There's a lot of Raspberry Pi information going around lately. Whether it’s Pi 3, Zero, Zero W or one of the many previous iterations, any forum will have thousands of people giving all the answers possible to a problem. Though most methods work for any version, it can be tough to decide which information to choose. The Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Starter Kit is a great way to gain a solid introduction to the small, credit-card-sized computer. With this kit you will be able to get your Raspberry Pi 3 B+ connected through our SparkFun Pi Wedge to a breadboard and, by utilizing the RPi's 40-pin GPIO, will be able to control pushbuttons, LEDs and a host of user-created circuits.
The online guides and tutorials we will be providing for the kit and the full release of the RPi 3 B+ will contain step-by-step instructions for how to set up your Raspberry Pi and how to program it in a variety of languages.
This kit will not require any soldering and is recommended for anyone with a drive to learn more about the Raspberry Pi and its programming. So if you are looking for a new challenge or a way to get in on the RPi craze, check out the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Starter Kit!
If a board needs code or communicates somehow, you're going to need to know how to program or interface with it. The programming skill is all about communication and code.
Skill Level: Competent - The toolchain for programming is a bit more complex and will examples may not be explicitly provided for you. You will be required to have a fundamental knowledge of programming and be required to provide your own code. You may need to modify existing libraries or code to work with your specific hardware. Sensor and hardware interfaces will be SPI or I2C.
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If it requires power, you need to know how much, what all the pins do, and how to hook it up. You may need to reference datasheets, schematics, and know the ins and outs of electronics.
Skill Level: Rookie - You may be required to know a bit more about the component, such as orientation, or how to hook it up, in addition to power requirements. You will need to understand polarized components.
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We welcome your comments and suggestions below. However, if you are looking for solutions to technical questions please see our Technical Assistance page.
Based on 2 ratings:
You buy a starter kit because you don't know anything about the platform and on a recommendation that it will work with my real target, the pulsed radar breakout. Now it appears that there's an issue with the SD card, or the files on it, or the hardware to support it. I think I know this because I'm now deeply immersed in the forum(s) in order to figure out why the ACT led won't blink at all with the system hooked up using only the parts suggested in the hookup guide. The forum says that every PI is factory tested before it leaves so how did it arrive this way? Not exactly the path of learning I was looking for...Going back to previous reviews, it appears they are 3+ years old and should probably be removed to encourage more current feedback.
I am sorry to hear your Pi starter kit is not working properly. If you fill out a return ticket we can get you taken care of: https://www.sparkfun.com/returns
I liked the kit and how fast it was shipped. I like the quality of SparkFun overall. However, I found out that the SDCard reader is faulty. When I plug it into the computer USB port, it because very hot (means some short circuit). I couldn't use it but I managed to work directly with the Pi through SSH.
I am sorry to hear your kit had a defective SD card reader. If you fill out a return ticket we can get you taken care of: https://www.sparkfun.com/returns