Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Multicard readers
These come in handy if you work with various types of cards. There is limited
support on the generic types; but, the USB 3.0 USRobotics all-in-one card works
really well, and you can mount all six cards at the same time.
Alamode
WyoLum is a startup business that creates useful add-ons for various applications.
Specifically, the AlaMode is an Arduino-compatible board with a real-time clock and
microSD slot that sits on top of the Pi. You can communicate with Arduino using the
Pi's dedicated Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART), and it can
run on the Pi's power source. If you like electronic projects and are already familiar
with Arduino, this is worth looking at. You can even use it to flash other Arduino
compatible chips or upload firmware to run it on its own!
HDMI to VGA
Though you may not like to downgrade from HDMI to VGA, you can purchase
inline HDMI to VGA converters from your favorite online auction shops or
electronic stores. You must make sure that you buy an ACTIVE converter, which is
slightly more expensive than the passive converter. Active means that it contains a
microcontroller that uses power from the HDMI port to convert the digital signal
into the VGA standard. The Raspberry Pi is capable of powering these types
of devices.
Remember that this device contributes to the overall power consumption
of the Pi. It would be recommended to use a 1 AMP power supply for
such accessories.
Fun peripherals
You might have some of these lying around in your gadgets box. Hopefully,
reading about some of these less-used devices might spark some creative ideas.
Joysticks
Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller works as a mouse in X using the Arch Linux
distribution. Other joysticks might need a ported driver that can be found on
Internet forums.
