When we look at the development of technology in the broadest sense, we ask ourselves two related questions: how long did it take between the invention of the wheel and the invention of the automobile? And how long did it take between the invention of the car and the invention of the rocket? In 2020, we are “closer in time” to the birth of Queen Cleopatra, than the time of her life was to the construction of the pyramids of Giza.
The history of Raspberry Pi
Rapid progress with an emphasis on miniaturization is worth analysing. Detailed trends are hard to discern, but the Raspberry Pi and its history are certainly part of it. Today, let’s take a look at the origin and development of the famous mini-computer.
Everything changes. Genesis and the 1980s
In the 1980s, the price of a gigabyte of data was $700,000. William Gibson, the author of the award-winning cyberpunk novel Neuromancer (1984), wrote:
Case took the pink handset from its cradle and punched a Hong Kong number from memory. He let it ring five times, then hung up. His buyer for the three megabytes of hot RAM in the Hitachi wasn’t taking calls.
Well, one should age gracefully – then you can at least retain a shadow of your former glory. Predictions of addressable data units have not aged too well. The above fragment has been the object of frequent derision by readers and science fiction enthusiasts for pointing out the ludicrous limits of the virtual memory of yesteryear in the face of today’s possibilities. Small – but not yet “mini” – PCs were already created: examples include Sinclair ZX80 (1980), Radio Shack TRS -80 Model 100 (1983) or Atari Portfolio (1989).
To a conscious observer the above extract from Gibson’s novel is a most valuable testimony. Not only does it show how difficult it was then to predict what the future might hold, but it also proves the fantasies of artists going back to the heritage of Jules Verne and the 19th century. Computers and their capabilities have always inspired futurists – that is, since their first appearance.
First computers, difficult beginnings
But let’s go back even further: to the time when the history of Raspberry Pi hasn’t even begun yet. When computers were really exclusive commodities – actually they were not even a commodity, because only those who had expertise in operating computers actually owned them. The first machine from this family to be built in Poland was the XYZ (1958), and in 1961 serial production of the ZAM 2 computer began. Only two years later, in 1963, the first famous Odra 1003 appeared in the Elwro factory in Wrocław. From the perspective of today’s mini-computers, popular platforms and Raspberry Pi in particular, large computers are almost prehistory.
The first minicomputers, built in the late 1950s, were the equivalents of personal computers. Built on the basis of transistors and integrated circuits, they served as calculators, simple text editors, or measuring devices for physicists (e.g., for spectral analysis). The term itself changed its meaning several times – first in 1971, when the Intel 4004 chip appeared. Modern personal computers have features that were able to develop thanks to minicomputers – Microsoft Windows NT software refers to the VMS (Virtual Memory System). Unix, developed since 1969, was originally written for the PDP (Programmed Data Processor) minicomputer. The contemporary minicomputers are the result of a fusion in which the originals and prototypes influence what we use today.
The owners of the first computers who could program had a knowledge that was almost mystical for the time. Their keyboards produced amazingly useful and efficient programs. Gradual – and gradually accelerating – technological development made computing more universal and “consumable,” but it also brought effects in the form of eliminating the need to learn the devices thoroughly. The result was unoptimized, amateurish creations. This was noticed by Cambridge lecturers: Jack Lang, Alan Mycroft and Robert Mullins – the first creators of the popular Raspberry Pi.
Thoughtful minds, or the birth of the Raspberry Pi
Knowledge of the specifics of the transition of computers from pioneering, scientific, and industrial use into the hands of “ordinary” users is relevant to today’s hero. Prototypes of the Raspberry Pi, as we know it today, emerged between 2006 and 2008, after which Lang, Mycroft and Mullins teamed up with chip designer Pete Lomas and one of the co-authors of the retro game Elite, David Braben. Thus, Raspberry Pi Foundation was founded in Cambridge. Working with Broadcom, represented by Lomas, the foundation designed the first two models of minicomputers – the Model A without an Ethernet (LAN) port and a slightly more expensive Model B with a 10/100 Ethernet card. The primary target audience for these computers was the scientific community, but it turned out quickly that other users were also interested in them.
The UK-based foundation aimed to combine the power of computers with educational and creative applications. Since the introduction of the minicomputers, millions of young people have participated in RPi projects and had the opportunity to both develop their own skills and share their effects with the world. You can see what members of Raspberry Pi Foundation say about themselves here. In the meantime, let’s get to what the (electronic) Tiggers like best!
