Raspberry Pi Zero: GPIO Pins
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- Опубліковано 6 лют 2025
- Soldering GPIO pins to a Raspberry Pi Zero. Then installing it in a Pibow case, wiring up some LEDs, and bringing them to life with Python code!
You may also enjoy my other Raspberry Pi videos, including this review of the Pi Zero: • Raspberry Pi Zero: Rev...
My “Raspberry Pi Robotics #1: GPIO Control video”, in which I cover GPIO in more depth, is here: • Raspberry Pi Robotics ...
The Pi Hut "Essential Raspberry Pi Zero Kit" can be found here: thepihut.com/p...
The Pibow Zero Raspberry Pi Zero case is here (though can be found on many other retailers too): shop.pimoroni....
More videos on computing-related topics can be found at: / explainingcomputers
You may also like my ExplainingTheFuture channel at: / explainingthefuture
the fact that you got so happy about a tin made me happy.
"If that's not exciting to you, you probably shouldn't be doing this kind of stuff" LOL This killed me, you could feel how passive aggressive that was.
I'm no pro, but I love soldering. It's so relaxing and mentally rewarding.
"If this doesn't that doesn't excite you, you probably shouldn't be doing this stuff." Wise words brilliantly put! It's a pleasure to learn from you sir.
:)
A few soldering "tips:"
1) constant temp soldering irons are wonderful
2) I use a spade tip for all soldering tasks.
3) for through the hole parts I hold the iron on the lead for a maximum of 2-3 seconds (usually 2 is enough) at 385 C. High temp and brief contact is the way.
4) to solder a row of attached pins I solder one pin at the end of the the row (or one at each end of the row) to start. If the line of pins is not straight and flat against the board, one can heat the soldered pin and readjust the pins position in the pcb.
Even if your videos weren't so bloody informative I would watch, because you are very entertaining. Thanks for the education!
Many thanks! :)
This dude is the best at explaining things simply!!!
Everyone else gets hard from trying to make things seem complicated.
Videos like this elevate your show from informative about modern technology to educational on a whole other level.
This makes an intro to Python way more digestible and more casual to take in; it works really well; the soldering part is great too; I was fairly sure I could pull it off, fingers crossed, but after double checking my mental practice with your demo it should be a no pressure situation, just pay attention and be careful.
Thanks for this. :) You may enjoy some of my other GPIO / Python / electronics videos -- my favourite is this one: ua-cam.com/video/NAl-ULEattw/v-deo.html And then there's a whole whost on Pi robotics: ua-cam.com/play/PL2m2YvnrOYxLOZG0TGQgm9LAEYuvaglzY.html Enjoy! :)
Thats fantastic; thank you.
Also big plus on your constant adding resistors, and those finer touches with a clear explination as to why; but without going over board with complexity!
Can't agree more!
My wife can recognize you now :D
She think it’s a TV channel which review boards every night.
For soldering pins I would suggest a 15 watt iron is a little under powered. It was only just melting the solder when applied to the pins. A 25 watt would probably be a better choice. Although hotter it will complete the job faster, so no danger to the PCB or components and it will make a better joint.
yes ;)
his soldering is rather bad. too low power as it do t go through hole. dry solder
+Tangobaldy Yes, dry and cold joints, not a good job, but it will work for this experiment. I recommend watching the many (many!) videos on how to solder properly and do not use this video as a reference.
But, seriously, the Zero should have GPIO pins installed already. Nobody uses these who doesn't need GPIO pins. It would only cost about $1 more to produce with the manufacturing robot.
It's not to save costs, but rather so you can integrate the Pi zero in all sorts of environments.
Raspberry Pi is intended as an educational tool. Soldering is an essential skill. Fear not. Heat it up.
Yes, Blu Tack is very useful for holding things in place.
I used to have a girl friend to hold it firmly for me, but now I make do with reusable putty adhesive.
Inaflap nice xD
Probably not important here but the resistors were 47ohms not 470ohms. I am going through all your SBC videos and learning a lot from them. These videos are probably the best tutorials one could find at least for someone like me who knows almost nothing about these boards yet. Thank you for the time you have invested on this subject!
