Five Things You Need to Know About the Raspberry Pi Zero

3 main questions.

Where can I get the schematic diagram and parts list for the PI zero? You can not do a proper design-in without these

What is the policy on design continuity and compatibility as the product evolves (ie move from [say] model A to model B)?

What is the likely availability of Pi Zero and all its descendants or will the "genre" be discontinued once the basic CPU is discontinued?

Basically can I design a gadget with it knowing that I will be able to repeat the design with something similar but  with the same physical structure in [say] 1,2,4 .... years?

To get answers to those questions (which are perfectly reasonable for  a commercial product) you will need a direct relationship with the supplier (ie RPi Org) which I don't think is likely to happen unless you are buying vast numbers of parts. Normally you would expect a supplier of  a key component to provide some answers but it would not be uncommon for the answers to be no,none,zero,no (same order as you asked them). If it is life and death for your business to get positive answers you will need to either make your own boards or pay a great deal more. To be fair to the RPO (not my strongest suit, I'll admit) they are offering a consumerish product at a rock bottom price so you can't really expect the same kind of support that you would get if you went to one of the "industrial" type board suppliers.

If it really matters to you then ask yourself if the Pi is the right part - (I'll offer an opinion/alternative if you want to describe your project in more detail).

MK

Perhaps you are right this is the wrong organ to address my queries to.

Again your logic is correct but I would council that the RPi zero is probably meant to be a "super" Arduino intended to be the heart of a programmed gadget rather than a programmable PC. The very existence of unpopulated header sites suggests that the intention is that solder connections should be made as required. Once you introduce soldering into the mix you are in a wholly different ball game and the "project" becomes both software and hardware orientated. If this is the case you need to know much  more about the actual physical  implementation mainly around the peripheral circuits (switch mode power converter etc). This is most certainly the true if you are trying to support youngsters in their projects. The 5$ tag certainly would indicate this.

Now, it may be, (please excuse the cynicism but I have been designing and using chips since before the Intel 8008 and had my fingers burnt quite a few times and not due to over dissipation!!!) that RPi org have a commercial relationship and contract for a certain quantity of processors which when they are gone they are gone. On the other hand the RPi zero may just be a new genre of controller that RPi org have introduced and will pursue with compatible (where possible) evolved product.

If it is the latter case then there is sense in putting some effort into support material. If the former "when its gone its gone" then OK that is a perfectly legitimate approach and I have no complaint but it is as well to know.

Certainly if the latter is true then the RPi zero will have a huge interest for commercial applications where the volume does does not justify a custom design. Put the RPi zero together with a simple 2 layer pcb with the extra bits on (eg 12 bit ADC,  WiFi module  or ....) and you end up with a very powerful solution that will reach beyond the IoT. RPi org will certainly get a high volume flow of the basic semiconductor  devices. As I said a "super" Arduino.

A bit like the intentions of the 9$ computer but supplied by probably an organisation with a sounder commercial footing.

Anyway that is my tuppence worth.

CH

My own take on the Zero is that it is intended to fulfil two market niches -

First is the educational computing market where students are able to work on a programmable PC-like platform without fear of destroying their main computer (at $5, the Zero is almost a disposable commodity)

While not a PC, the machine is sufficiently PC-like to give a real taste of real-world programming - including all of the hardware that you tend to be insulated from with larger systems.

The second niche is that of an embedded front end for electronic 'projects' - where a moderately powerful system provides all of the user interface, communications etc. for a piece of equipment that may have a mass of slave subsystems. Indeed, I currently have a project on the go which utilises Arduinos as the prime data capture devices and a headless RPi (currently a B, but a Zero will replace it ASAP) to handle the data display, multiple data-stream consolidation and logging. Yes, effectively a super Arduino/Yún but without the hassle of user interface development of the Arduino or cost of the Yún.

Again, the Pi is here providing an intermediate step between micro-controller and host system

Having followed the Raspberry Pi story from its earliest public announcement, I have to say that the early response was beyond amazing, and the continued (and increasing) demand speaks of a device family which may well be with us for a very long time.

Where the Raspberry Pi range will be in 10 years time, I cannot say, but I would hazard a guess that it will still be going strong and providing a consistent platform for project and educational development.

My own take on the Zero is that it is intended to fulfil two market niches -

First is the educational computing market where students are able to work on a programmable PC-like platform without fear of destroying their main computer (at $5, the Zero is almost a disposable commodity)

While not a PC, the machine is sufficiently PC-like to give a real taste of real-world programming - including all of the hardware that you tend to be insulated from with larger systems.

The second niche is that of an embedded front end for electronic 'projects' - where a moderately powerful system provides all of the user interface, communications etc. for a piece of equipment that may have a mass of slave subsystems. Indeed, I currently have a project on the go which utilises Arduinos as the prime data capture devices and a headless RPi (currently a B, but a Zero will replace it ASAP) to handle the data display, multiple data-stream consolidation and logging. Yes, effectively a super Arduino/Yún but without the hassle of user interface development of the Arduino or cost of the Yún.

