Raspberry Pi - 25$ ARM Linux HDMI board

[avra]

This will be a nice target for Lazarus:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/28/raspberry_pi
http://www.raspberrypi.org

[avra]

They have not yet standardized main development tool that will be included in distribution. Maybe we can do something about it...

[jwdietrich]

Is there any option to buy an evaluation board? Currently, the shop lists only merchandise...

[herux]

No VGA output ?

[jwdietrich]

Obviously not. Video output is implemented with an RCA jack and HDMI output.

BTW, the unit is expected to go on sale in December 2011.

[avra]

No VGA output ?

You can use some HDMI to VGA adapter.

[jwdietrich]

Raspberry Pi is certainly a very attractive device, and I am sure that I will order two or three of them. This is certainly an ideal platform for home automation, robotics and control purposes, and it may even be a basis for special-purpose servers and MP3 players.

However, the question remains: Is the device a good basis for teaching programming?

There is a very interesting review in this context at http://www.i-programmer.info/professional-programmer/i-programmer/3419-raspberry-pi-or-programming.html.

To cite the author: The point is that we don't really need more hardware to get kids interested in computers - we need the right software.

This supports my idea I have for several days now (motivated by avra): To develop a special Linux distribution for Raspberry Pi with well integrated Lazarus / Free Pascal. I certainly don't have enough free time to do this, but I would like to suggest it to the community. I hope that somebody will have enough time and enthusiasm to do this.

Even if Harry Fairhead states that modern programming languages have a steep learning curve because they are object-oriented we are in the lucky situation that, unlike some other languages, ObjectPascal has a mature object-oriented philosophy, however it isn't agressively object-oriented. Therefore it would be the ideal basis for implementing the original goal of the Raspberry Pi project, education in programing.

[eny]

Even if Harry Fairhead states that modern programming languages have a steep learning curve because they are object-oriented

Yeah, this is not necessarily true; it was hard for 'older'  people, coming from a 3GL background to make the paradigm shift.
OO programming at is basics is not that difficult; the difficulty lies in mastering the platform that comes with the programming environment or OS.

Interesting platform though; might bridge the gap between MCU programming (PIC/AVR) and the already exising mini-computer platform mini-itx (http://www.mini-itx.com/).
But not a platform to merely start learning programming.

[jwdietrich]

I think what Harry Fairhead has in mind are languages like Java with its complex class and domain structure. With respect to class libraries there is not much to miss in Free Pascal and Lazarus, and in general Pascal seems to be more appropriate for teaching and learning programming than Java. (And at least in my opinion it is also an excellent language for professional development, in order to address a common misconception).

[avra]

Interesting platform though; might bridge the gap between MCU programming (PIC/AVR) and the already existing mini-computer platform mini-itx

Although PI has SPI, I2C, 232 and some GPIO, it is still missing the full hardware control, real time processing, variety of IO pins (ADC, DAC, PWM...). You might use SPI/I2C chips to compensate this, but it adds complexity. Also you will have much longer battery life with some MCU then with PI. Therefore I agree it is not a replacement but a very useful bridge between microcontrollers and PCs. There are situations where you must use microcontrollers, but there are also situations where using a Linux device helps you to abstract complexity and use high level programming instead. Just imagine that for example you have to build a custom device with a lot of GPS/GPRS/TCPIP/HTTP/FTP functionality, and using existing functionality already available in Linux can save you months of work. So far you had to use something like this http://www.friendlyarm.net/products/mini2440, but PI might be a better and cheaper option in many places. I just wonder if it will be possible at all to order something like 100 pcs and ship them internationally.

[avra]

Is there any option to buy an evaluation board? Currently, the shop lists only merchandise...

First 100 test batch boards will be put on auction. I expect them to reach much higher price. Next batch should be available in shop.

[avra]

This supports my idea I have for several days now: To develop a special Linux distribution for Raspberry Pi with well integrated Lazarus / Free Pascal.

This is exactly what I am hoping for. I would even go one step further. PI authors have not yet decided about their standard development environment, so if there are enough voices of Pascal community heard on PI website then they might even consider to put Lazarus at least as an alternative if not the main development tool. I think that the time has finally come to fully exploit the wrong myth about Pascal as just an education language and push it to the limits as our advantage. You want an easy development tool for learning kids programming? We have the best thing ever! If we are lucky, then PI might even become a new Arduino like phenomena and Lazarus gains tens of thousands of new developers. Imagine that!

[jwdietrich]

You want an easy development tool for learning kids programming? We have the best thing ever! If we are lucky, then PI might even become a new Arduino like phenomena and Lazarus gains tens of thousands of new developers. Imagine that!

I fully agree with you.

We will be successful if we help others to be successful. In other words: if we create an environment that makes software development rapid, easy and reliable then we don't have much trouble to convince potential users.

My vision would be to offer an SD card containing a working Linux distribution for PI with pre-installed Lazarus/FPC. This might either be sold for a modest price or offered as an image file for free download.

Then for users the way to success would have four steps:

1. Buy a Raspberry PI
2. Buy or download the Linux/Lazarus distribution for PI
3. Insert the SD card
4. Start programming.

[jwdietrich]

As just noted on the Raspberry PI homepage, an IO extension, the Gertboard, will be available in order to control motors, run sensors and do other stuff that is essential for control purposes.

See http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/411 for details.

[jwdietrich]

There are discussions on the PI forum on the programming language of choice:

http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=1108 is a thread about the best first language

http://www.raspberrypi.org/forum?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=974 is a dedicated discussion on Free Pascal and partly Lazarus.