Thanks. :) The resistors were 470 ohms -- yellow, violet brown -- not 47 ohm (yellow, violet black). Colours do not always come across correctly on camera.
@@ExplainingComputers Yes, I actually thought that was the case after I wrote the comment. But even if the information was factually wrong, the video is still an invaluable resource. One can tell that one whole lifetime is being spent on these videos. Thank you very much Chris!
Thank you so much for sharing this video, I love the way you are clear and precise with instructions in all of your videos. I went back and watched all of your videos from the beginning, it took me a couple of weeks but I really enjoyed them.
+Dennis Smith Jr. Wow! That is dedication. Thanks! :)
Great introduction to the Pi Zero! I've ordered the Zero Wireless and am just beginning to get into DYI electronics with the eventual goal of making a portable gaming computer inside the shell of an older handheld and this is going to require electronics skills I do not have yet. But with the help of videos like these introducing the basics of working the Pi, I know I'll be able to do it soon. Thank you for this, and consider me subbed and passing the word around. :-)
Thanks for this -- welcome aboard! The Pi Zero W is a great little board. It runs DOSBox well, if you want to play retro games on it. Look out for a couple of Pi Zero projects videos coming up on the channel -- I most recently used a Pi Zero to make a hamster feeder! ua-cam.com/video/lT4AZAJdtAs/v-deo.html
@@ExplainingComputers Looking forward to them!
It’s so easy to watch your videos thank you for helping beginners like me
I love your sense of humour!
''if it's not exited for you, you should't do this kind of stuff''... well said!..thumbs up!
Thank you! Just got my Raspberry Pi Zero today. Very excited to get working on a project I've had in mind for a long time.
Enjoy your new SBC. :)
Those Pimoroni cases are excellent. Each layer is numbered but also covered in a protective film, which has to be peeled off.
I really enjoyed the video! I finally figured out what the bread board is used for!
Well that was a quick and easy soldering job! Makes me want to get a soldering iron and do this myself soon. Great video as usual.
I bolted a couple of old hinges to bottom of that stand so it don't move so much
so true. my wooden working table has so many black spots from all the times i accidentally put the soldering iron on it or pushed it on the table or missed/slipped and landed on the table( from my rookie days).
Oh, My Lordy! (Well, it is Easter Sunday!) you've brought back some wonderful memories of soldering in my younger days!
Major credit for the close-up film-work. That's a tough deal and you made it look so simple - and it gives the viewer so much more confidence. I wish I had a Pi Zero to get cracking on with! Well done on the Blu Tack!
Up to recently, as I understand it, the Zilog Z80 was the go-to processor for embedded applications such as washing machines, etc. It's been around so long there's no bugs in it and it is well supported. I'm beginning to wonder if chips like those used in the Pi and BBC Micro might just supplant the Z80.
I wonder if it is possible to 'snip' one of the layers of the case so that access to the micro-sd card could be had via a pin-stick push?
+Kevin H I have fond memories of programming a Z80 in machine code, a byte at a time. On the micro-SD card access, I have been thinking along the same lines -- just removing a bit of the plastic! :)
+ExplainingComputers I also did machine code with the Z80. Good times!
Kevin H Computing was so different back then . . .
Thanks for the tutorial! I dig the section where you're soldering. Kinda hilarious. 4:55
You produce some the very best presentations on the web.
Much appreciated 👍👍👍👍👍 and consumed by me as a very good brain/grey matter exercise.
However, and I'm laughing, please stop referring to Nylon hardware as "plasticated".
Brass screws are not "brassticated", nor are steel screws "steelsticated" 😄
If, in the unlikely case, you had plastic coated brass or steel hardware....then, and only then would they be "plasticated"
LOL
Love your work Bro💕
edit...."some of the"
Sometimes my mouth gets ahead of my brain when filming. They are of course just plastic (nylon) screws. :)
great video once again... I would have soldered the 2 pins on the left and right first though... that way you know everything stays in place.
