Tested - The $5 Raspberry Pi Zero Computer!

### Article: Exploring the Raspberry Pi Zero: A Tiny Computer with Big Potential

#### Introduction

Norm and Patrick welcome each other and kick off the discussion by talking about tiny computers, specifically focusing on the **Raspberry Pi Zero**. They share their excitement about this small device and its potential for various projects.

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#### The Raspberry Pi Zero Overview

Norm shares that he recently ordered a $9 PC but was surprised when the **Raspberry Pi Zero** arrived instead. He describes the Pi Zero as a "tiny little person dude creature," highlighting its compact size. Patrick mentions that the Raspberry Pi series, including the Zero, has gained popularity for its affordability and versatility, particularly among the maker community for educational and project-based uses.

They compare the size of the Pi Zero to a standard Raspberry Pi model 2, emphasizing how small it is. Norm points out that while the Pi Zero is tiny, it still packs enough power for various applications.

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#### Applications of the Raspberry Pi Zero

Norm shares examples of how people are using the Raspberry Pi Zero:

- Running **Cody** or **Plex** for home theater PCs.

- Creating a **volumio audio player** for single-use projects.

- Using it as a compact computer for running lightweight applications.

He also mentions that while the Pi Zero is great for embedded devices and small-scale projects, it might not be ideal for tasks requiring more processing power or connectivity options like Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

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#### Hardware Specifications

The Raspberry Pi Zero has the following specs:

- **Single-core ARM processor** running at 1 GHz.

- **512 MB of RAM**.

- No built-in Ethernet or Wi-Fi, so users need to use external adapters.

- **Micro USB** for connectivity and power.

- A **micro HDMI port** for display output.

Norm notes that while the Pi Zero is smaller and more affordable than its counterparts, it still offers decent performance for its price point. He also mentions that it has GPIO pins, but soldering is required to use them, unlike other Raspberry Pi models.

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#### Power Efficiency

One of the standout features of the Pi Zero is its **low power consumption**. Norm shares that when running without peripherals like Wi-Fi adapters or USB devices, it consumes as little as 30 milliamps at idle. However, adding components like a Wi-Fi adapter can increase power draw significantly (e.g., to 7 Watts).

He jokes about using a "shaky flashlight" to power the device but emphasizes the importance of efficiency for embedded applications.

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#### Accessories and Setup

To get started with the Pi Zero, you'll need:

- A **Micro SD card** (preferably Class 10 or faster).

- USB power.

- An HDMI cable and monitor for initial setup.

- An OTG cable for connecting peripherals like a keyboard or mouse.

Norm mentions that the Pi Zero comes bundled on magazine covers due to its low cost, but users should be prepared for additional expenses on cables and accessories.

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#### Uses Cases and Projects

Norm discusses potential projects with the Pi Zero:

- **Autonomous devices** (e.g., robots) using sensors like CO2 sniffers or barometric pressure sensors.

- Embedded systems for monitoring environments or performing specific tasks.

He also mentions a classic project: embedding the Pi Zero into an **Xbox controller**, showcasing its compact size and versatility.

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#### Challenges and Considerations

Norm highlights some challenges with the Pi Zero:

- No built-in Wi-Fi or Ethernet, requiring external adapters.

- Limited on-board connectivity options, making it primarily suitable for embedded applications.

- The need for a case to protect its surface-mounted components, as they are easily damaged.

He recommends considering a full-size Raspberry Pi if you need more connectivity or processing power.

---

#### Recommendations and Accessories

Norm mentions **C4 Labs**, which makes enclosures for the Raspberry Pi Zero. He emphasizes the importance of getting a case to protect the device, especially if it will be used in rugged environments.

He also advises users to invest in a decent Micro SD card for better performance and reliability.

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#### Conclusion

Norm and Patrick wrap up by encouraging viewers to share their experiences with the Raspberry Pi Zero in the comments. They express interest in exploring more projects with the device but acknowledge that programming skills might be necessary for advanced applications.

They also mention other projects and shows, such as a new home theater series called **AVXL**, and invite viewers to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more tech reviews.

