Raspberry Pi Webcam Server
The Raspberry Pi is a single board computer with an ARM 11 processor. The model I am using is
a Model B rev 1. It is important to note that this computer runs RISC architecture and not CISC
which means all programs, must be compiled or programmed to run with RISC. Although RISC is
very limiting with the range of programs that the Raspberry Pi can use, it allows for compact board
design and low power processing.
The board was designed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation to be an affordable computer to teach children in the UK about programming. Eventually the open source community adopted it because of its high programability and affordability. The potiental for hobbyist projects are endless.
Here are the specs of the current models out on the market
| Model A | Model B rev 2 (rev1) | |
| Price: | $25 | $35 |
| SoC: | Broadcom BCM2835 (CPU, GPU, DSP, SDRAM, and single USB port | |
| CPU: | 700 MHz ARM1176JZF-S core (ARM11 family) | |
| GPU: | Broadcom VideoCore IV OpenGL ES 2.0 (24 GFLOPS) MPEG-2 and VC-1 (with license), 1080p30 h.264/MPEG-4 AVC high-profile decoder and encoder |
|
| Memory (SDRAM) | 256 MB (shared with GPU) | 512 MB (shared with GPU) as of 15 October 2012 (rev1 256mb) |
| USB 2.0 Ports | 1 (direct from BCM2835 chip) | 2 (via the built in integrated 3-port USB hub) |
| Video outputs | Composite RCA (PAL and NTSC), HDMI (rev 1.3 & 1.4), raw LCD Panels via DSI 14 HDMI resolutions from 640×0 to 1920×00 plus various PAL and NTSC standards |
|
| Audio outputs | 3.5 mm jack, HDMI, and, as of revision 2 boards, I²S audio (also potentially for audio input | |
| Onboad storage | SD / MMC / SDIO card slot (3,3V card power support only) | |
| Onboard network | None | 10/100 Ethernet (8P8C) USB adapter on the third port of the USB hub |
| Low-level peripherals | 8 ×PIO, UART, I²C bus, SPI bus with two chip selects, I²S audio +3.3 V, +5 V, ground | |
| Power ratings | 300 mA (1.5 W) | 700 mA (3.5 W) |
| Power source | 5 volt via MicroUSB or GPIO header | |
| Size | 85.60 mm ×3.98 mm (3.370 in ×.125 in) | |
| Weight | 45 g (1.6 oz) | |
| Operating system | Debian GNU/Linux, Raspbian OS, Fedora, Arch Linux ARM, RISC OS, FreeBSD, Plan 9 | |
