The Raspberry Pi was first created in 2012, with the intention of making digital creation accessible to all. Since then, more than 14 million units have been sold to adults and children alike. Pis of different kinds are used in classrooms, libraries, research laboratories, and of course, hackerspaces all over the world. Builders, coders and hackers are using this amazing device to create everything from doomsday switches to fruit ripening detectors. In this new Raspberry Pi Annual, we’ll bring you all the basics with step-by-step tutorials in setting up your Pi and advice from Pi pros. We’ll also show you the secrets of Pi interfacing, how to create a virtual reality setup, some exciting Python projects – and much more.

Welcome to Raspberry Pi Annual

SECRETS of PI INTERFACING • Learn how to design simple electronic circuits to interface your Raspberry Pi to real-world devices

UNDERSTAND THE PI’S GPIO HARDWARE • Discover the Pi’s GPIO hardware – its gateway to the real world

HOW TO CONNECT A SWITCH AND AN LED TO THE PI • Interfacing a switch or an LED to the GPIO header really couldn’t be simpler

LOGIC CIRCUITRY EXPLAINED • Understand logic circuitry to add extra functionality to your interface

WORK WITH LOGIC GATES TO USE FEWER GPIO PINS • Logic circuitry can allow you to connect more devices to the Pi’s limited GPIO pins

EXCEED LIMITS SAFELY • Interface devices that exceed the GPIO’s maximum voltage or current rating

Create a Pi-powered virtual reality setup • Combine the Raspberry Pi, Python-VRZero and 3D graphics module Pi3D to edit or make virtual reality environments

Use the Raspberry Pi to take control of your drone • Create code which enables you to customise and automate drone flights, retrieve flight data and respond to the drone tag

LEGO Macintosh Classic • This recreation of an old Mac in LEGO is a heady mix of contemporary technology and childhood nostalgia

Part 1: Command the seas with Sense HAT Battleships • Use the features of the Sense HAT to code the classic strategy game of Battleships complete with sound effects

Part 2: Command the seas with Sense HAT Battleships • The final part of our series on creating the classic game of Battleships using a Sense HAT on a Raspberry Pi

Write more with Scripto • Make procrastination a thing of the past with the help of Craig Lam’s distraction-free writing tool

Use your Raspberry Pi to find and track your phone • Create a program that locates Bluetooth devices and responds to them

Make a Raspberry Pi doomsday switch • Keep your data safe with a handy ‘nuke’ password to erase your home folder in case of emergency

Create a real-time LED humidity display with Python • Use the Astro Pi (aka SenseHAT) to take humidity readings and immediately display the results

The top 20 Raspberry Pi add-ons • Add multiple dimensions to the way you use your Raspberry Pi with this collection of essential add-ons

How to turn a Raspberry Pi into a walkie talkie • The talkiepi boasts an intuitive push-to-talk interface that’s perfect for kids and big kids alike. Creator Daniel Chote talks us through this personal project

Make an egg-drop game with the Sense HAT • Use the same hardware that Major Tim Peake used on the ISS and code your own drop-and-catch game

Get to grips with the Enviro pHAT • Take weather-related readings such as temperature and pressure, track movement, measure light and even identify the colour of an object

PolaPi Zero • Pierre Muth’s camera project is a creative mix of nostalgic Polaroid printing with digital capabilities

Preserve your Raspberry Pi's microSD card • Use a few tweaks and USB-booting to prolong your SD card and avoid losing important Raspberry Pi...