor, the name also includes the number 64 along with an A to differentiate it from future versions. The PINE A64 runs on an ARMv8 processor, the Cortex-A53, and is available for just $15.
PINE A64 measures 12.7×7.94cms and uses a 64-bit processor, a quad-core ARM Cortex A53 running at 1.2GHz. A dual-core Mali 400 MP2 handles the graphics. Memory includes a micro SD slot to handle cards up to 256GB and 2GB DDR3 SDRAM onboard. Ports available on the PINE A64 include one gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0, one HDMI 1.4 connector for 4K output, a stereo mini-jack connector and a charging circuit for a 3.7V Lithium battery.
PINE64 Inc. will also be offering separate modules to augment the functionality of PINE A64. The modules will add a touch panel port, a 5MP camera port, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity and a 4-Lane MIPI video port. The board runs on 5V power via its micro USB connector, but can fall back on its internal battery with on-board power management.
According to Johnson Jeng, the co-founder of PINE64 Inc., the company has designed a simple, smart and affordable computer. People can use this to bring their next big ideas to life. The 64-bit quad-core single board computer is available at an exceptional price. It is compatible with several open-source platforms, enabling people to build a community of innovation and creativity.
Just like other ARM-based single board computers, you can set up PINE A64 to operate as a gaming console or a mini-computer. You can control your connected home or allow it run your own media center. PINE A64 can operate with Android 5.1, openHAB, Ubuntu Linux, OpenWRT and Kodi. Additionally, it supports Miracast and offers the H.265 video standard to give your 4Kx2K output.
The Raspberry Pi Foundation concentrates on delivering performance without increase in costs, and hence, prefers to retain the ARMv7 architecture for the RBPi family even when ARMv8 64-bit chips are readily available. According to Eben Upton, the founder of the RBPi series, a more powerful processor will certainly come with a boost in the prices.
With companies now launching new Systems-on-a-Chip or SoC platforms that are 64-bit and super-cheap, PINE64 Inc. has decidedly stolen a march over the RBPi series. Allwinner started this trend with the 64-bit Cortex A53 processor for their tablets and now PINE64 Inc. has used it to power their PINE A64, A64+ and A64+ 2GB boards.

The Popp-Hub Home Automation Gateway with the Raspberry Pi

Sometimes it is necessary to monitor the home remotely, such as when you are away on a vacation. For this, you need to hook up all the sensors in the home to the Internet for remote monitoring and control. To avoid the complexity of wiring, people prefer wireless devices for monitoring the sensors. As wireless devices could also be in the form of nodes, with each node monitoring multiple sensors, you need a gateway acting as a bridge for connecting many wireless nodes to the Internet.

Launched by Z-Wave Europe and Popp & Co., Popp Hub is one such home automation gateway. What distinguishes it from others available on the market is it is based on the famous Single Board Computer, the Raspberry Pi or RBPi running Linux. The Z-Wave Plus home automation Popp Hub supports Z-Wave and IP smart devices.

The reference design of the Popp Hub gateway includes a software stack certified by the ZigBee Home Automation. It also includes tens of APIs for simplifying the ZigBee integration and the development of applications within a Linux system. The APIs incorporate TCP/IP for the ZigBee bridge as this enables easier integration of low power connectivity solutions and faster development of applications. The included USB dongle is CC2531-based and it runs the ZigBee HA1.2 certified Protocol Stack, MAC and PHY – this has been extensively tested for interoperability.

Z-Wave Europe GmbH is Europe’s largest distributor for all devices based on the Z-Wave wireless technology. They sell and distribute the Popp Hub smart IP home gateway on behalf of the UK-based Popp & Co. The Single Board Computer RBPi2 in the Popp Hub runs the Z-Way Middleware. According to Z-Wave Europe, Z-Way Middleware happens to be the first Z-Wave controller certified to the new standard, the Z-Wave Plus.

Z-Wave Europe claims you can connect Z-Wave wireless enabled devices sourced from more than 300 device manufacturers to the 89x71x25mm Popp Hub. These devices could be remote controlled devices, for windows and blinds, alarms, lighting, security or HVAC. Additionally, Popp Hub is capable of working with several non Z-Wave devices as well, such as IP based devices, plugins and IP cameras.

Users can use a mobile Android or iOS application, a remote control or a single wall switch to control up to 230 Z-Wave devices connected to the Popp Hub. This includes features such as selectively activating the heating system or closing windows automatically depending on changes in the weather conditions. If a sensor device has set off any alarms, you will receive a notification from the application.

The RBPi2 is a 900MHz, quad-core Cortex-A7 SoC that runs on 1GB of RAM and Linux-based firmware. All major ports of the RBPi are exposed to the user. Besides, it has an audio jack, an Ethernet port and four USB ports. You can use Wi-Fi or other wireless devices on the USB ports. The internal SD slot handles the 8GB SD card that holds the Operating System.

Within the Popp Hub, a Sigma Designs SM5202 chip augments the basic RBPi2 functionality. This is a static controller certified by Z-Wave Plus and it provides 48 command classes and adds enhanced security.