Again, the Pi is here providing an intermediate step between micro-controller and host system

Having followed the Raspberry Pi story from its earliest public announcement, I have to say that the early response was beyond amazing, and the continued (and increasing) demand speaks of a device family which may well be with us for a very long time.

Where the Raspberry Pi range will be in 10 years time, I cannot say, but I would hazard a guess that it will still be going strong and providing a consistent platform for project and educational development.

Hi Alysson,

I think there is a higher chance of destroying a Pi Zero than other Pi models, because the 'Zero uses surface-mounted MicroUSB (although there are holes for the shell, they have no pins inside, at least for the 'Zero that I examined) in contrast to the larger, better-secured full-size USB connectors on all other Pi models.

Furthermore, the B+ model introduced a polarity protection circuit which is missing on the 'Zero (I see no MOSFET near the power cicuitry on the 'Zero). We have already seen the effect of this with some experimentation that bwelsby did.

For education it doesn't save cost either in some ways, just hides cost on ancillary devices. For example more expensive wireless keyboards and mice would be needed with the 'Zero, unless a USB hub was also purchased (not needed with the full-size Pi). And those small wireless dongles may go missing, so spares will be needed. Plus we know that a HDMI monitor is needed (and an unusual HDMI cable or adapter that not many people will possess). For students to use bits of functionality, they will need to solder up a header to the bare pins, which is another cost. And for all that, the end result is a Pi which is 6 times slower than its bigger brother.

I think there is less chance of destroying a regular sized Pi because the soldering iron and blobs of solder never need to get close to the regular Pi. Any connections are done on the end of jumper cables or ribbon cables. This gives the teacher the option of visual inspection of projects (or a quick buzzer test to ensure the supply pins are not shorted to any other pins) before students plug it into the Pi.

I think the 'Zero is great for hardware enthusiasts/hackers who wish to create fun and interesting projects though. Why this was something the Pi Foundation decided was in educational interest I don't know - why should a charity fund development for products for hardware enthusiasts/hackers who are already educated enough to know how to program and how to use a soldering iron, and have the money for a full-sized Pi to meet educational needs for themselves. Sounds bizarre to me. Perhaps they should have concentrated on cost-reducing (e.g. sourcing cheaper parts) for the full-sized Pi now that it is a mature product, since that would have directly impacted school educational need spending. We know that cost reduction is possible on the full-size Pi, since the Orange Pi costs less than $18 all-in, delivered from China to the UK, and by many accounts has similar hardware technical specification to the Pi 2. It is fine that the Pi is manufactured in the UK and provides UK jobs, but with cost-reduction more kids in the UK and around the world would have access to a fully functional Pi than the 'Zero. It surely outweighs the number of jobs created today at Sony UK. Just an opinion though!

You're just a crank.   j/k all good points. Maybe the low price point will get kids to not be scared to bring a soldering iron near it, though. If my kid burned up a $5 board trying to learn to solder on a dev board, I wouldn't think twice about giving him a way to earn another $5 buy another one. Are they subsidizing me? I don't know.

I had a discussion with a co worker recently, I grew up in a time of great technological advancement, my parents were technologically incompetent, even though my dad was a professional auto mechanic. When it came time to hook up cable, when it was invented, or the vcr, when it was invented, or the stereo, or adding a new 8 track deck to the car, I figured all that stuff out, game consoles, whatever and my parents encouraged me, and I learned a lot. Without google, now in my house, I wouldn't dare let my kids do that stuff, and they suffer for it. So getting these dev boards into their hands and giving them an opportunity to play, with my encouragement is a good thing.

Just my opinion. BTW, love you shabaz :-)

Mike

My dad was the same! He didn't know what I was doing, but had the engineering spirit. He always encouraged me, even if it meant travelling miles just to find a store that sold an LED.

The throwaway cost is a good point - would make people less scared to approach a PCB.

I often nowadays purchase boards if they are a throwaway cost, since I might learn something from them, and no harm if I don't.

This is the latest addition: It is a radio receiver board, I've no idea what it was used for but looks fairly ancient.

Worth some experimentation time at some point!

I'm not going to argue against any of that, Shabaz.

Where I was last working (with teenaged students with complex needs), one of my students was learning the electronics-side of computer tech. If things had gone as planned, he would have been building projects on the Pi B the next term - soldering iron and all.

USB hubs - tesco have a micro hub for about £6 - and there is no problem putting a dab of cyanoacrylate on the connector shell of a wireless dongle in order to keep it attached. This is (more or less) how I use my Pi's (albeit headless)

I don't believe that the Zero is a replacement for the original Pi, but a tool for the more advanced user/student.

I agree wholeheartedly about the SMT µUSB connector, which is why my original post mentioned the test point pads that may or may not represent a breakout point for a hard-wired USB and power wiring (which I use on my original Pi's, too).

Having entered the workforce working with computers that had to be fixed with a soldering iron and a fistful of parts, I have no qualms about butchering circuit boards.

Ahhhh .... the same thing that I do. Picking up scrap stuff for spares or repairs - or for experimenting with is a brilliant approach - and quite satisfying, too.

The last radio receiver board I tinkered with was entirely discrete components.