Right now I have no use for an RPi-Zero but I'm planning to build one into a keyboard so I have a portable emulator keyboard (like the A500/MSX) that is portable and easy to hook up to any screen.
dude, blinking LEDS!!! i'm pumped thanks!
Soldering is an art....but proper prep will make things 1000% easier.
preclean both elements to be soldered, wear clean neoprene gloves to handle the elements and always pretreat the element with a liquid flux just prior to soldering.
I'm a NASA Certified flight harness fabricator. This includes some of the most stringent soldering procedural certifications on the planet.
i hate soldering but when needs must.
Old video, hopefully your soldering skills have improved. Love your video's so don't take that comment to heart.
Hi EC, You can use Ohm's Law to calculate the proper resistor, etc.. V over I (current) x R. You can interpolate the formula to figure the prescribed value. R=V/I, I=V/R, V=I x R. This is DC, Direct Current Ohm's Law, there is one for AC, Alternating Current. Be good, C.
I will bet that students who learned math under the Common Core system could never figure that out.
Hi Christopher, Thanks for the great videos and for this nice soldering explanation. Could I suggest that you make a video in which you test the gpio pins? There is a software script for the unconnected pins, but a simple project that tests the pins work as designed when something is connected would be a great way to check if our soldering has worked. TIA
An interesting idea, but I think a video about GPIO pin testing would be very niche and not get many views. I have made many, many videos using PI GPIO in projects! :)
@@ExplainingComputers The idea would be that you can be sure you soldered everything correctly. As well as building your own GPIO tester, which is a product that I have not yet found commercially available but exists for other devices)
simple and well explained video for new users
Sir, Your videos are just awesome. Thank u for everything!!
:)
You are a very funny man.Thank you for your very useful videos.Got my raspberry pi 3 based on your videos.Learning loads of new stuff. Cheers.
Please leave this amazing man alone regarding the soldering. Not everyone can be as cool as you guys. Perfectly sticking metal to a piece of metal, your lives must be intense.
Great channel. Also i like the way you explain things :)
Another soldering detail which helps a bit on things like this is don't solder adjacent pins. Move to different spots, takes more time but prevents heat building up in 1 area of the board too much. The 470 ohm resistors would be good up to 9volts for most LED's that would operate at 20mA or less. Since the PI's gpio pins are lower voltages those are no problem.
Now this is a very good tip! :)
Love the vids. Especially the combo of IT products/gadgets and the " tinkering " you do ... keep it up !
Excellent tutorial. Keep blinding us with science!
Now you know why you need a higher wattage soldering iron and a better chisel bit to transfer heat more quickly.
Excellent video I love to see projects like this one. It was great to see the Pi Zero in action with it's GPIO pins and some Python scripting. I look forward to seeing similar videos in the future.
+DLiberator78 Many thanks. I am planning a video for mid-April using GPIO pins as inputs triggered from switches, reed switches, and IR sensors. And after that I will hook up the Pi Zero to my Zumo robot and get it independent. :)
That sounds like an exciting project. I cannot wait. That's another video I can look forward to.
When i saw this in the sub box i was so happy
nice job mate :-D
+Exosniper 69 Many thanks! :)
+ExplainingComputers and i also can't catch videos early
+ExplainingComputers same here :)
Gnome Child oh lord, what are you doing in this places?
Did you say 15 watt soldering iron? Lower wattage means it heats up slower. That means the tip starts to cool down when you apply to a contact to be soldered in effect cooling it down. For the next soldering point, you have to wait for it to heat up again.
For a lot of soldering a higher wattage is better. At least 50w is ideal as it is less prone to losing heat when going point to point.
Yes, I have learnt that. I actually have a 50w, and since this video have used it with the smaller tips from the one I bought here.
Learning is part of the experience after all.
Thank you, just used your video(s) to start-up Zero and test by LED (just one) blinking
If you don't fancy the soldering then these hammer in pins from here shop.pimoroni.com/products/gpio-hammer-header seem to work well (you just have to be a bit careful when doing it). I've used a number of them on both pi zeros and some phats. Watch the video for a demo.
Great suggestion, thanks. :)
Never knew these existed. Thanks..
your solderings are very nice, i tried it myself and it's not too hard but quite a challenge.
