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Raspberry Pi Zero - Your First Impressions

spannerspencer

So, big news today, eh? The all new, super-slim, super-small Raspberry Pi Zero.

 

We've got all the tech specs, we've compared it to the other Raspberry Pis, we've got an FAQ running, and we've even had a go at turning it into a retro games console (quite successfully, I might add!).

 

So what are your first impressions? What sort of projects do you envisage it being useful for?

 

Tell us below!

 

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  • Looks great! Only drawback is a lack of networking onboard. Perhaps a $10-$15 version with a WiFi chip? Make it the ESP8266 with some pads for breaking out the micro GPIO pins?

  • in reply to bobalexander

    Yeah! I've been thinking about the things people are bitching about. One wants the CSI, another the DSI, again another wants WIFI or Ethernet.


    Now with "wifi or ethernet" the thing is simply that the BCM2835 doesn't have native support. Adding support for ethernet or an onboard hub requires board space and an extra chip. Stuff that's expensive.

     

    But with CSI or DSI, I would think that adding the FOOTPRINT of the connector would be possible to do without increasing the per-unit cost of the board. Similarly maybe a next revision of the 'zero could add those and a few other interfaces. Possibly with footprints on the bottom that we can add ourselves.

  • in reply to rew

    I'm sure trace routing would be a pain at this size for adding anything.

    For the DSI connector, perhaps a version that substitutes it for the HDMI port? Presumably if you have an application requiring a DSI you may not need the HDMI display.

     

    Adding networking using anything except the USB bus is going to be a pain as well...

     

    I still see tons of uses for this as it is, but it is not quite the IoT killer product... yet.

  • in reply to rew

    THE CSI would of opened up a lot of remote video projects with local processing etc etc as it is you'll still need a USB cam image

  • in reply to rew

    Roger Wolff wrote:

     

    But with CSI or DSI, I would think that adding the FOOTPRINT of the connector would be possible to do without increasing the per-unit cost of the board. Similarly maybe a next revision of the 'zero could add those and a few other interfaces. Possibly with footprints on the bottom that we can add ourselves.

    I wonder if including CSI and/or DSI requires paying royalties.  On a $5 board, pennies count.

  • in reply to johnbeetem

    If the next revision of Zero would have the CSI, DSI signals routed to a header (a PCB footprint on the back of the board would be just fine) it would be nice.

    From the Zero pictures I've noticed there is a PCB footprint for a connector on the back which is not populated. It seems this a JTAG connector (J5 (on the back) is the optional connector for JTAG testing).

    I can't see why they cannot do the same for CSI and DSI

  • in reply to johnbeetem


    I wonder if including CSI and/or DSI requires paying royalties.  On a $5 board, pennies count


    In that case... I wonder if the CHIP pays CSI and/or DSI royalties or the BOARD..... The chip has the feature even if the board makes it impossible to access.


    In such a case I wonder who pays the royalties. When for example I buy an Atmel MCU and it has I2C on board, then I expect possible royalties to have been paid already. Not that I have to go and straighten that out with whomever holds the right to those royalties. Same "impossible to access" could happen for say I2C on a board having that Atmel CPU.



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