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News Raspberry Pi Zero W adds Wi-Fi, Bluetooth capabilities

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Gareth Halfacree, 28 Feb 2017.

  1. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Gareth Halfacree, 28 Feb 2017
    #1
  2. edzieba

    edzieba Virtual Realist

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    Both the CHIP and Orange Pi Zero are physically quite a bit larger than the Pi Zero W (and the Orange Pi Zero uses an outboard antenna too). If you want a basic wireless datalogger/interface with any processing offloaded to a remote device, than the Zero W looks like a good option. Power efficiency would also play into it: the Pi Zero W has a slower and smaller chip, but it's also fabbed on an older process.
     
    edzieba, 28 Feb 2017
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  3. Xlog

    Xlog Minimodder

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    If you just want basic datalogger/interface - just use esp8266 (cheaper, smaller, uses less power).
    ZeroW looks interesting for DIY wifi camera/ security device. Too bad it does not support mesh (802.11s) networking.
     
    Xlog, 28 Feb 2017
    #3
  4. VipersGratitude

    VipersGratitude Multimodder

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    Well, that's my new doorbell sorted :)
     
    VipersGratitude, 28 Feb 2017
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  5. Elspuddy

    Elspuddy Minimodder

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    I'll admit it , I brought one and a zero view, going to do a web can thing with it, just don't know if I'm going to put it in my nephews bed room or stick it in the dinning room so I can see if the cats want in , the last one might not work due to needing a night vision cam, I got one but it won't fit the zero view
     
    Elspuddy, 1 Mar 2017
    #5
  6. Isitari

    Isitari Minimodder

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    I use my original model B as an Ad-block server running pi-hole headlessly. Runs amazingly well and I even whitelist bit-tech ;)

    Sent from my SM-N915FY using Tapatalk
     
    Isitari, 1 Mar 2017
    #6
  7. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Have you used a CHIP? The thing ain't exactly massive. Interesting, too, that you're positioning the Orange Pi Zero's U.FL connector for an external antenna as a negative - that's a massive, *massive* positive 'cos even the antenna that comes with it is massively better than the ground-plane PCB antenna of the Pi Zero W (or the chip antenna of the Pi 3) and you have the option to replace it with something even bigger and better. There's a reason people have been ripping their Pi 3s apart to fit U.FL connectors of their own, y'know!

    Don't get me wrong, the Pi Zero W is great - but not necessarily the best tool for the job. You want a low-power wireless sensor node offloading the heavy processing work to something else? ESP8266 at under £2 a throw is the obvious answer: wireless, cheap, real-time, no OS to get in the way and crash, low-power sleep modes, and a power draw less than a tenth that of a Pi. You want to do on-board Linuxy and processing stuff? The Pi 3's going to be a better option, albeit at three times the price of the Pi Zero W.

    The Pi Zero W's real use-case comes in for compact short-range webcam applications (with the addition of the Camera Module and suitable mini-CSI-to-CSI cable) or projects that can be addressed using a HAT or pHAT add-on without you needing to do any of the work yourself.

    Oh, and I can offer some figures for power draw. I haven't got around to setting up the PSU and multimeter to test the Pi Zero W yet, but the original Pi Zero drew 100mA at idle and 250mA at load in my previous round of testing; by contrast, the Wi-Fi-equipped Arduino MRK1000 microcontroller drew 19.08mA at idle and 19.2mA at load - without using any of the low-power sleep states. That's a fifth the idle draw and one-thirteenth the load draw - without a single scrap of optimisation. Now those are the figures you want for a remote sensor node, not hundreds of milliamps.
     
    Gareth Halfacree, 1 Mar 2017
    #7
  8. Gareth Halfacree

    Gareth Halfacree WIIGII! Lover of bit-tech Administrator Super Moderator Moderator

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    Gareth Halfacree, 1 Mar 2017
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