---

#### Final Thoughts

The Raspberry Pi Zero is a fascinating device that exemplifies the potential of tiny computers. While it may not be ideal for everyone due to its limitations, it offers endless possibilities for makers and tinkerers looking to build compact, low-power solutions. Whether you're working on a robot, an embedded system, or just experimenting with hardware, the Pi Zero is a worth exploring.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enhey everybody it's Norm from tested and I'm Patrick from tested and Tech thing.com awesome welcome Patrick today we're going to talk about tiny computers tiny computers specifically the Raspberry Pi series The Raspberry Pi zero so earlier this year I ordered uh the chip $9 PC and right about when the the next thing C crew is about to start shipping those the Raspberry Pi zero shows up which is this tiny little person dude creature now Raspberry Pi M an name for itself uh developing really lowcost PCS for developing countries education specifically but it's kind of been taken up by the maker Community for projects well it's amazing what you can do so this is a standard uh Raspberry Pi sort of the model 2 version of it and this will give you an idea of how small the pi Z is now I'm I I have this in a very nice C4 Labs enclosure but if you look at the the kind of screw heads here that's pretty much the size of a Raspberry Pi a standard Siz Raspberry Pi so yeah it came out of sort of you know the UK they're going to do the the Sinclair for this generation where everybody's going to learn how to program at home and people I've seen people using these for uh you know running Cody or Plex for home theater PCS um you know uh a computer that you can essentially put in Altoids 10 yeah bit torrent sync mobile devices uh main boxes you know I built the the the volumio audio player um single use things that you could you take advantage of a little bit of proc in power gotten better over the years also some IO yes well it's funny so this they've all been single core arm processors up until the the last version of the Raspberry Pi which was a quad core processor only running at 900 MHz but four cores which is a huge difference um Raspberry Pi zero really goes in the opposite direction because they've stripped this down to make it $5 like uh I want to say Magpie magazine shipped out an entire issue with these on the cover that's how inexpensive these are but they get rid of a lot of things you'll notice like if you want to use the gpio pins you're going to be doing some soldering there is no ethernet Jack um there is micro USB perow there is micro USB for all of the rest of your connectivity which by the way is going to require uh an OTG cable if you want to connect anything to it like a hub um and by the way there's a micro HDMI on that so unless you happen to have a micro HDMI cable at home you're probably going to spend more than the Raspberry Pi zero cost to buy uh your micro HDMI cable and you know we did one of these on Tech Thing by the time we had like you know the the power connected to it and the OTG cable and a mouse and a keyboard it was literally like twice the size of yeah yeah at this point it's no longer something that fits in the pack of gum no and admittedly like okay so this is probably more you know I I have ridiculous Wi-Fi issues so I have ridiculous Wi-Fi devices but even if you do one of the little tiny Wi-Fi adapters you know you still need something to connect it to the Raspberry Pi Z because the Raspberry Pi Z has no uh Ethernet or Wi-Fi connectivity on board so that means to me this is primarily an embedded computer um you know like the pi a plus and the pi b it's a single core processor it's running at 1,000 mehz uh and it has 512 megabytes of ram so it has fairly should be faster actually than most of the the other single core Raspberry Pi processors um there's no what typ operating system are you putting in that rasbian I mean you can pretty much anything that'll run on any of the other raspberry pies should run on this um you know but you have to get it on there which means you're going to have to you know yeah you're going to have to it's funny we ended up with a giant pile of cables there's no audio out other than HDMI on board this um but the trade-off is also that it's incredibly low power you guys I'm going to crib here from the sheet cuz you found an article in December um where did it go oh yeah it's I'll put the link below but basically people have been doing power tests cuz it's one of those things when you build one of these you know embedded computers or low power computers every every little bit of power counts so turn HTMI off turn the LED off um you know and you're looking at and and have nothing in the USB port and you're looking at 30 milliamps at idle wow you know if you're running a USB Wi-Fi you're probably looking at 120 milliamps which is 7 Watts you can crank that yes you could probably use one of those horrible flashlights that you shake like this um to do do that um but you know again it's a $5 PC but much like the 25 or $35 raspberry pies you know to get it running you need a Micro SD card you need USB power you need you know a monitor to connect it to and an HDMI cable now the MicroSD card you put in there also matters and you want that the faster ones actually help with performance or significantly yeah I mean it was interesting a few years ago they were like oh we're having issues riding to the faster cards and with the latest Generations that seems to no longer be an issue like you could put a faster card in in theory back in the day that would reduce performance yeah now it's like get a Class 10 card or faster um which at this point if you're shopping off Amazon you have 64 gab micro SD card which is eight times what you need to stash the operating system on is probably 20 or 25 bucks so getting a decent speed card shouldn't be an issue um so you didn't get this you know bundled with on the cover of a magazine and you want you know buy Raspberry Pi to do a project why would you want something this small if you have to have all the accessories plugged in what can you do with it okay so if you are doing uh in an autonomous device like a robot or you're doing some sort of if you have a couple sensors plugged into this that you're using to do uh you