Learn how to get started with the Raspberry Pi 3 including what peripherals you need, putting the Pi in its case, using a NOOBS SD card to install the Raspbian Debian Linux OS, and getting online. Kelly Hensen of the element14 community guides you through the steps needed to get started.
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The Raspberry Pi 3 is the latest version of the credit card sized computer from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Raspberry Pi was released by Premier Farnell, the company behind element14, in 2012. The Raspberry Pi 3 is about 50% faster than its predecessor, the Pi 2. It includes built in WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, making it truly an IoT-ready device.
The Raspberry Pi 3 features a 1.2 GHz QUAD Core 64-bit Arm Cortex A53 processor, chip antenna, 4 USB ports, an ethernet port, a GPIO, HDMI, 3.5mm audio output, WiFi chip, 1GB LPDDR2 for RAM memory, and a microSD slot. The microSD card contains the Pi 3's operating system and it can also be used for file storage.
| Raspberry Pi 3 Case | |
 | The Raspberry Pi 3 case is newly designed and comes in five parts - a top, a bottom, two sides, and a top testing/inspection window. Ensure the Pi 3 is seated on the 4 standoffs on the bottom of the case so it slots in smoothly. Then assemble the top and the sides so that they snap on easily. There are also slots for connecting peripherals such as your monitor, keyboard, and mouse. You can connect these peripherals through any of the USB and HDMI slots. If you do not have HDMI on your monitor you can purchase dongles for connecting through DVI or VGA. |
| 16 GB MicroSD Card | |
 | The Pi 3 comes with a pre-formatted 16 GB microSD card that's pre-loaded with the "new out of the box" software called NOOBS. NOOBS makes setting up a Raspberry Pi for the first time much easier. It allows you to easily install, remove and then reinstall various flavors of the Linux operating system via its easy-to-use GUI. The regular operating system of the Pi 3 is Raspbian, an open source Debian Linux O/S. That's the one demonstrated in the video. If you have your Raspberry Pi in the case there is a slot for swapping out microSD cards to use different operating systems. |
| Stontronics 2.5AMP PSU | |
 | A new power adapter was designed for the Raspberry Pi 3 that can handle 2.5 amps so you can plug in and power peripherals directly from the Pi. The US version is demonstrated but included are various power supplies such as the one used in the UK. |
Installation Process
Installation takes about 25 minutes. During the install, you'll see various informational messages about programming languages, applications and the Raspbian O/S in the installation window. If you are a beginner, these messages are very useful. The Pi 3 is loaded with all kinds of helpful tools, applications and games! After the install is complete you'll see a message that says the "OS(es) Installed Successfully." After the system reboots there will be a menu bar at the top where you can access all the programming languages, tools, file manager, office applications, accessories, and more.
Next, you'll need to configure the Pi 3. You no longer need to type in the command sudo raspi-config to the Raspberry Pi configuration tool. Just go to Preferences in the drop down menu to change your password and set your localization options. Getting online is incredibly easy using the built-in WiFi. Click on the network icon on the top right of the menu bar and enter in the password of your WiFi network to connect.
| Product Name | Description | Buy All PartsBuy All Parts Buy All PartsBuy All Parts |
| Raspberry Pi 3Raspberry Pi 3Raspberry Pi 3Raspberry Pi 3 | Next Generation QUAD Core Broadcom BCM2837 64bit processor | Buy this partBuy this partBuy this partBuy this part |
| Raspberry Pi 3 CaseRaspberry Pi 3 Case | Official enclosure from the Raspberry Pi foundation | Buy this partBuy this part |
| 16 GB MicroSD Card16 GB MicroSD Card | Pre-formatted 16 GB microSD card pre-loaded with NOOBS software | Buy this partBuy this part |
| Stontronics 2.5AMP PSUStontronics 2.5AMP PSU | Power adapter for the Raspberry Pi 3 that can handle 2.5 amps | Buy this partBuy this part |
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