A 10 dollar PCB turns the Raspberry pi zero into a portable Linux PC

Skanky Sylveon · March 30, 2019

The SnapOnAir PCB allows your Raspberry pi zero (or zero w) to become a portable Linux PC of sorts.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/fossbytes.com/turn-your-raspberry-pi-zero-into-a-portable-linux-pc-with-this-10-pcb/amp/

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When it comes to low-power single board computers, Raspberry Pi Zero is one of the cheapest minicomputers priced at $5. For an additional $5, you can get in-built Wi-Fi and Bluetooth by purchasing Raspberry Pi Zero W. However, to set it up and running, you need accessories like a display, a keyboard, and a mouse.

I would like to add to this. You need adapters for the Raspberry pi zero. You need a micro HDMI to HDMI cable/adapter, and a USB OTG adapter, as well as possibly needing a USB hub due to having only one USB data port.

You trade convenience for the tiny form factor. But for the price, and form factor, it's great, so great that Adafruit limits to only one raspberry pi zero per purchase, or else they would be bought out. There is no shortage in demand for these tiny computers.

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What about a standalone accessory that turns Raspberry Pi Zero W into a portable Linux PC? Here is the SnapOnAir Raspberry PI ZERO PCB available on Tindie that allows you to add a 2.8 Color ILI9341 TFT display and a TCA8418 I2C chip based keyboard.

While attaching a small display to a raspberry pi is nothing new, a PCB that has a keyboard and screen would make for a very versatile little device, while you may question the usefulness for such a device when we have smartphones, the android operating system isn't really good for getting actual work done. It's great for content consumption, and you can use it as a word editor, that's really about it. Having a PDA like device running raspbian could be useful for several people.

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You can also connect a buzzer, a mono-audio source or a digital microphone in the 3.5mm audio port provided. Also, the SnapOnAir Raspberry PI ZERO PCB is compatible with nRF24 trx sub-boards.

3.5mm jack? I guess they're brave enough to not mimic Apple . Ok, petty jokes aside, an nRF24 board is a wireless 2.4GHz audio streamer, you can read more about it here.

https://www.nordicsemi.com/Products/Low-power-short-range-wireless/nRF24-series

So this board has some robust options when it comes to audio and audio transmission. You could possibly use these as a walkie talkie, or perhaps a radio of sorts.

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As a cherry on top, the PCB is available at a dirt cheap price of $10.

The PCB itself, yes, but keep in mind that the screen, keyboard, and anything else is not included, so it's going to be a decent amount more to set this up.

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A recent update has hinted that the PCB could also support an 1800 mAh battery which makes it further useful in making DIY projects like handheld pagers and other IoT devices.

While ot would be possible to strap this onto a phone charger, that would be less then elegant, so in built battery support would be nice.

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A word of caution — there is a lot of DIY involved as it is but a standalone PCB and you need to attach additional accessories to make a functional handheld Linux PC. Nonetheless, the board looks exciting and is a must-buy for DIY enthusiasts.

Yes, from the looks of it, there will be a lot of surface mounted soldering, which is a lot more difficult then through hole soldering, although this could make a decent soldering project that's not too expensive (so if you mess it up, it's not the end of the world).

And now some of my personal thoughts, there has been a lot of neat little projects involving the raspberry pi zero, from the mintypi to a hidden compact surveillance camera, to even a projector. That in itself has proven that the pi zero is extremely versatile, and is the right price for DIY projects. While I would consider the SnapOnAir board rather niche, it has its place, although the pi zero is rather slow, so don't expect this to be the snappiest of portable PCs.