Raspberry Pi - What else do I need?

Although the Raspberry Pi is a fully-fledged computer, we still need a number of devices and parts to work with it.

Power supply

Power requirements vary greatly between Raspberry Pi models. The power supply should be selected accordingly. Generally speaking, it's better to have too much power than too little, as the Raspberry Pi can quickly become unstable if it receives too little power. 

Keyboard and mouse

The Raspberry Pi is shipped without a keyboard and mouse. However, some input device is essential for setup and programming. The keyboard and mouse are connected to the Raspberry Pi via USB. However, the Raspberry Pi Zero only has one micro-USB port for data and one for power. A USB hub is therefore required to connect all input devices.

Monitor

The screen can be connected to the Raspberry Pi via a mini-HDMI port. Therefore, an adapter cable is usually required.

SD card

The SD card stores the operating system and is therefore absolutely essential for operating a Raspberry Pi. You can purchase an SD card with the operating system installed, or you can write the image to the SD card yourself. This is now a simple process and will be described in the next article.

Housing

The Raspberry Pi is shipped without a case, which keeps the price low. However, a case is necessary for everyday use. Depending on the application, the case has different requirements. For a webcam used outdoors, a waterproof case with an IP67 rating is required.