Do you want to know how the 40-pin header of the Raspberry Pi Model B+ can be configured to interface the Pi to the real world? In order to help you obtain a good overview of the GPIO (general purpose input/output) pins, I draw a diagram with all these pins and their roles on the B+ board.
The B+ was released with extra GPIO pins, and this could be noticed as one of the significant change in the specifications. The new header with pins increases with 14 pins the number of the original B version. The Model B+ has now a significant impact on the way we work with all the 40-pin header.
The GPIO pins are the easiest way to interface the Pi with physical devices such as sensors, motors, buttons, LEDs, or other devices. Through these pins you can read the temperature detected by a temperature sensor, as well as display these values on a small LCD screen. In the new world of ‘Internet of Things’ you can send data and control robots over the Internet. In few words, the Pi pins let you leading a wide range of applications with or without an Internet connection.
The Raspberry Pi Model B+ GPIO Diagram
The RPi Model B+ GPIO pins Diagram
Few words about the RPi.GPIO library
The RPi A/B/B+ are the most popular single board computers on the market and powerful enough to run a full version of Linux. On the software side, you can find amazing ways to interact with pins and control devices with simple lines of code. If you’re a Python programmer, you have available a library called RPi.GPIO. With only three lines of code you can have an LED blinking applications.
Two Tips for GPIO pins
The Pi documentation is comprehensive and the community is always ready to help anyone with any problem. About the Pi pins, some mistakes can do damage or some information may be disregarded. In the following I write about two tips that can improve your work with Pi through its GPIO pin header.
1. Pins Protection
You have to work carefully with the pins in the header since they are directly connected to the Broadcom chip. Attaching the wrong component you can damage permanently the Pi. The most common mistakes are short circuits and incorrect wiring. You can pass these errors with a double check on your work. To be more sure about your circuit, you can use a Multimeter.
2. Power Pins
The header provide 3.3V on Pin 1, while on Pin 2 is powered with 5V. The 3.3V power supply is limited to 50 mA, while the 5V power supply is designed to draw the current directly from the microUSB supply