Top 10 Raspberry Pi Projects for Beginners

I made a retro console with a Pi 2, it’s amazing and great fun, but I made some observations: It runs better with a Pi 3. Using a USB WiFi dongle isn’t a good idea as you occasionally end up with a power usage warning that slows down the emulator, so if you’re not using internal storage, (mSD cards a perfect), use a wired connection for the best result. Learn how to console into the machine so that you can change the config for the individual emulators, universal controller mappings are a pain and updating each console via the config file will give you the best layouts: the wiki pages for each console on Git gives you the expected layout.

Another cool project is a Lossless audio player, (this is similar to the web radio player). You can easily buy a DAC for the Pi, (I purchased mine from iQaudIO with a case), and install something called Volumio. This is a native FLAC (and most everthing else), player that with the DAC plays at a really nice quality for the price, it’ll sit on a network/play via internal storage or USB and has a Spotify plug in and also web radio.

Got my Retropie finished after upgrading to the Pi 3, but I need to figure out what to do with the Pi 1. Was thinking of making a projector, but the only guides involved still cost like, $60 or more. Maybe I’ll do the VPN, though...

I made a retro console with a Pi 2, it’s amazing and great fun, but I made some observations: It runs better with a Pi 3. Using a USB WiFi dongle isn’t a good idea as you occasionally end up with a power usage warning that slows down the emulator, so if you’re not using internal storage, (mSD cards a perfect), use a wired connection for the best result. Learn how to console into the machine so that you can change the config for the individual emulators, universal controller mappings are a pain and updating each console via the config file will give you the best layouts: the wiki pages for each console on Git gives you the expected layout.

Another cool project is a Lossless audio player, (this is similar to the web radio player). You can easily buy a DAC for the Pi, (I purchased mine from iQaudIO with a case), and install something called Volumio. This is a native FLAC (and most everthing else), player that with the DAC plays at a really nice quality for the price, it’ll sit on a network/play via internal storage or USB and has a Spotify plug in and also web radio.

I attempted the DIY Amazon Echo project last month, because I love the idea of a digital assistant I can have some control over. I got as far as getting the Pi running headless and connected to wifi... then lost the network connection, spent an hour failing to get it back, and gave up. I feel like I should turn in my geek card. Still, lots of cool projects here, maybe even cool enough to get me to try again.

And then you get sucked in homelabbing and in no time you’re running full-fledged enterprise servers and doing hyperconverged virtualization...

Since you have some experience, do you have some such learning projects that you could recommend? Thanks

Got my Retropie finished after upgrading to the Pi 3, but I need to figure out what to do with the Pi 1. Was thinking of making a projector, but the only guides involved still cost like, $60 or more. Maybe I’ll do the VPN, though...

Agreed! My first Pi became a RetroPie console immediately and it’s the best money I never spent on a NES Classic. If Nintendo hadn’t been crap at inventory management they would have gotten my money and I would have been the poorer for it. As it is I’m diving back into FFVI, Secret of Mana, and all the other classics the NES Classic can’t touch. Phooey on you, Nintendo!

Got my Retropie finished after upgrading to the Pi 3, but I need to figure out what to do with the Pi 1. Was thinking of making a projector, but the only guides involved still cost like, $60 or more. Maybe I’ll do the VPN, though...

I made a retro console with a Pi 2, it’s amazing and great fun, but I made some observations: It runs better with a Pi 3. Using a USB WiFi dongle isn’t a good idea as you occasionally end up with a power usage warning that slows down the emulator, so if you’re not using internal storage, (mSD cards a perfect), use a wired connection for the best result. Learn how to console into the machine so that you can change the config for the individual emulators, universal controller mappings are a pain and updating each console via the config file will give you the best layouts: the wiki pages for each console on Git gives you the expected layout.

Totally agree. As an A B B+ v2 and v3 user/owner I’ve been wary of using these online projects as learning tools for kids because too many of them are IT versions of “cookbook chemistry” projects like making rock candy or mixing Mentos and Coke. Instead of a list of projects (because just about anything can be adapted to a RP) I’d like to see a curated list of projects that are structured for learning basic electrical engineering/circuitry or using exotic libraries in python etc.

Since you have some experience, do you have some such learning projects that you could recommend? Thanks

Not in a self contained projects - I’ve been using the ECS and trying to make projects fit certain objectives. I was wondering if anyone has started with a proven curriculum (like ECS) and crafted projects with RP to fit it. I’ve seen a couple of books and websites geared toward standards in England and Europe but nothing for US programs.