know observations whether you know it's you know for anywhere between depending on how many you're buying anywhere between 30 and 100 bucks you can buy a you know literally like ridiculous sensors um from you know barometric pressure you know gra there are just ridiculous amounts of weight ways you can U basic you can either sense what's going on around the Raspberry Pi you know LP gas sniffers CO2 sniffers um barometers I mean it's it's kind of like you start going through the list and there's all sorts of ideas where you know I don't need if I'm not plugging it into a computer if I don't need to use a giant you know pie hat or or set of gpio outputs on this if I'm doing something where I just need a little tiny computer a little tiny space the classic example that I think if you've searched for Pi Z you've probably seen like the pi Z embedded in an Xbox controller um that's a really interesting usage case but I think for most people if you're not building some sort of embedded device whether it's a robot or something that's you know doing observations or something that's autonomous um you're probably better off just getting the fullsize Raspberry Pi the hassle that you would avoid just having built-in ethernet yeah if you're doing any Tye of connecting to server or using this to process video that's it's worth it spend 25 bucks yeah I mean like fruit got a pretty cool they have a USB console or TTL cable that allows you to do a serial connection so if you if you want to run this without an HDMI monitor you know you can buy the cable that allow you to connect over the USB port and treat it like a Serial Port because 1992 will never die um you know and it's pretty fast you know it's a 1 gz 512 megabytes so for being a very tiny embedded computer it's a a fairly powerful tiny embedded computer awesome well I'm sure a bunch of you out there either have raspberry pies or maybe we have the Raspberry Pi zero we'd love to hear from you what you've been doing with it share your thoughts in the comments below what are you going to be doing with this you think you're going to do any projects pater uh I've been playing around with a couple ideas I they're especially compelling for robots and stuff but I am not a good enough programmer for that so you know one of our Tech thing viewers was kind enough to send this in for us to check out and I'm probably going to play with it a little more and then send it back before I break it or or get tempted to start they do also like you mentioned C4 Labs makes this beautiful case for the Raspberry Pi uh they also make one for the Zero by the way you know don't put anything this isn't as bad as the Raspberry Pi but these surface mounted components are shockingly easy to knock off if this is rattling around in your backpack or tool box so get a case for it make it look pretty tiny computer thank you Patrick for coming in this week to talk Tech with us where can people find your other shows and other podcasts oh my goodness uh please come check out Tech thing.com Teek t h.com or youtube.com/ thing or a new home theater one I just started with Robert Heron called avxl and that's AV excel.com and we'll have more stuff on tested.com please subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven't already like this video and we'll be back next week with another tech review on tested until then I'm Norm I'm Patrick see you next timehey everybody it's Norm from tested and I'm Patrick from tested and Tech thing.com awesome welcome Patrick today we're going to talk about tiny computers tiny computers specifically the Raspberry Pi series The Raspberry Pi zero so earlier this year I ordered uh the chip $9 PC and right about when the the next thing C crew is about to start shipping those the Raspberry Pi zero shows up which is this tiny little person dude creature now Raspberry Pi M an name for itself uh developing really lowcost PCS for developing countries education specifically but it's kind of been taken up by the maker Community for projects well it's amazing what you can do so this is a standard uh Raspberry Pi sort of the model 2 version of it and this will give you an idea of how small the pi Z is now I'm I I have this in a very nice C4 Labs enclosure but if you look at the the kind of screw heads here that's pretty much the size of a Raspberry Pi a standard Siz Raspberry Pi so yeah it came out of sort of you know the UK they're going to do the the Sinclair for this generation where everybody's going to learn how to program at home and people I've seen people using these for uh you know running Cody or Plex for home theater PCS um you know uh a computer that you can essentially put in Altoids 10 yeah bit torrent sync mobile devices uh main boxes you know I built the the the volumio audio player um single use things that you could you take advantage of a little bit of proc in power gotten better over the years also some IO yes well it's funny so this they've all been single core arm processors up until the the last version of the Raspberry Pi which was a quad core processor only running at 900 MHz but four cores which is a huge difference um Raspberry Pi zero really goes in the opposite direction because they've stripped this down to make it $5 like uh I want to say Magpie magazine shipped out an entire issue with these on the cover that's how inexpensive these are but they get rid of a lot of things you'll notice like if you want to use the gpio pins you're going to be doing some soldering there is no ethernet Jack um there is micro USB perow there is micro USB for all of the rest of your connectivity which by the way is going to require uh an OTG cable if you want to connect anything to it like a hub um and by the way there's a micro HDMI on that so unless you happen to have a micro HDMI cable at home you're probably going to spend more than the Raspberry Pi zero cost to buy uh your micro HDMI cable and you know we did one of these on Tech Thing by the time we had like you know the the power connected to it and the OTG cable and a mouse and a keyboard it was literally like twice the size of yeah yeah at this point it's no longer something that fits in the pack of gum no and admittedly like okay so this is probably more you know I I have ridiculous Wi-Fi issues so I have ridiculous Wi-Fi devices but even if you do one of the