Have you ever heard about and tried an USB soldering iron? It works surprisingly well and very useful for tiny things like this because of the very fine tip that is included. It can be powered by your computer, an USB adapter or a USB powerpack and heats up and cool down in about 15 seconds. I got two of these and very happy with those, easy and small, great stuff. I bought them around $5 each.
Enjoyed this video..... even the soldering. But I wonder why Pimoroni have resorted to
the use of "plasticated" screws in their Pi Zero case design rather than the more
conventional plastic screws? ;-)
Perfect little cones of solder. :)
+clangerbasher Most appreciated. :) I did not think they were too terrible, though some others here clearly have a different view.
ExplainingComputers Well they are free to send samples of their work at 1080p for us to scrutinize aren't they? :) I
+clangerbasher Nice! :)
"and isn't that exciting' LOL you are so funny but so intelligent ...I love your videos TY
I didn't see smoke from your soldering, or is it because Lead-solder melting at lower temp that flux can't vapor yet ?
Also, do you use any way to avoid flux fume ?
I think it is the brightness of the lights and background. :)
That damn hair lol was trying to blow it off my screen haha
+JCRocky5 haha i tried to pick it off :D haha
Wow, that's cool and looks like the learning curve of GPIO programming isn't that hard. BTW, what is this "glue stuff" that looks like bubble gum? And if I may add my 2 cents: whenever soldering delicate stuff such as a Pi, it's better to go it as "crossing", meaning starting by pin #1, than #40, back to #2, than #39, so avoiding overheating the board. Keep up these cool videos!
+Claudio Carlquist The blue stuff is called Blu-Tack -- more info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-Tack On the soldering, what you describe was my initial intention, but filming added a lot of extra complexity! :) I also forgot to press the record button when I did my best run of pins! :(
+ExplainingComputers Thanks a lot!
My OCD for soldering is killing me in this video. A little liquid flux would do wonders to get the solder to flow better and get 360* coverage with a nice fillet. Still a good little video for the zero though.
Sorry about the soldering . . . :(
It does matter some because poor soldering results in a poor mechanical and electrical bond. Over time, this will lead to intermittent failures followed by total failure. China's (outdated) reputation for poor quality comes from this sort of thing. Even today, if you buy cheap electronics from AliExpress and open them up, you'll see bad soldering everywhere.
Perhaps it would be worthwhile to add a link to some existing videos on soldering. Or +ExplainingComputers can produce some!
Right you are, which is why when building to MIL spec this would never pass. That said, this project wasn't for consumer level production let alone military, and will probably suit his needs just fine.
My thoughts exactly
how do you use GPIO for embedded applications, i mean if you plan on embedding it and not having a monitor and an input device connected, just connections for power and GPIO how do you get the pi zero to boot your python code at boot every time you power it up?also i have a USB hub and a USB to ps2 adapter to connect a keyboard and mouse, the USB to ps2 adapter does not work with the USB hub though, and i need to use sudo get to DL libraries so would i ned a to get a USB keyboard and mouse and a wifi USB dongle or is there an easier way?
Another great video...
This is what I like to see!
I am a first time Raspberry pi owner..
I just got delivery of my Pi Zero few days ago.
I can't believe how well constructed and inexpensive they are. Gold tracks no less.
Everything was soldered on the both boards neat and tidy.
Are these manufactured in the UK or EU?
I've got stuff from AliExpress that was no where nearly as nicely done as the Pi Zero ..
I am trying to make a 1541 pi disc drive emulator for A C64.
The UK have done a lot of things that they can be proud of but one that definitely no one can be proud is the ac prong connector. 😊
That "blue tack" you use is an AWESOME idea Chris! What is that product? We have Play-Doh stuff here in the states, but what is the product you're using here?
It is a great product indeed. Here it is on Amazon.com: amzn.to/2ERsGIX
Thank you!
Great video as always!
12:00 I think it would be faster if you'd have terminal-only running, then either SSH'd to it or used it via tty. Both X11 and wayland are too-memory intensive for such tiny device.
