2014-02-10

PSU 12V 5A assembly notes

























PSU 12V 5A assembly notes

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Does the Raspberry Pi work with Windows? – Your tech questions answered - Colin Meaden

Does the Raspberry Pi work with Windows? – Your tech questions answered - Colin Meaden 2014feb09

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/09/your-tech-questions-answered-raspberry-pi

Do you have to use Linux with the Raspberry Pi or will Windows work with the system?

Q The Raspberry Pi is a brilliantly cheap way of getting young (and not so young) people into programming but, being Linux based, it is not to everyone's taste. Is there a low-cost equivalent – or DIY guide for sourcing components and building one – that will run Windows?

A The Raspberry Pi is an excellent little device, but it is compromised and likely to frustrate some users with its performance without some system tinkering. These limitations are arguably by design as it tries to encourage young people not to be afraid to explore what they can do with computers – this is where Linux is an excellent companion for the Pi. It makes it much easier to tinker with the core of the system or, if you get more proficient, even compile your own version of the operating system. (Compiling is when you pass in computer code, and a compiler breaks it down into the most basic instructions so that a computer processor can act on them.) Linux may not be quite as user-friendly, but it's incredibly flexible for learning and has amazing package managers to install compilers easily, as well as to install other software. This also has the benefit that, if you ruin the system, you can re-image (clear off and re-add a new version of the OS) the SD card and start again.

If you require a Windows computer, however (for example, if its primary use is going to be office tasks with some light programming), it's hard to recommend anything close to that price point. This is because Windows is a much more bloated operating system and requires higher system specifications to operate and run well. You also have to be careful that you aren't buying a Windows RT device, as you won't be able to run your own code without some more setup and, even then, you'll be limited to which languages you can write.

If you can afford the extra, and need Windows, then purchase as you would a home computer – but you'll have to be more careful with what you touch, especially if it has important files without backups.

...

Daniel is a freelance programmer for iOS and the web. He is a student and has been coding since he was eight. He is an ambassador for Young Rewired State ...

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2014-02-08

The Connected Home: Which Board is Right for Me? By Alasdair Allan

The Connected Home: Which Board is Right for Me? By Alasdair Allan Posted 02/07/2014

http://makezine.com/magazine/make-36-boards/which-board-is-right-for-me/


...
So, um, which board should I buy anyway?
Because of the communities that have grown up around them, I would unhesitatingly recommend an Arduino if you need an 8-bit microcontroller, or a Raspberry Pi if you need a single-board computer running Linux.
If you’re leaning toward the Pi, but worried it may not suit your application, the decision gets more complex. The Raspberry Pi is yet to become an unstoppable force, or an immovable object, like the Arduino. The most serious alternative, around the same price point, is BeagleBone Black. On the other hand, BeagleBone Black is relatively new, and its community is much smaller, so you might end up having to solve a lot of your own problems.
If you’re leaning toward an Arduino, but have specific needs (like wireless connectivity) that it doesn’t meet out of the box, then you should probably look first among the myriad of Arduino derivatives. You’ll probably find your desired feature set baked right into one of them.
Finally, if your project’s I/O requirements permit it, take a serious look at the TI LaunchPad MSP430. Its low-price, low-power requirements, and user-friendly development environment make a very strong case.

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