Disassembling Available Electronics Boards: Raspberry Pi Zero Vs CHIP
DIY electronics boards are getting cheaper and cheaper. Since the launch of the Raspberry Pi, the hugely popular portable travel computer, countless new boards have emerged. However, some are cheaper and shallower than the $ 5 Raspberry Pi zero and the $ 9 CHIP. Let’s see how they compare.
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The Raspberry Pi Foundation introduced the original Raspberry Pi back in 2012. While it was definitely not the first tiny computer of its kind, it was the most popular. Hobbyists got carried away with the idea of ​​miniature computers with Linux support. Since the launch of the first Raspberry Pi, we’ve seen several changes to the Raspberry Pi and many other similar electronic boards .
The Raspberry Pi Zero and CHIP are two of the smallest and cheapest of these boards. You will find a full breakdown of the specs above, but let’s take a quick look at both of them:
- Raspberry Pi Zero : The Raspberry Pi Zero was announced late last year and was difficult to find in stock until recently. Now it has become more accessible. At $ 5, this is the cheapest Raspberry Pi model available. The Pi Zero is about the size of chewing gum and has one micro USB port for power and another micro USB port for connecting external devices. It also has a mini HDMI port for connecting to a display. As with other Raspberry Pi models, the Pi Zero’s primary operating system is Raspbian , but other operating systems are available.
- CHIP : The CHIP costs $ 9, but has several features that the Pi Zero lacks. It has the same micro USB for power and a standard sized USB port for external devices. It also comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, as well as 4GB of internal storage, eliminating the need for an SD card. The CHIP does not have an HDMI port, it uses a composite video output instead (although there is a $ 15 HDMI adapter if you need one).
Both the Raspberry Pi Zero and CHIP are exceptionally small, but the Pi Zero is easily the smaller of the two. It’s also flat where the CHIP is high, making it more attractive for any project where you really need the smallest board. This is achieved through readily available General Purpose I / O (GPIO). You can connect almost any external circuit or device to the GPIO chip, but the Pi Zero requires soldering. This extra GPIO footprint makes the chip about half the size of a standard Raspberry Pi, while the Pi Zero is even smaller and almost completely flat.
It’s also worth noting here that the running costs for both of these are slightly higher than the starting price suggests. Let’s say you already have a mouse, keyboard, and monitor. The Raspberry Pi Zero still requires at least a micro SD card ($ 7), a power supply ($ 7), and a mini HDMI cable ($ 8), bringing the total to about $ 27. The chip requires a power supply ($ 7) and an RCA cable ($ 6) for a total of up to $ 22. You can also skip it all and get a dedicated portable keyboard and screen called PocketC.HIP for $ 69, in which case you just need a charger.
It’s easier to get started with a CHIP, but the Raspberry Pi Zero is easier for beginners to use.
Both the Raspberry Pi Zero and CHIP are tiny computers that hobbyists can use to build their own electronic devices and teach kids to program. However, both have very different setup procedures.
CHIP is easily a winner when it comes to just getting started because it comes with the operating system installed. It runs a Debian- based version of Linux built specifically for CHIP. It’s as easy to use as possible and comes preloaded with software including Iceweasel web browser, AbiWord word processor, MPlayer video player, and more. more . Of course, you can also install any other Linux program you want.
Besides software, CHIP makes it easy to connect Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks. You will be doing both in the preferences panel as you would on any other operating system. CHIP is also pre-configured to automatically update the operating system and preinstalled software, so it’s a pretty reliable process.
That said, while getting started with the Raspberry Pi is a bit tricky, its official Raspbian operating system is considerably easier to use. Unlike a CHIP, the Raspberry Pi Zero does not come with an operating system installed. Before you do anything with your Raspberry Pi, you need to load the operating system onto the microSD card and then perform some parameters on first boot. We’ve walked you through this process and it’s pretty simple, but it’s still an extra step that isn’t required with CHIP.
When you actually compare Raspbian to the CHIP version of Debian, it’s not very difficult. Raspbian has been around for much longer, and it shows. It has a cleaner design, software loads quickly, and anyone who has touched a computer in the past decade knows how to use it. The CHIP operating system cannot be learned by any means, it is just not nearly as simple as Raspbian.
On top of all this, the community behind the Raspberry Pi is vastly larger than CHIP. Pretty much any project you do with the Raspberry Pi Zero will already have a ton of documentation and it’s easy to find support from other people in the community. The CHIP is new to the industry, and while its forums have a solid user base, the support is not as comprehensive as the Pi’s.
New users may struggle with the Pi Zero’s initial setup process more than CHIP, but once they get it up and running, the large Raspberry Pi community will make it easier to find project ideas and support if you need to troubleshoot. This makes it the best choice for most newbies.
The Raspberry Pi has many more operating system options
One of the best things about the Raspberry Pi community is the variety of different operating systems . The CHIP simply does not have such options.
While Raspbian is the officially supported and most useful operating system on the Raspberry Pi Zero, it certainly isn’t the only one. Optionally, you can install the OSMC media center operating system or the operating system of the RetroPie universal game emulator .
Also, while the initial cost of a micro SD card to install an operating system on a Raspberry Pi Zero is a little discouraging, it allows you to swap between different operating systems by simply swapping out the SD cards. This way, you can use one Pi Zero for many different projects without having to set it up from scratch every time.
At the moment, CHIP does not really have alternative operating systems. To change the operating system to CHIP, you go to the Flasher web page , but your options are currently limited to variations on the basic Debian version made for CHIP. Third party operating systems are technically supported but don’t exist yet.
At this point, the variety of operating systems that run the Raspberry Pi Zero sets it apart from the CHIP, which translates to more and simpler projects, especially when you consider the fact that people have made countless off-the-shelf SD cards with various projects such as Minecraft server or music streaming software is already installed.
The Raspberry Pi Zero is best for most people, but the built-in CHIP features are great for power users.
Every electronics project is slightly different, but the Raspberry Pi Zero is the best cheap DIY computer for most people. The breadth of support options, the variety of operating systems available, and overall ease of use make it a great option for both beginners and hobbyists.
However, the CHIP price is much more attractive for those looking to start a project that requires Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. The built-in repository is also a welcome addition if you have experience in customizing Debian to suit your needs. You won’t find the same support system around CHIP as the Pi Zero, but if you know what you are doing, you may not need it.