Thin Clients with the Raspberry Pi

When deploying a large number of computers at a single location, it is a common practice to employ thin clients. In such cases, several client computers access a powerful central server computer that controls resources such as the hard disk data and Internet access. The logical operating system of the server is isolated from the clients accessing it via a concept known as desktop virtualization.

Implementation of desktop virtualization or VDI follows several conceptual models. One can broadly divide them into two categories depending on whether the operating system executes locally on the client machines or remotely on the server. Therefore, desktop virtualization may not always involve the use of virtual machines.

When the desktop virtualization uses a host-based form, users have to view and interact with their desktops over a network. For this, they must use a remote display protocol. As all processing takes place at the data center housing the server, client devices can be tablets, smartphones, zero clients and thin clients.

Citrix offers a suite of products known as Citrix Receiver with which client devices can easily connect to different desktop virtualization services from Citrix. They offer several types of client platforms and form factors. Included in these are embedded operating systems. zero clients, thin clients, Google Chromebook, Linux, Blackberry Playbook, Blackberry, Android, iPhone, iPad, Mac OS X, Windows Mobile and Windows.

For example, using Citrix Receiver technology, users can connect their client devices to XenDesktop and XenApp desktops and applications via the HDX protocol. They can also connect to the Citrix Access Gateway, XenVault secure storage and other Citrix services.

Citrix has since decided that putting a lot of effort into creating special versions of Receiver for one device is inefficient. Therefore, it has decided to work with the Pi Organization for ensuring their Linux Receiver would work with the new architecture of Raspberry Pi Model 2 or RBPi2 and its supported OS images.

With this effort, it is no longer necessary to have hardware-accelerated plugins for the RBPi2. The new HDX Thinwire and XenDesktop/XenApp 7.6 FP3 compatibility codecs work efficiently on the RBPi2. On the other hand, ThinLinx makes a Thin Client & Digital Signage Operating System for the RBPi. Citrix has tested this OS and has confirmed it is capable of handling video with impressive speed.

According to Citrix, their selection of RBPi2 as a thin client for VDI is based on the inherent security feature of the Single Board Computer. The SBC is secure as there is no on-board storage and the SD card of the computer can be removed and stored in a safe place when not in use. An additional factor is the price. RBPi is far cheaper than any other thin client available in the market. Another advantage is in addition to vanilla models, you can also have custom RBPis as thin clients.

That the RBPi is an interesting VDI option also comes from the fact that all dedicated thin clients require the same hidden costs to make them useful. This includes pointing devices, keyboards, Wi-Fi dongles, SD cards, USB hubs and monitoring devices.

A USB Hub with a Raspberry Pi Zero

Computers available today come with only one or two USB sockets. With the multitude of USB or Universal Serial Bus devices we use today, it is easy to run out of sockets. For example, you may have to connect your mouse, keyboard, printer, webcam and microphone, all operating on USB technology, to your computer. With only two ports available, it is obviously a difficult task.

However, there is an easy solution. You can use an inexpensive hub. According to the USB standard, which also covers USB hubs, they can support up to 127 devices. Typically, a USB hub has four ports, but some models can have more. Operation of a hub is plug-n-play. You plug the hub into your computer and plug your devices, including other hubs, into its ports. Chaining hubs allows you to build up dozens of available USB ports on your computer.

USB devices can use their own power supply or they can draw power from the computer they are connected. Devices that draw power from the host computer are mostly low power devices such as mice and digital cameras. According to the USB standards, a USB 2.0 port can power devices drawing a maximum of 500 mA and a USB 3.0 port allows devices to draw up to 900 mA maximum.

Self-powered devices connecting via the USB port do not need to draw power from the host computer. For example, your computer does not need to supply power to printers and scanners connected to it. For connecting many unpowered devices to your computer, you will need a hub that has its own power supply, so that the devices do not load the computer’s supply. Such hubs have their own power supply that supplies power to the bus.

If you have the single board computer, the Raspberry Pi or RBPi, especially the Zero version, it is easy to convert it into a USB hub. Frederick had a LogiLink UA0160 USB hub lying around and he used it together with an RBPi Zero to make a powered hub with four ports. He removed the board from its casing and connected the power points to the power points of the RBPi Zero. Since the form factor of the hub board matches that of the RBPi Zero, the entire assembly looks neatly done.

For supplying power to the hub, you will need to connect PP1 of the RBPi Zero to the 5V point of the hub and PP6 of the RBPi Zero to the GND of the hub. Next, you have to connect the USB OTG from the RBPi Zero to the USB port of the hub. For this, use two wires to connect PP22 of the RBPi Zero to the D+ on the hub and PP23 of the RBPi Zero to the D- of the hub.

Use an ohmmeter to check for any shorts between the hub and the RBPi Zero. Additionally, make sure all connections are correct. Use some insulating material such as a plastic board between the hub board and the RBPi Zero, before bundling everything together. If possible, get a case to house the combination and you are done.