The first generation of the Raspberry Pi
What did the first generation of the minicomputer look like?
- it had a Broadcom BCM2835 700 MHz processor based on the ARM architecture still used in smartphones today,
- it had a built-in VideoCore IV graphics processor,
- there was a GPIO expansion port on the board,
- the cheaper Model A had 256 MB and 1 USB port,
- the more expensive model B had 512 MB memory, 2 USB slots and a network card,
- they were powered by a microUSB port; you could use a TV with an RCA jack,
- for picture there was an RCA and an HDMI output, for sound there was an HDMI and a 3.5mm jack,
- it supported CEC (TV remote control),
- it had a dedicated webcam (via the Raspberry Pi HD video camera port).
The first licensed partners were Element 14 / Premier Farnell and RS Electronics. The assumed prices exceeded the initial assumed risk and production costs of the innovative minicomputers, so only 10,000 units were ordered – some of them were supposed to be kept in the warehouses, the rest went to the above-mentioned distributors. However, the demand has exceeded the wildest expectations of the inventors and distributors.
Amazing boom – 2012
When the first batch was produced, attention was drawn to the lack of the necessary CE safety certificate. Once the problem was fixed, sales began at 6am on February 29, 2012. Within half an hour of launching, the minicomputers were sold out – closing at seven, and the servers were overloaded. Soon, RS Components had more than 200,000 customer requests from around the world. After the initial success, production was moved to one of Sony’s factories in South Wales, and the proud words “Made in UK” appeared on the minicomputers.
The interest of the crowds supporting the project contributed to the rapid development of the platform. In no time at all, numerous community forums were created and grew, filled with descriptions of original projects and training manuals.
Our passion
Botland aims to popularize knowledge about Raspberry Pi, which manifests itself in numerous knowledge compendiums presented on the blog – even an absolute layman in the field of electronics and programming can try their hand at working and playing with this minicomputer.
One by one
The premieres of Models A and B in 2012 and 2013, respectively, were just the beginning. In August 2014, information of three-million sale of the Raspberry Pi was announced and riding the wave of success, the next model, B+, was released. Among other things, it received an expanded GPIO port and no less than four USB ports, the SD card slot was replaced by a microSD slot, and the RCA slot was abandoned. The analog TV signal was routed out through the headphone output.
In the fall of the same year, the upcoming A+ model was mentioned. The promised smaller platform met the expectations of the growing group of fans: A+, like B+, consumed less power, received a GPIO port with 40 pins and a microSD slot instead of an SD one. However, the shared memory and the number of USB ports remained the same – unfortunately, the A+ lacked a network port.
The next-generation Raspberry Pi. The second edition
February 2015 saw the release of the second series Raspberry Pi based on a processor with four cores. Concerns about compatibility with the next generation due to the use of a different type of processor prove to be exaggerated. The manufacturer made sure that an operating system update was sufficient – another advantage of minicomputers in the form of their “compatibility” comes to the fore here. Raspbian, the universal operating system for the RPi, could be transferred from model to model via a memory card, which was a great convenience compared to the previously necessary downloading and reloading.
Meanwhile … the Zero version
But the development was not just about improving the performance of existing models – there were also cut-down budget versions of the Raspberry. As part of this “interlude”, we should mention the Raspberry Pi Zero, a board with smaller dimensions and capabilities. It was released in November 2015 and cost only $5. In July 2017, the Raspberry Pi Zero W was released for $10, followed by Raspberry Pi Zero WH in January 2018.
Third generation – 2016-2018
The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B was released in February 2016. So it had been four years since the release of the pioneer version. In an interview with MagPi magazine, the co-creator of the original Raspberry minicomputer, Eben Upton, described this period as “Packed!”. It was also a good time for recaps – Upton mentioned that over 800,000 Raspberry Pi units were sold before the first employee was hired. He also noted that further development would not be possible without an increase in staff. The cost of the test campaign for the RPi 3 itself was around £100k.
“There’s just this sense of not really having stopped (with the creation of the new third-generation board – author’s note). “Of just having worked continuously.”
Upton pointed to connectivity as the main advantage of the new generation.
“Connectivity. The other stuff is just quantitative change, it’s just faster, more. The wireless and Bluetooth is the big step change on this device. It’s something people have asked us for for a long time. It’s been this missing element of the platform.”
