Categories: News

Introducing the new Raspberry Pi Zero ‘W’

You all might be familiar with Raspberry Pi; the mini computer that changed the world of hobbyist and hackers. On 26 November 2015, the Raspberry Pi Zero, was launched at US $5. On 28th February 2017 a new variant of Pi Zero – The Raspberry Pi Zero W with WiFi and Bluetooth via chip scale antennas was launched. This is now the cheapest Pi with wireless network connectivity. So what makes the Raspberry Pi Zero W such a big deal?

The Raspberry Pi Zero is half the size of a Model A+, with twice the
utility. A tiny Raspberry Pi that’s affordable enough for any project. The only problem is that, in order to connect the device to network, you will either need an external USB WiFi adapter or USB to Ethernet adapter.

Raspberry Pi Zero W

The new Raspberry Pi Zero W model have an inbuilt WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity which resolves the connectivity issues.

Raspberry Pi Zero W Specs

  • 1GHz, Single-core CPU
  • 512MB RAM
  • Mini-HDMI port
  • Micro-USB OTG port
  • Micro-USB power
  • HAT-compatible 40-pin header
  • Composite video and reset headers
  • CSI camera connector (v1.3 only)

One of the major benefits of using one of the two models of Raspberry Pi Zero, including the new wireless model, is the lack of power consumption. This is handy for mobile projects where you’re running off a battery. The addition of Wi-Fi draws a little extra power.

Wifi Antenna

The WiFi chipset on the Raspberry Pi Zero W is the same as the one on the Raspberry Pi 3, but the antenna is a little bit different. In Pi 3, antenna is mounted on a white chip but in Raspberry Pi Zero W, antenna is printed on top of the board.
This antenna is a resonant cavity that is etched over each layer of PCB structure. The radio waves resonate in this cavity and this cavity makes the radio waves resonate at the right frequency. The two components on top are two capacitors that capture the radio waves and send these signals to the chipset.
Jithin Sanal

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