As Raspberry Pi is one of the favorite development boards of developers and DIYers, the initial idea behind this series was to expose beginners to the incredible things that one can do with a Raspberry Pi. This is Part-2 of the Raspberry Pi for beginners series so, if you missed the first part, click here to check out Raspberry Pi For Beginners (Part-1): Knowing Your Pi.
The first article introduced you to the Pi, its hardware specifications, software, and other general aspects. In the second article, we’ll be introducing you to every large and tiny component that you’ll be needing to get started. In the end, we’ll also show you how to hook them up to your Pi swiftly. Let’s get started, shall we?
Raspberry Pi For Beginners Part-2: What You’ll Need
1. A Raspberry Pi
Well, if it wasn’t obvious already, first, you’ll need a Raspberry Pi. Now, before you rush to your famous E-commerce website and put a random Raspberry Pi in your cart, hear me out. If budget is not a constraint for you, get the Raspberry Pi 4 B 8GB model.
However, you can also get the 2GB variant at a lesser price but, don’t expect it to run smoothly for Desktop computing. If you need direct buying links, here they are – Amazon.com and Amazon.in.
2. An HDMI Cable And A Monitor
Do you think wires are too hard to manage? Well, you can access your Pi wirelessly from anywhere? Yes, that’s no joke. Just read our how to install Raspbian/Raspberry Pi OS on Raspberry Pi without monitor article and become a wizard! Installing Raspberry Pi OS for the first time? Read how to install Raspbian/Raspberry Pi OS using NOOBS article.
If you do want to use the HDMI interface to connect, all you need to do is connect the micro HDMI to the display port on the Raspberry Pi and the full-size HDMI to your monitor. The display port also supports 4K output so that you can glance at those beautiful 720p videos as the Broadcom 2711 isn’t capable of playing 4K.
3. An SD Card
Raspberry Pi doesn’t come with onboard storage. Hence, you need a clean SD card, flash an OS on it, and insert it into your Pi. It’s recommended to use a 16GB or above class 10 SD card.
If you do want to know how to flash an SD card for Raspberry Pi, do make sure to check out the next Raspberry Pi OS installation article.
4. A USB Mouse And Keyboard
To navigate in the OS, you’ll be needing a USB mouse and keyboard. You can use any standard wired or wireless keyboard and mouse with the Pi.
5. A USB Type-C Power Supply:
Now, before you plug in your phone’s massive 6 Amp charger and damage the board, a Raspberry Pi 4 needs just 3 Amps of current so, make sure you use the original Raspberry Pi 4 compatible brick to avoid problems. You can also buy an external power supply exclusively for your DIY buddy.
6. An Ethernet Cable:
If you intend to browse via ethernet, you can use any standard ethernet cable to connect to the internet.
Where To Buy Everything?
You can find these items in various online stores. We’d suggest you buy the starter kits, which come with all the important accessories, to avoid confusion to get you started right away. Here are the links to some of them: Amazon.com and Amazon.in.
You can also head over to the official Raspberry Pi website, scroll all the way to the bottom, and search for Raspberry Pi-approved online resellers in your country.
How to connect everything to your Raspberry Pi?
Well, once you’ve gathered everything, this shouldn’t be a problem. Take a good look at the picture below and read the following instructions to connect the desired parts:
First, connect your monitor using your HDMI cable. If you’re planning to connect via ethernet, connect one side of the ethernet cable to the Pi and the other side to the router. Align the ends to the port correctly so that you don’t wrongly insert it.
Locate the USB ports on your Pi and connect the standard USB mouse and keyboard to get started. Insert the flashed SD card into the SD card slot. Finally, you’ll need to connect your Raspberry Pi via a USB Type-C cable and to the power supply using the power adapter. As soon as you turn on the power supply, your Pi will automatically boot up. Moreover, if you are interested in learning in depth about Raspberry Pi, check our complete cheat sheet on Raspberry Pi here!
