Hardware Setup
The Tinkerforge HAT Brick is an add-on board designed for Raspberry Pi. It allows the Raspberry Pi to communicate with Tinkerforge devices, making it ideal for building modular and interactive systems. The HAT Brick serves as a bridge between the Raspberry Pi and the wide variety of sensors, actuators, and other modules available in the Tinkerforge ecosystem.
This setup enables users to control and monitor various devices programmatically using a single Raspberry Pi.
Features
- Plug-and-play compatibility with Raspberry Pi
- Built-in ESD protection for added durability
- Power supply for Raspberry Pi through the HAT
- Seamless integration with the Tinkerforge stack for easy hardware expansions
Description
The Raspberry Pi can be powered via the HAT Brick using an external 6V-36V DC power supply. The onboard power system ensures the provision of a stable 5V output, even when subjected to heavy loads. This setup allows for the powering of the Raspberry Pi, any connected Bricklets, as well as USB devices connected to the Raspberry Pi’s USB ports, as the HAT Brick delivers a slightly increased voltage of 5.2V to accommodate additional loads.
It remains possible to power the HAT Brick and Raspberry Pi through the USB-C port. However, in such instances, it is necessary to ensure that the HAT Brick receives a stable 5V supply, which can be achieved by using an official Raspberry Pi universal power supply. The voltages of both the USB and DC supplies are measured and can be accessed through the available API.
The HAT Brick also features a real-time clock with supercapacitor backup, directly linked to the Raspberry Pi. This functionality enables the Raspberry Pi to be powered down for a specified period, facilitating its use in battery-powered applications, such as sending sensor data to the cloud at hourly intervals.
The HAT Brick is electrically compatible with the Raspberry Pi models 2B, 3B, 3B+, 4B, 5, Zero, and Zero W. Furthermore, the mounting holes align with those of the Raspberry Pi models 2, 3, 4, and 5.
HAT Brick with function blocks
Installation Guide
Follow these steps to install the Tinkerforge HAT Brick on your Raspberry Pi:
Step 1
Turn off your Raspberry Pi.
Step 2
Connect the Tinkerforge HAT Brick to the GPIO header of the Raspberry Pi. Ensure that the pins are aligned correctly to avoid damaging the hardware.
Step 3
Secure the HAT Brick to the Raspberry Pi with screws if necessary, ensuring it stays in place.
Step 4
Power up the Raspberry Pi using the power supply that is suitable for the combined system (both Raspberry Pi and the HAT Brick).