FIGURE 1.3 The Raspberry Pi power port and USB power plug.The power plug will allow you to plug into any wall socket for power. And you can use the USB
power plug to power other USB-compatible devices. If you plan on sticking the Raspberry Pi in a
backpack or case for travel, consider getting a USB power plug that has the ability to fold up its
power prongs. This will make the power plug into a nice small cube that is compact and easy to
carry.
Portable Power Supplies
A portable power charger is wonderful, basically giving your Raspberry Pi power wherever it goes
—but it is not cheap! A portable power charger typically contains a lithium ion battery and can be
charged either via a wall socket at home or a USB cable connected to a computer. You can charge
your portable power charger and carry it with you to power your Raspberry Pi when other power is
not available. To be able to power a Raspberry Pi, a portable power charger must be able to provide
the necessary 5 volts and 700mA. More expensive portable power chargers can be powered by
multiple sources, such as your car’s 12-volt power port as well as wall sockets.
You will still need to purchase a cable that has a USB A male connector on one end and a USB micro
B male connector on the other end, in order to connect the Pi to the portable power charger. The nice
thing about this is that you can charge your portable power at the same time you are powering your
Raspberry Pi at home. Just don’t forget to unplug your portable power charger when you remove or
insert peripherals on your Pi!
Output Display
For a very small device, the Raspberry Pi has the ability to display incredible images. It sports an
HDMI port for output and enables Blu-ray-quality playback. The Raspberry Pi also provides
composite output, allowing you the flexibility of using older equipment for output display. Once
again, you get a choice of what you use to get your Raspberry Pi functional.
Working with Older Display Equipment
If you have an old analog television, you can display your Raspberry Pi’s output to it. All you need is
a video composite cable with an RCA connector, typically yellow in color. The Raspberry Pi’s
composite output port is conveniently colored in a matching yellow color.
The composite output port is for video only. To get sound as well, you need an audio cable to plug
into the audio-out port on the Raspberry Pi. The audio cable’s other end is then connected to your
chosen sound output device (for example, external speakers).
Watch Out!: No VGA Support
The Raspberry Pi does not provide VGA support. You can use a DVI-to-VGA
converter with the DVI connection described below. However, this can add an
additional point of failure to your Raspberry Pi setup.You can also hook up a computer monitor with a DVI port on it. In this case, you need an adapter to
go from HDMI to DVI output. Also, like a composite video cable, DVI does not carry an audio signal.
Thus, you also need an audio cable for your Raspberry Pi’s sound output.
Working with Modern Display Equipment