little tiny Wi-Fi adapters you know you still need something to connect it to the Raspberry Pi Z because the Raspberry Pi Z has no uh Ethernet or Wi-Fi connectivity on board so that means to me this is primarily an embedded computer um you know like the pi a plus and the pi b it's a single core processor it's running at 1,000 mehz uh and it has 512 megabytes of ram so it has fairly should be faster actually than most of the the other single core Raspberry Pi processors um there's no what typ operating system are you putting in that rasbian I mean you can pretty much anything that'll run on any of the other raspberry pies should run on this um you know but you have to get it on there which means you're going to have to you know yeah you're going to have to it's funny we ended up with a giant pile of cables there's no audio out other than HDMI on board this um but the trade-off is also that it's incredibly low power you guys I'm going to crib here from the sheet cuz you found an article in December um where did it go oh yeah it's I'll put the link below but basically people have been doing power tests cuz it's one of those things when you build one of these you know embedded computers or low power computers every every little bit of power counts so turn HTMI off turn the LED off um you know and you're looking at and and have nothing in the USB port and you're looking at 30 milliamps at idle wow you know if you're running a USB Wi-Fi you're probably looking at 120 milliamps which is 7 Watts you can crank that yes you could probably use one of those horrible flashlights that you shake like this um to do do that um but you know again it's a $5 PC but much like the 25 or $35 raspberry pies you know to get it running you need a Micro SD card you need USB power you need you know a monitor to connect it to and an HDMI cable now the MicroSD card you put in there also matters and you want that the faster ones actually help with performance or significantly yeah I mean it was interesting a few years ago they were like oh we're having issues riding to the faster cards and with the latest Generations that seems to no longer be an issue like you could put a faster card in in theory back in the day that would reduce performance yeah now it's like get a Class 10 card or faster um which at this point if you're shopping off Amazon you have 64 gab micro SD card which is eight times what you need to stash the operating system on is probably 20 or 25 bucks so getting a decent speed card shouldn't be an issue um so you didn't get this you know bundled with on the cover of a magazine and you want you know buy Raspberry Pi to do a project why would you want something this small if you have to have all the accessories plugged in what can you do with it okay so if you are doing uh in an autonomous device like a robot or you're doing some sort of if you have a couple sensors plugged into this that you're using to do uh you know observations whether you know it's you know for anywhere between depending on how many you're buying anywhere between 30 and 100 bucks you can buy a you know literally like ridiculous sensors um from you know barometric pressure you know gra there are just ridiculous amounts of weight ways you can U basic you can either sense what's going on around the Raspberry Pi you know LP gas sniffers CO2 sniffers um barometers I mean it's it's kind of like you start going through the list and there's all sorts of ideas where you know I don't need if I'm not plugging it into a computer if I don't need to use a giant you know pie hat or or set of gpio outputs on this if I'm doing something where I just need a little tiny computer a little tiny space the classic example that I think if you've searched for Pi Z you've probably seen like the pi Z embedded in an Xbox controller um that's a really interesting usage case but I think for most people if you're not building some sort of embedded device whether it's a robot or something that's you know doing observations or something that's autonomous um you're probably better off just getting the fullsize Raspberry Pi the hassle that you would avoid just having built-in ethernet yeah if you're doing any Tye of connecting to server or using this to process video that's it's worth it spend 25 bucks yeah I mean like fruit got a pretty cool they have a USB console or TTL cable that allows you to do a serial connection so if you if you want to run this without an HDMI monitor you know you can buy the cable that allow you to connect over the USB port and treat it like a Serial Port because 1992 will never die um you know and it's pretty fast you know it's a 1 gz 512 megabytes so for being a very tiny embedded computer it's a a fairly powerful tiny embedded computer awesome well I'm sure a bunch of you out there either have raspberry pies or maybe we have the Raspberry Pi zero we'd love to hear from you what you've been doing with it share your thoughts in the comments below what are you going to be doing with this you think you're going to do any projects pater uh I've been playing around with a couple ideas I they're especially compelling for robots and stuff but I am not a good enough programmer for that so you know one of our Tech thing viewers was kind enough to send this in for us to check out and I'm probably going to play with it a little more and then send it back before I break it or or get tempted to start they do also like you mentioned C4 Labs makes this beautiful case for the Raspberry Pi uh they also make one for the Zero by the way you know don't put anything this isn't as bad as the Raspberry Pi but these surface mounted components are shockingly easy to knock off if this is rattling around in your backpack or tool box so get a case for it make it look pretty tiny computer thank you Patrick for coming in this week to talk Tech with us where can people find your other shows and other podcasts oh my goodness uh please come check out Tech thing.com Teek t h.com or youtube.com/ thing or a new home theater one I just started with Robert Heron called avxl and that's AV excel.com and we'll have more stuff on tested.com please subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven't already like this video and we'll be back next week with another tech review on tested until then I'm Norm I'm Patrick see you next time\n"