ChApTEr 2 ■ hArdwArE for IoT SoluTIonSThe LCD interface is also interesting because there is now a 7" LCD touch panel that connects to the
DSI port (http://element14.com/community/docs/DOC-78156/l/raspberry-pi-7-touchscreen-display).
I have yet to acquire one of these (they are in short supply), but I have some really neat ideas for a wall-
mounted console for monitoring my IOT solutions. I have also seen a number of interesting Raspberry Pi
tablets built using the new LCD touch panel. You can learn about one promising example (made by Adafruit,
so I expect it to be excellent) at http://thingiverse.com/thing:1082431.^13
Aside from that, the Raspberry Pi has been my go-to board for all manner of requirements, from a more
powerful sensor node to a data aggregation node to hosting a database and web server. There are also many
examples from the community on how to employ the Raspberry Pi in your projects. For more information
about the Raspberry Pi, see Chapter 6.
Raspberry Pi B
The Raspberry Pi B model is an older version of the Pi 2B discussed earlier with fewer features. I include
it in this list because this board is plentiful and can sometimes be found at a discount compared to the
newer Raspberry Pi boards. Even so, it has 512MB of RAM, two USB ports, and an Ethernet port. As a plus,
accessories such as cases are also plentiful and cheaper than those for the newer models.
I have found only a few cases where I needed the more powerful Pi 2B. Thus, if you can find some
of these older boards, you can save some money (that is, if you do not need the extra USB ports or other
features of the P2i 2B). Figure 2-29 shows an example of an earlier version of the Raspberry Pi B.
Figure 2-29. Raspberry Pi Model B
(^13) The case is a 3D-printed affair, so you’ll need to find someone to print it for you if you do not have a 3D printer. A full
tutorial on how to build it is included.