Arduino Compatible Base Board For Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, HDMI, USB, M.2 Slot

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

ADC

An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.

ADS7830

A specific 8-channel analogue-to-digital converter chip used to read analogue signals and send the results over I2C. The part number matters because it tells you the board’s resolution, channel count, input modes, and software support requirements.

edge computing

Edge computing means processing data close to where it is collected, such as on the device itself, rather than sending everything to the cloud. This can reduce delays, internet dependence, and privacy concerns in sensor, camera, and robotics projects.

eMMC

Embedded MultiMediaCard is built-in flash storage soldered onto a board, similar in purpose to an SD card but integrated. It matters because it holds the operating system and files without needing a separate memory card.

GPIO

General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.

HDMI

HDMI is a common digital video and audio connection used by computers, media players, and many displays. If a display kit has HDMI input, it is usually much easier to test with a single-board computer because it can act like a normal monitor.

Headers

Rows of connector contacts on a fixed pitch (commonly 2.54 mm) used to link a board to a breadboard, jumper wires, or another board. They come as male pin headers and female socket headers; when a module ships with pre-soldered headers it can be used straight away, whereas bare pads require soldering the pins yourself.

IoT

Short for Internet of Things, meaning physical devices that connect to networks or the internet to send data or be controlled remotely. It matters if you want projects such as connected sensors, remote controls or classroom data-logging activities.

LED

A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.

M.2

M.2 is a compact edge-connector standard for plugging small modules - such as SSDs, wireless cards or microcontroller modules - into a host board without soldering. The same slot shape can carry different interfaces (for example PCIe, SATA or USB), so keying and the supported module type need to be checked.

MIPI

MIPI is a high-speed display and camera interface often used inside phones, tablets, and embedded devices. It matters because raw MIPI displays usually need special driver hardware or software support, unlike plug-and-play HDMI screens.

NVMe

A high-speed storage standard commonly used by modern SSDs. NVMe support matters if you want faster storage for large AI models, video files or operating system images than a typical microSD card can provide.

Type-C

USB Type-C (USB-C) is a small, reversible USB connector used for charging, power, and data transfer on many modern devices. A Type-C port or plug indicates the cable and charger connection needed to power, charge, or communicate with a device.

USB 2.0

USB 2.0 is a widely used wired standard for carrying both data and power between a device and a computer or other compatible host, with data rates up to 480 Mbps. It indicates the kind of port a device uses and that it should work with most modern and many older computers.

USB Type-C

USB Type-C is a small, reversible USB connector used for power, data and sometimes video on many modern devices. The connector itself does not guarantee a particular speed or voltage, so check the supported USB version, data rate and whether it carries more than 5V via USB Power Delivery.