Noob comment here. Is the breadboard used just for testing? IE if lets say your final project was just to blink those two LED's like you did. Would you solder the resistors and LEDS directly to the GPIO pins or would you solder them to the breadboard?
A breadboard is normally just used for testing, with -- as you suggest -- final setups consisting of soldered components as you note. This said, many Raspberry Pi projects are short-term for many Makers, and may never need to progress beyond a breadboard stage.
Just came upon this video again and noticed that your resistors appear to be 47-Ohm (yel-pur-black) and not 470 (yel-pur-brown). Missed that on the first pass, several months ago...
They are yellow-purple brown -- the colours do not read well on video.
Figured as much, yeah. For the little bit of time you were flashing them, 47-Ohm resistors would have actually worked I bet. The LEDs aren't likely to get hot enough to burn them out with the flashing you're doing. They're just not on long enough. The little circuit graphic did show them as Y-P-Brown, so I figured it was just an issue with colors not showing correctly on the video.
Can I hotglue the GPIO pins at the bottom of the raspberry pi if I dont have the hammer thing or a solder station?
I love these videos.
Thanks.
hmmm, if i just wanted to test out something (temporary) could i just wrap a bit of wire through the hole so it touches the contact point to get a connection? would it work?
Do I have to solder them? Dang it. Is soldering important? Could they be molded to the board with clay, or even a tight fitting rubber?
There is now a set of GPIO pins available that push/shap into place -- so you can avoid soldering: shop.pimoroni.com/products/gpio-hammer-header
Awesome!
I've a few old tips about from the same style iron. 20 years. Not bad.
Very helfull,
would this case fits Pi Zero W as well considering the new camera connection socket ? THANKS
They now sell a modified version of the case to accommodate the camera connector. In will be looking at both on this channel very soon! But you could fairly easily modify the existing case with a slot in one of the layers.
What's the blue gummy stuff? I have seen in another videos but I don't know what to look for.
It is called Blu Tack. :) Amazing stuff.
if you read this. are going to make video about the PiDrive? its the new WD harddrive but for the raspberry
I was looking for as small keyboard as I can find, and smallest I found is 22cm wide. Can you tell me, where can I buy one, that you shown on video?
great video as always
Would be nice if you could include the links to the kits you mention in the description. And I've used rosin lead free for electrical stuff for ham radio and had good results but nothing that small. I dread doing that by hand because I know i'd mess up the last GPIO... and then have a difficult time fixing it :/ Thanks for the video ! Wish I could find the zero locally for anywhere near the 5 dollar price.
+LJH08Ralith Done! I've added he links. Soldering something this small **when the CPU is already soldered to the board** is indeed a little scary . . .
+ExplainingComputers Thanks for the update! Gotta check them out since that kit looks neat! And yea I've debated getting a TNC-pi kit for raspberry pi for ham radio use but small soldering ! ;) Thanks again!
In the Python code (at 13:24), how precise is the time.sleep() function?
Probably quite precise, depending on the accuracy of the Pi's internal clock.
In the video at 11:21, you show a keyboard made by Rii but there is no mention of the model number.
Would you please add that to your comment section?
Thank you.
It is a Rii i8.
OK, thank you!
Thank you. But when I went to the Rii website, I was overwhelmed by the myriad of choices. When I looked at all of them that had your layout, I could not find one with a red LED in the top left corner. Is yours a model from a year or two ago?
The problem is that since yours does not seem to be a current model, which one would I buy? Does the choice need to take firmware in the keyboard or software drivers on the computing device into consideration?
I wonder if this subject is worthy of a small UA-cam video.
Thank you.
Terry Thomas
Atlanta, Georgia USA
great video, but what would happen if I didn't connect the resistors??
Pierre Adel You would probably burn out the LEDS
Pierre Adel Too much current starlight to the LED, the resistor helps to block some of that current to avoid burning out the LED
"starlight"? The word you wanted to use was "straight".
www.Grammarly.com
Terry Thomas My bad haha
What is voltage like on the GPIO pins? I want to power some logic circuitry from GPIO to get a cat detector (using basic photo cells and not gate chip) that will send notification when cat decides to come back (my neighbor asked me to make such a device and I stupidly agreed).
very usefull video ! im still waiting for the pi zero (still not in stock). im learning every week something onew on this channel !
