The Pi is branded as a computer, and it is expected that we can connect various different devices to it. Raspbian is based on Debian. A majority of drivers are available within Raspbian and are getting larger with each new update. You might have some old USB peripherals lying around, for example, a joystick. If you can find a driver for any other Linux platform, it should be possible to make it work with Raspbian. Plug it in, use the lsusb command line, and check to see if it has been detected. If you manage to get it working with your knowledge, you should share your knowledge on a forum for other users; but, the process is not covered in this book.
You should consider buying these peripherals and dedicating them to your Pi. They will really make it easier to set everything up and are even used for long term.
As of the time of writing this book, the current Raspbian image supports a variety of wireless adapters—without the need to install any extra drivers. Many of the mini, nano, or micro versions run directly off the Pi's USB ports and do not require a power USB hub.
Because the Pi is limited to two USB ports, it might be wise to have a compatible, powered USB hub. Powered being the key word here, as this will allow you to plug in any USB device or several devices at the same time without affecting the Pi's power stability. As of this writing, Raspbian is not fully compatible with USB 3.0 hubs yet.
Most wired keyboards and mice will run directly off the Pi (since Revision 3). Many Bluetooth keyboards and mice also work directly off the Pi's USB ports, but require initial setup using a wired keyboard. Some wireless keyboards, such as the Microsoft 3000 series, do not need any configuration as they emulate a wired keyboard and can be used during boot time.
As you grow more familiar with your Pi, you will think up much bigger ideas. With such ideas, you might need a few more useful devices to help you out.
You can connect to the worldwide network by using a 3G dongle. These require a lot of power, and they need to run from a powered hub to operate at full speed. But, they are a really easy way to connect your Pi to the Internet, even in the most remote places of your country. As long as you have the basic voice signal, you should always be able to use GPRS (single channel 57.5 KBps or dual channel 115 KBps). This can be enough to send plenty of logging data as text. Some countries offer free text messages, and these can also be used to send and receive a minimum amount of data. If you plan to run a server, it would be recommended to use LAN or Wi-Fi connected to an ADSL/DSL connection instead.
The Pi has its own sound hardware, which is really good at giving you high definition sound over HDMI or analog sound via its RCA connection (you cannot use both). You might find yourself in a situation where you would like to record audio from a line input or a microphone; you could then use any USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 device.
Infrared (IR) receivers are a great way to control your Pi using conventional remote controls. The FLIRC USB IR remote dongle is a great way for you to start doing this.
This is the ultimate way to turn your Pi into a full DVR system. You can record, playback, or pause live TV from HD satellite or Digital TV. You can also listen to your favorite radio channels.
The Pi has a port for its own dedicated HD camera module. Owning one of these cameras is a real treat, but they do not have proper V4L (Video for Linux) support like most USB cameras. This means that doing some easy tasks can be much more complicated. There is a chapter dedicated to this later in the book.
These come in handy if you work with various types of cards. There is limited support on the generic types; but, the USB 3.0 USRobotics all-in-one card works really well, and you can mount all six cards at the same time.
WyoLum is a startup business that creates useful add-ons for various applications. Specifically, the AlaMode is an Arduino-compatible board with a real-time clock and microSD slot that sits on top of the Pi. You can communicate with Arduino using the Pi's dedicated Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART), and it can run on the Pi's power source. If you like electronic projects and are already familiar with Arduino, this is worth looking at. You can even use it to flash other Arduino compatible chips or upload firmware to run it on its own!
Though you may not like to downgrade from HDMI to VGA, you can purchase inline HDMI to VGA converters from your favorite online auction shops or electronic stores. You must make sure that you buy an ACTIVE converter, which is slightly more expensive than the passive converter. Active means that it contains a microcontroller that uses power from the HDMI port to convert the digital signal into the VGA standard. The Raspberry Pi is capable of powering these types of devices.
You might have some of these lying around in your gadgets box. Hopefully, reading about some of these less-used devices might spark some creative ideas.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller works as a mouse in X using the Arch Linux distribution. Other joysticks might need a ported driver that can be found on Internet forums.
You can purchase simple USB to SATA controllers that allow you to attach SATA hard drives by using the dedicated power supplies. The real fun begins when you use hardware RAID-based USB to SATA controllers that can be chained in various configurations. This can give you massive storage, high redundancy, and maximum performance. Be careful though, as the maximum throughput speed you can achieve is governed by the bandwidth of USB 2.0. In theory, this is a maximum speed of 60 MBps; but it is shared by all the devices on the controller and not per port. There is more information on this later in the book.
The CAN bus is the standard used in all modern motor vehicles. It is a standard port that gives mandatory data that can be interpreted by anybody. For example, throttle value, misfiring of cylinders, or air to fuel ratio. PEAK-System has a variety of peripherals and software that are compatible with the Pi. If you have access to the manufacturer-specific codes, you can even adjust engine mappings with these tools.
A compatible device called TellStick runs well as a third-party home automation device for the Pi. But as an advanced Linux user, you should strive to make your own applications; the best add-on for this is the AlaMode from WyoLum.