The third-generation Raspberry Pi is equipped with a 64-bit quad-core processor running at 1.2GHz. The board also features WiFi 802.11n and Bluetooth. During Pi Day 2018, a version with a faster 1.4 GHz processor and three times faster Gigabit Ethernet (the flow was limited to 300 Mbps over the USB 2.0 link ) and 2.4 / 5 GHz dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi was introduced. The ability to use Power over Ethernet (PoE HAT), USB boot and network boot was also added – the requirement is no longer an SD card. The Plus generation is also available – 2018 saw the release of the A+ and B+ models.
The crowning achievement – the fourth generation, 2019
Fans had to wait a little over a year for the release of the latest, fourth generation Raspberry. The Raspberry Pi Foundation prepared three versions of the board with different memory – 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB. The 4B model is equipped with the Broadcom BCM2711 integrated circuit, a 64-bit quad-core processor running at 1.5 GHz based on ARM -8 Cortex-A72, GPU Broadcom VideoCore VI (an improvement over the previous Broadcom VideoCore IV), 2 USB 2.0 ports and 2 USB 3.0 ports, Composite video outputs (PAL and NTSC) via 4-pin Jack connector, additional microHDMI output (for video and audio), 100/1000 Ethernet network ports (RJ45), Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz) 802.11b / g / n / ac), Bluetooth 5.0 and BLE. It can be powered (5V) via a USB Type-C connector, or via a GPIO connector and PoE with an additional shield. The “Four” supports a variety of operating systems – Raspbian, Windows 10 IoT Core, OSMC_Pi2, NOOBS, RISC OS, Ubuntu MATE, Android and Android TV.
The 8 GB port of call
A good premiere is like a pit-stop, topping up the oil and keeping you going. On May 28 another good news came from the UK – it was not a new model with number 5, but an increase of RPi 4B memory to 8 GB. As official distributors in Poland, we were the first on the battlefield, and the information reached the world only about a dozen minutes after the announcement by the manufacturer. The reactions were mixed – some liked the version, others expected something different or more changes in the specification compared to the previous models. The version of the Raspberry Pi 4B with 8 GB RAM that is for sale has also received changes in power supply and 1.3 revision. Users are still waiting for the Raspberry Pi 5. When can we expect this model? It is still difficult to say.
The new Raspberry premiered in June 2019, and production is scheduled to end in January 2026. How is this to be understood? The Raspberry Pi Foundation states that the new RPi version will be in production at least until January 2026. There is no successor yet, but it’s worth the wait. And there are still plenty of accessories available for the “number 4”, which will certainly make the wait for the Raspberry 5 premiere more pleasant. There has been a lot of anticipation building on the online forums, but it’s still a bit too early for any real speculation. One thing is for sure – we are waiting too. We will let you know as soon as possible.
And yet some things don’t change …
Regardless of version, each Raspberry Pi device can be successfully used as a slightly scaled-down alternative to desktop computers. Easy-to-use operating system, low power consumption, small size, performance comparable to Pentium II )even in the older version of Raspberry Pi Model A+ 512MB RAM), a multitude of audio/video ports, access to GPIO connectors, memory card slots, USB, WiFi, Bluetooth… we could go on and on. More important here is the certainty that comes from the quoted words of Eben Upton – with the upward trend that is currently taking place on Raspberry Pi Foundation, we can expect not only a rapid improvement in the performance of minicomputers, but also compatibility with both technologies that we use now and those that are still waiting to be discovered.
Do you know how the reefs are forming? Beautiful new corals form and build on their ancestors. The young grows from the old, but the old is never truly forgotten. We believe this nostalgic journey we have taken you on today will help you find the connections between the first giant computers and the great power contained in a credit card-sized minicomputer – the amazing Raspberry Pi. It’s a place where history meets the present.
And when will the Raspberry Pi 5 premiere?
Well, we’re still waiting for the RPi 5 release date.
At the end of July, there were some hints that the major phone brands offer now around 6GB RAM, so we expected something similar from the Raspberry Pi 5 – in response, we got the “4” with RAM bumped up to 8GB. Most likely, in the case of Raspberry Pi 5, we can also expect a few versions with different RAMs. In terms of communication, fans can expect all USB 3.0 ports and perhaps the return of HDMI 2.1. We also expect an increase in supply voltage, for example, to 8 V for the needs of power-hungry hardware.
We are all excited to see what dreams come true when the Raspberry Pi 5 finally debuts. Time will tell – and in the meantime, we encourage you to discuss and present your ideas.
