Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Taking Your Pi Off-road
For our final chapter, we'll unleash the Raspberry Pi from the wall socket and
send it out into the world equipped with a few add-on peripherals for stealthy
reconnaissance missions. We'll make sure your Pi stays protected and that you'll be
able to stay in touch with the Pi throughout its mission.
Keeping the Pi dry and running with
housing and batteries
When sending your Pi away on outdoor missions, the two main concerns that need
to be addressed are the supply of power and protection against moisture. A lithium
polymer battery pack is a good choice for powering the Pi off-road. They are usually
marketed as portable smartphone chargers, but as long as yours operates at 5V and
provides one or more USB ports with around 1000mA of output, it should keep your
Pi happy and running, usually for five to ten hours. If you need a USB hub for your
peripherals, make sure it can be powered by one of the USB ports on the battery pack.
When it comes to housing your spy kit, there are no rules except one—moisture will
spoil your fun. A plastic food container with a tight lid is a good start for housing.
It'll have to be transparent plastic if you plan to include a webcam with the kit,
obviously. You might also want to line the insides with something soft, such as
bubble wrap, to make the ride less bumpy for the components. The Pi board itself
will be the most fragile and should not be put in the container unprotected. Your
Raspberry Pi dealer will usually carry several enclosures for the Pi, but even the
simple box in which your Pi was shipped will do.
If avoiding detection is a concern, try to think of a container that would blend into
the surroundings in which you plan to put your kit. For example, an empty pizza
box on top of a garbage bin wouldn't raise many eyebrows—just put the components
inside a re-sealable bag in the pizza box to protect it.
