The Pimoroni Pibrella is a one stop shop of gadgets to interface to your Raspberry Pi (A, A+, B, and B+). It gives you a tactile switch (big red button), 3 x LEDs (Red, Amber, Green), a Piezo speaker, 4 x protected inputs, and 4 x high-power outputs. Each of the 8 inputs and outputs has its own LED so that you can see what's happening. All the on-board gadgets can be used from Python and Scratch with code libraries available from the pip Python package installer. For examples and getting started guide, go to the Pibrella dedicated website.The high power interfacing is performed by a ULN2003A Darlington array which supports 500mA per channel as long as the total current draw for the entire chip is kept below 500mA. This means you can have one channel draw 500mA or 4 channels draw 125mA each. Of course, that current has to come from somewhere and the standard 1A supply on the B for example hasn't got much to spare. Consider upgrading to the 2A PSU recommended for the B+. With this kind of power at your disposal you can be more adventurous in your projects by including devices like motors, relays, solenoids etc.The Pibrella is a great tool for learning electronics; make noises, run traffic lights, spin motors, don't press the big red button. |