I am total crap at Raspberry Pi. I know how to code, and am good with hardware, I just haven’t done anything with my Pi other than make a retro game console. AND IT KICKS SO MUCH ASS IT MUST HAVE THREE LEGS. For a minimal investment, you can play pretty much any game made up until 1998-ish. A Pi is a worthwhile purchase if only for that reason.

Agreed! My first Pi became a RetroPie console immediately and it’s the best money I never spent on a NES Classic. If Nintendo hadn’t been crap at inventory management they would have gotten my money and I would have been the poorer for it. As it is I’m diving back into FFVI, Secret of Mana, and all the other classics the NES Classic can’t touch. Phooey on you, Nintendo!

Got my Retropie finished after upgrading to the Pi 3, but I need to figure out what to do with the Pi 1. Was thinking of making a projector, but the only guides involved still cost like, $60 or more. Maybe I’ll do the VPN, though...

I made a retro console with a Pi 2, it’s amazing and great fun, but I made some observations: It runs better with a Pi 3. Using a USB WiFi dongle isn’t a good idea as you occasionally end up with a power usage warning that slows down the emulator, so if you’re not using internal storage, (mSD cards a perfect), use a wired connection for the best result. Learn how to console into the machine so that you can change the config for the individual emulators, universal controller mappings are a pain and updating each console via the config file will give you the best layouts: the wiki pages for each console on Git gives you the expected layout.

player). You can easily buy a DAC for the Pi, (I purchased mine from iQaudIO with a case), and install something called Volumio. This is a native FLAC (and most everthing else), player that with the DAC plays at a really nice quality for the price, it’ll sit on a network/play via internal storage or USB and has a Spotify plug in and also web radio.

Agreed! My first Pi became a RetroPie console immediately and it’s the best money I never spent on a NES Classic. If Nintendo hadn’t been crap at inventory management they would have gotten my money and I would have been the poorer for it. As it is I’m diving back into FFVI, Secret of Mana, and all the other classics the NES Classic can’t touch. Phooey on you, Nintendo!

I just built my RetroPie last night, been playing most of the day today.

Another cool project is a Lossless audio player, (this is similar to the web radio player). You can easily buy a DAC for the Pi, (I purchased mine from iQaudIO with a case), and install something called Volumio. This is a native FLAC (and most everthing else), player that with the DAC plays at a really nice quality for the price, it’ll sit on a network/play via internal storage or USB and has a Spotify plug in and also web radio.

I attempted the DIY Amazon Echo project last month, because I love the idea of a digital assistant I can have some control over. I got as far as getting the Pi running headless and connected to wifi... then lost the network connection, spent an hour failing to get it back, and gave up. I feel like I should turn in my geek card. Still, lots of cool projects here, maybe even cool enough to get me to try again.

Got my Retropie finished after upgrading to the Pi 3, but I need to figure out what to do with the Pi 1. Was thinking of making a projector, but the only guides involved still cost like, $60 or more. Maybe I’ll do the VPN, though...

Another cool project is a Lossless audio player, (this is similar to the web radio player). You can easily buy a DAC for the Pi, (I purchased mine from iQaudIO with a case), and install something called Volumio. This is a native FLAC (and most everthing else), player that with the DAC plays at a really nice quality for the price, it’ll sit on a network/play via internal storage or USB and has a Spotify plug in and also web radio.

I will go through the links to learn more, but there are many so I would like to ask upfront if any of these are true learning projects or just ones that give you all the pieces (hardware and software) that you just put together? What I am looking for are projects that actually help learn hardware programming (with an emphasis on I/O controller programming, I guess) as well as perhaps some electrical engineering.

I am total crap at Raspberry Pi. I know how to code, and am good with hardware, I just haven’t done anything with my Pi other than make a retro game console. AND IT KICKS SO MUCH ASS IT MUST HAVE THREE LEGS. For a minimal investment, you can play pretty much any game made up until 1998-ish. A Pi is a worthwhile purchase if only for that reason.

Agreed! My first Pi became a RetroPie console immediately and it’s the best money I never spent on a NES Classic. If Nintendo hadn’t been crap at inventory management they would have gotten my money and I would have been the poorer for it. As it is I’m diving back into FFVI, Secret of Mana, and all the other classics the NES Classic can’t touch. Phooey on you, Nintendo!

I just built my RetroPie last night, been playing most of the day today.