The Best Accessories to Take Your Raspberry Pi to the Next Level

It's all about function...isn't it?

Without doubt, Raspberry Pi is inspiring generations from the space generation currently eclipsed by Tim Peake story, countless world governments promoting better computing, design and technology, mathematics, and science in schools or industrial markets launching exploration programs in automation, IoT and more. Few could have predicted how well these lovely little Raspberry Pi boards would expand and be embraced by so many to do so much.

In honour of this, we've taken some time out to list the best accessories to optimise the capability of your Raspberry Pi board - whether you are just starting out in control and monitoring and want to build some basic functionality - taking pictures and video, displaying these and connecting it up with other devices; or maybe you would like to step it up a level to embed microcontrollers and to exploit the fortunes of Microstack technologies to integrate navigation, tracking and gaming in to your system. Obviously we don't want to pigeon hole accessories in to basic/intermediate/expert arbitrarily, but these lists should give you some insight in to how you can further unlock the potential of your Raspberry Pi depending where you already are as a user/maker, etc.

For the more adventurous among you, you may want to embark on building your own little super computer connecting a GertDuino or GertBoard. Who knows where your voyage of discovery will take you!

	Added Functionality	Product Name	Model Compatibility
Basic Project Accessory Recommendations
	Pictures and Video (Cameras)	Raspberry Pi Camera Board Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Pictures and Video (Cameras)	Raspberry Pi NoIR camera board Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Timing & Real Time Clock	SHIM RTC Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Monitoring (Display)	Pi View Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Monitoring (Display)	PiFace Control & Display 2 Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Connectivity (WIFI) Not needed for Pi3	WiPi Dongle Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
Intermediate Project Accessory Recommendations
	Embedded Microcontrollers	GertDuino Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Embedded Microcontrollers	Embedded Pi Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Embedded Microcontrollers	chipKIT Pi Buy NowBuy Now	AB
	Navigation, Tracking, Gaming and Sensing	Microstack Base/ Adapter Board Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Navigation, Tracking, Gaming and Sensing	Microstack GPS Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Navigation, Tracking, Gaming and Sensing	Microstack Accelerometer Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Navigation, Tracking, Gaming and Sensing	Microstack Protoboard Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Contactless Communications – NFC Device Connectivity	Explore NFC Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Test and Measurement	Bitscope Micro Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
Expert Project Accessory Recommendations
	Scalability (GPIO Expansion)	Gertboard Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Scalability (GPIO Expansion)	GertDuino Board Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Scalability (GPIO Expansion)	SHIM GPIO Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Advanced Connectivity (Wireless Sensing)	EnOcean Pi Transceiver Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Advanced Connectivity (Wireless Sensing)	EnOcean Sensor Kit Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Motor Control and Robotics	PiFace Digital 2 Buy NowBuy Now	AB+, Pi2/3
	Motor Control and Robotics	GERTBOT Buy NowBuy Now	AB, AB+, Pi2/3
	Motor Control and Robotics	PiFace Relay+ Buy NowBuy Now	AB+, Pi2/3
	Motor Control and Robotics	PiFace Relay Extra Buy NowBuy Now	AB+, Pi2/3
	Motor Control and Robotics	PiFace Motor Control Extra Buy NowBuy Now	AB+, Pi2/3
	Sound (HD Audio)	Cirrus Logic Audio Card Buy NowBuy Now	AB+, Pi2/3
	Sound (HD Audio)	Wolfson Audio Card Buy NowBuy Now	AB
	Controllable Display (FPGA Development)	LOGI-PI Buy NowBuy Now	AB+, Pi2/3
	Controllable Display (FPGA Development)	LOGI-EDU Buy NowBuy Now	AB+, Pi2/3