I'd imagine the separate strips are so you can cut them down for just the parts you need, and the RUN and TV connections.
Im like as novice as one could possibly be when it comes to soldering, but I do believe that first one is called a "cold joint". frostly, cloudy (not shiny), and not touching the board.
You could also use an eraser to clean those pads before you solder.
learning about comp engineering is so interesting. Wish I got a degree in that instead of Comp Sci
The Pi Zero interests me for its small size and LOW COST; great for robotics. Can the Pi Zero run code from books written for Pi 2/3? I assume yes, but Pi Zero has different processor.
The Pi Zero can run exactly the same code and apps as other Pis. It has the same processor as the Pi 1, if clocked faster. You may like my recent video when I used a Pi Zero to control a robot: ua-cam.com/video/XvOONPSoglY/v-deo.html
thank you again for a great video... your soldering was quite acceptable and if I could recommend that you only mention your insecurities to it once if not at all... as I appreciate the humility... you are to be showing us something and we appreciate confidence... therefore please prepare your lesson plans fully and then create the video. this will go a long way with me I cannot speak for anyone else. but I feel then you will have even more followers
Oooh I want the right angle connector
Awesome video, THANKS!
If you just put the pins without soldiering would it still work I know it would be kinda shaky thought
The pins really need to be soldered.
Hi, just a question.. I'm looking for a pi zero W, and I've seen there are a lot of gamepad board ready to be placed on top of this Pi, but I need 2 of them (to have dual pad and buttons) and I don't want to mount them up each other. Can I use normal Dupon cable, male-to-male to connect every working pin on gamepad board to the Pi Zero? Total of 12/14 buttons. Is it needed something to program the Pi or keys will work by itself just by connecting it to every gpio input?
A normal ribbon cable extension should work as you say for GPIO pin extension. But there has to be software to interface anything to the GPIO pins -- so you would need something that specifically supported two controllers.
love u sir ur channel very awesome teach us many think
I need programs to get started USB to SATA DVD. How do I fix it? No operating system just a program that launches the DVD reader on micro SD
hi, your videos are awsome. I have a question, can you do the programing on a regular computer and then transfer that to the raspberry?
Yes, you could write (but not test) the code on another computer.
why not groung the two LEDs through the same resistor?
I hope he makes a book, I really think he should get paid for his tutorials,
Thanks for this. I have published 13 books . . . so far! My latest here: www.explainingcomputers.com/genesis.html
The Notixed make the Pi Zero very useful. It will allow you to access the Pi Zero from your computer.
nice video,
GPIO can run as multitasking?
I believe so.
Is it possible to hook it up to a battery to make a tablet?
+Mason Tomlinson Yes, you can -- for example -- use one of those portable power cells (the things you can charge up and take with you to recharge a smartphone)and plug it into a Pi and it works very well indeed. I'll actually be doing this in a video to use the Pi Zero to run a robot in a video in about a month's time.
can i ask for the link to the pi zero kit you bought
+Miangan Mcginnis It is in the video description below the links to other videos. :)
Sir i how to connect raspberry pi zero w with audio output.. plz explain
Audio out on a Pi Zero is normally via HDMI. You can get analogue audio from two of the GPIO pins, but the quality is not good. Else you will need to add an audio HAT.
Thanks sir for reply
If you keep soldering 2 seconds longer for each pin and use soldering flux, your solder joints would look like machine made. Your solder joints are example of cold joints.
the iron was too cold for the first pins.
is their a code i can type on linux to where i dont have to type sudo every time i type i a command?
+zach “techy guru” schwanke You could execute your code via Python using IDLE -- open a terminal and type "sudo idle" (no quotes), then everything you type in idle will run as a super user.
***** Very helpful, thanks. :)
How do you record your screen when using the Pi Zero ?
Using an HDMI recorder: ua-cam.com/video/pocs02YuJ4k/v-deo.html
@@ExplainingComputers Cool thanks!!