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5.0 (1 review)

That new Raspberry Pi® Model A or B computer you just got has a row of 2x13 pin headers soldered on - those are the GPIO (general purpose input/output) pins ...

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That new Raspberry Pi® Model A or B computer you just got has a row of 2x13 pin headers soldered on - those are the GPIO (general purpose input/output) pins and for those of us who like to hack electronics they are where the real fun is. By programming the Pi, you can twiddle those pins high or low, send and receive I2C and SPI data, and access the 3V and 5V power rails. This cable is not compatible with the Raspberry Pi Model B+

If you want to bridge those contacts out onto another PCB, you'll want this cable! It's 6" long and has 26 socket & wire sets. Pin #1 is marked with a white wire. If you have one of our nice Pi Box cases, you can even have this plugged in while the case is closed by passing the ribbon cable through the slot on the side.

New! Now available in our custom Adafruit Black

What is the Raspberry Pi® ? A low-cost ARM GNU/Linux box.

The Raspberry Pi® is a single-board computer developed in the UK by the Raspberry Pi Foundation with the intention of stimulating the teaching of basic computer science in schools. The design is based on a Broadcom BCM2835 system on a chip (SoC), which includes an ARM1176JZF-S 700 MHz processor, VideoCore IV GPU, and 256 megabytes of RAM. The design does not include a built-in hard disk or solid-state drive, instead relying on an SD card for booting and long-term storage. The Foundation plans to support Fedora Linux as the initial system software package/distribution, with support for Debian and Arch Linux as well - Wikipedia.

 


Raspberry Pi® is a trademark of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

 

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

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.
Headers
Rows of metal pins used to plug a module into a breadboard or connect it with jumper wires. Pre-soldered headers make the module easier to use straight away without needing to solder the pins yourself.
I2C
I2C is a two-wire communication bus used by many sensors and small modules. It matters because several I2C devices can share the same two wires, but each device needs a compatible address and your controller must support I2C.
PCB
A printed circuit board is a rigid board with copper tracks that connect electronic parts without loose wires. For this kit, the PCBs also form the airplane shape, so they are both the circuit base and part of the finished model.
RAM
RAM is temporary memory used while a device is running, and its contents are lost when power is removed. A “Run in RAM” mode is useful for testing settings without permanently programming the module, but it may not support every feature.
single-board computer
A complete computer built onto one circuit board, usually including the processor, memory, ports, and connectors. This matters because accessories like heatsinks must match the board’s layout and mounting holes to fit properly.
SPI
A fast serial communication bus often used for displays, memory cards, and sensors. It matters because SPI devices need specific pins for clock and data, plus a separate chip-select line for each device.
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