Raspberry Pi Zero W - v1.3

The Raspberry-Pi tailored for embedded project

The PiZero was really a wonderful board but it get even better with Raspberry Pi Zero W . The Pi Zero offers all the benefits of the Pi Zero v1.3 but with built-in WiFi!

This giant upgrade was possible with the BCM43143 WiFi chip now BUILT-IN on the Raspberry Pi Zero – just like the Pi 3! There’s also Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on board making the Pi an excellent IoT solution (BLE support is still in the works, software-wise).

We also have a PiZero W basic pack and PiZero starter pack with all the essentials to get your Zero W up and running.

At first glance, the Pi Zero W looks just like the Raspberry Pi Zero v1.3 we love. But when we started to think about what can be done, we immediately realise that makers would appreciate some additional electronics for hacking activities. So we created the PiZero starter pack.

This is the slimmest and most pared down Raspberry Pi to date. It is a kind of little brother of the Pi 3 - with just a micro SD card slot, a mini HDMI port, two micro USB ports (one for power, one for USB), and 512MB of RAM. It has a single-core 1 GHz processor chip, similar to the Pi A+ and B+.

The best part about all this is that the Pi Zero W keeps the same form factor than Pi Zero v1.3. They have the same shape, connectors and mounting holes. So almost 100% of cases and accessories should still be fully compatible with both the Pi Zero W and v1.3 .

Minimal accessories

Even if the PiZero W have a built-in WiFi, this board is still quite minimal and requires a few accessories to turn it into a computer! Here is the minimum we recommend:

• A quality 5V power supply - Either a 5V 2A with microUSB plug on the cable -OR- a  5V 1A power supply combined to Micro B USB cable. This would allow you to power up the Zero from a wall adaper.
  Avoids to power up the Zero from a computer USB port. The voltage is sometime very unstable which cause SD card corruption!
• 8Go+ SD Card with Operating System - You can pick up a 16G card with NOOBS 2.0 . You can also use a blank 16Go SD card to burn Raspbian Wheezy/Jessie and update the firmware. Make sure you have the latest version!
• Mini HDMI to HDMI Adapter - Will help you to convert the little hdmi port on the Zero to a standard sized HDMI jack. You can get 1080P HDMI video + audio out from this little computer!
• USB OTG Cable - USB OTG câble or tiny OTG lets you plug in a normal USB device such as USB hub, keyboard, mouse, wired ethernet on the Zero.
• USB Console cable - if you don't want to use an HDMI monitor then the USB Console Cable is essential. You can connect it on the GPIO pins and log in the Zero over a serial console. Its the easiest & fastest way to connect to your Pi.
• 2x20 Male header strip - Solder this 2x20 male header in to plug in Pi HATs, GPIO cables, etc as you would do with a normal Pi. You can also use a 2x20 Female and 2x20 Female right-angle style for more exotic connecting.

The Zero has a 2x20 connector but no header solder on it (this makes the Zero more economical). This header is not included or soldered on. Hacker and makers can easily solder in a set of 2x20 male header strip so any sort of Pi HAT or other plug-in topper can be plug on the GPIO as it was a normal Pi. You can also use a 2x20 female header and plug the Pi Zero directly into an Adafruit Cobbler or T-Cobbler.

Recommended accessories

We also strongly recommend some additionnal parts and pieces to make your Pi Zero computing experience easier.

• A Pi Zero Enclosure - Keeps your Pi Zero safe. We have several models of enclosure on the shop.
• A Pi Zero Protector - The Pi Zero Protector beep your Pi Zero safe while handling with this simple sandwich-style acrylic case. Very handy for prototyping :-)
• USB Powered Hub - a powered hub like this one allows you to plug in any kind of USB devices without overloading the Zero's power supply. (You can also, ironically, power the Zero from the hub itself by plugging in a micro USB cable into the hub)
• Mini Wireless Keyboard with Trackpad - Requires only one USB port, which makes it a great match for the Pi Zero. We have several models: the standard one, the ergonomic keyboard and the  fabulous multifunctions keyboard.
• Wired Keyboard + Mouse set - like this combo keyb+mouse ideal for everyday use but may requires more than one USB port.
• Cobbler - the Pi Cobbler or T-Cobbler can be used with the male or female 2x20 pin header soldered on the Pi Zero. With them, you can use your Zero with a breadboard to connect sensors, LEDs, motors and more!
• Ethernet Hub and USB Hub - would add USB and wired Ethernet support to your Pi Zero!