A little while ago I wrote about the Whole Home Audio project I’m planning, which will be a DIY effort based on several Raspberry Pis.
Well, good news! All the stuff I’d ordered has arrived, and I’m nearly ready to get started. Here’s what you see in the picture:
- 3x Raspberry Pi Model B+
- 3x Raspberry Pi Enclosure (Black)
- 3x Dual USB Power Supply
- 5x MicroUSB Cable
- 5x USB WiFi Adapter (I need four, but I accidentally ordered too many)
- 5x Samsung Class 10 8GB MicroSD Cards
- 2x Powered HDMI to VGA Adapter, with Audio Out
- 1x USB Wireless Mini Keyboard & Touchpad
Not all of this stuff will make it into the project, but I bought it so that I can use the Pis as media playing devices (running Kodi) that I’ll attach to the bedroom TV and the projector if things don’t work as planned.
I bought the keyboard because it would be useful in that regard, and I got the HDMI to VGA adapters because my projector doesn’t have an HDMI input at all, and the bedroom TV doesn’t have one spare. I’d read online that these things draw quite a bit of power – possibly too much for the Raspberry Pi’s HDMI output to reliably supply – which is why I went for a powered model, and why I picked power adapters with two ports each.
I’ve also read that fast MicroSD cards will greatly contribute to the Pi’s performance and that Class 10 is highly recommended. I also read that some Samsung Class 4 or 6 cards have better real-world performance than some of the Class 10 cards out there. I pushed the boat out and got some Class 10 cards from Samsung.
Follow the #RPiWHA Project hashtag on this blog to keep track of my progress. Next week I’m away travelling from work, but I’m excited to get started and start building, so it won’t be too long until the next update.