Raspberry Pi Projects and News
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Linux Kernel 6.2 Set To Enable Easier 4K Connections for Raspberry Pi | Tom's Hardware
Presently, you can connect the Pi 4 to a pair of 4K monitors, thanks to its dual micro-HDMI ports, and it will happily display its Debian-based desktop across them, at a refresh rate of 30Hz. This isn’t enough for some people, and the option exists to raise the output of one of the ports - the one nearest the USB-C power input socket - to 60Hz. To do this, you need to edit the config.txt file from a Terminal window then select it in the screen configuration utility. It’s a fiddly job, but perfectly in line with the Raspberry Pi (opens in new tab) ethos.
Version 6.2 of the Linux kernel seems about to change all that. For some time, you’ve been able to use an unofficial patch (opens in new tab) to drive both ports at 60Hz, but official support missed the merge window for kernel 5.15, then a regression occurred from 5.18 that made things worse.
The new code in kernel 6.2 does slightly more than simply unlock the higher refresh rate. To use it, you need a monitor and HDMI cable capable of carrying and displaying the signal, and HDMI detection code has been reworked to permit automatic configuration if the entire chain is compliant.
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Raspberry Pi Protects Candy by Screaming at Trick or Treaters | Tom's Hardware
Halloween 2022 may have already been and gone but this project serves as inspiration for 2023! Haloween is an exciting holiday but what can you do to stop would-be candy thieves from running off with all of your sweet treats? Dr. David Pride has developed a Raspberry Pi-powered solution to this problem with his “Super Spooky Sweetie Stealer Stopper” project. When trick-or-treaters approach the candy bowl, this Pi-powered horror blasts them with air duster while emitting a horrifying scream.
Dr. Pride joined our Raspberry Pi-themed podcast, The Pi Cast, and he showed us what the project looks like in action and provided a thorough breakdown of its design. According to Dr. Pride, he was inspired to create the project while cleaning an old PC with a can of compressed air. Spraying the can while upside down creates a visible smoky blast which it makes it the perfect tool for his screaming mask project.
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Raspberry Pi RP2040 PCB Streams and Records Game Boy Games | Tom's Hardware
The Raspberry Pi is no stranger to retro gaming but this is one of the first Pi projects we’ve seen that allows users to capture gameplay from original Game Boy hardware. Using a custom PCB created by maker Sebastian Staacks, users can record and stream original Game Boy games. In his demonstration, Staacks is using a Game Boy Color which is cross-compatible with original Game Boy games.
The adapter was designed from scratch and features a Raspberry Pi RP2040 processor as its main controller. It plugs directly into the cartridge slot of a Game Boy DMG-01 or Game Boy Color and has a port on the top in which original Game Boy games can be connected. This adapter captures data in real time and transmits the visual feed to your PC so it can be recorded or streamed.
With this setup, the game is not connected directly to the Game Boy but the adapter allows for seamless gameplay with no interference on the main screen. However, there is a slight delay in the capturing process that leads to an occasional skipped frame on the captured video. According to Staacks, it has an average refresh rate of 24 fps.
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Raspberry Pi Costume Automatically Dispenses Candy
There are no tricks with this Raspberry Pi project—only treats available on demand thanks to this amazing, wearable project created by maker Yinglish119. Instead of just creating a simple candy dispenser, Yinglish119 has turned his idea into a totally portable and wearable Nerds costume that looks just like the candy it provides.
Yinglish119 himself is dressed in suspenders and bowtie combo while sporting a huge Nerds candy box which contains all of the Pi-powered goodness we love. To get the candy to dispense, users wave their hands in front of an ultrasonic sensor which triggers the mechanisms inside to dispense a box of candy out of the bottom of the giant Nerds box.
According to Yinglish119, the candy is magazine loaded and pushed through the bottom thanks to a continuously rotating servo motor. When the sensor detects a user, it initiates a wheel inside the suit which picks up a box of candy and moves it down the channel, guiding it out to the platform at the base of the costume.