Raspberry Pi Touch Screen Released

An anonymous reader writes: The Raspberry Pi has been enormously successful, but one frequent request has been for the Foundation to create a simple touchscreen to go along with it. Gordon Hollingworth said, "I honestly believed it would only take us six months from start to end, but there were a number of issues we met (and other products diverted our attention from the display – like Rev 2.1, B+, A+, and Pi 2)." Now, after two years of development, they've launched a 7", 800x480 LCD that runs at 60 fps. The capacitive screen supports 10 simultaneous finger touches and has a 70 degree viewing angle. The Raspberry Pi Foundation's blog post provides some interesting technical background on electromagnetic compliance and how to connect and use the display.

Re:Amazing value!

[FranTaylor]

so total price is about the same as the $99 amazon tablet things which does support 1280x600 60Hz.

amazon tablet things don't have a GPIO header with signals broken out and a mature user libraries in many languages for using them. Nobody is saying that a raspberry pi is the same as a tablet.

Re:

[alvinrod]

The AC was just making a crap troll post. He could have just as easily complained that the display is too big and doesn't come with a user-changeable wristband, so there's no way it can compete with an Android smartwatch which you can get for ~$150.

Re:

[nnull]

I would love the Raspberry Pi to have a better processor that's comparable to modern tablets or the Intel Compute Stick.

Re:Amazing value!

[FranTaylor]

I would love the Raspberry Pi to have a better processor that's comparable to modern tablets or the Intel Compute Stick.

The new quad-core system is totally usable when running debian, even on an enormous monitor. Disk IO is sluggish but the processor and display are rocking. It's much snappier than the old pentium systems that I used for years.

Re:Amazing value!

[amiga3D]

It's about equivalent to a Pentium III. I've been playing around with one and I made the mistake of trying to run Scorched3d on it. That was really pretty sad. Solitaire rips though! I have to say although it's usable as a desktop I can pick up a curb throw away computer that will easily out do it. The place the Pi shines is with things like home automation and car computers and things like that. The only limit is your own creativity.

Re:

[quenda]

It's about equivalent to a Pentium III.

Pi 1 or 2? In CPU and disk maybe, but the Pi does have fast graphics - will do full-HD HTPC duty, unlike your kerb find. As well as the hardware i/o.

Re:

[amiga3D]

It's okay as a desktop PC but it's really shines for other computing uses. The graphics really are nice in 2D but 3D is a different matter. I do have one behind the TV serving up movies and tv shows. I'll have to drag out my old PIII laptop and run some comparisons in things like converting a CD to mp3 files. I remember doing that on a dual Pentium 2/333 box. I know it wasn't as fast as my i7 Mac Mini for sure. I'm amazed at CPU power compared to 15 years ago. I started with an 8bit C64 clocked at 1m

Re:

[quenda]

I wonder if anyone has even tried ripping a CD with an RPi?

My Pi runs Kodi, including converting AAC 5.1 to DD/AC3, or stereo upmix, on the fly, so I don't think ripping CDs will be a challenge :)

Re:

[amiga3D]

I actually found several videos on this subject on youtube when I finally looked. One guy has a video of using his pi as a headless cd ripper. Pretty cool stuff.

Re:

[youngone]

Yeah, I made the mistake of trying to use a Pi as a desktop PC too, it's really not for that. As a Media Centre though it's awesome. Also a timelapse camera, and a digital photo frame it's great too.

Re:Amazing value!

[amiga3D]

They are committed to keeping the price at $35. For the money that's a lot of bang. The thing is that it's useful for all kinds of things at an almost throw away price. Sure, for $100 I can get something that'll run rings around it. I can buy 3 Pi's for that price and do all kinds of projects. Actually I set up a camera network around the house with 6 of the A+ models that are just 20 bucks apiece. They use next to no power and if it gets fried I'm only out 20 dollars. These things aren't really for normal computing, they are for hobbyists and educators.

Re:

[frovingslosh]

I prefer to think of it as a touch screen display that costs not much more than a low end full tablet with touch screen display.

Re:

[AndyKron]

Ya, but the Amazon model won't have a bunch of geeky wires all around it.

candy bar $1.25, Amazon store door fee $100, dev b

[raymorris]

And a candy bar is a $1.25
Does the door fee Amazon charges to get a portal to their store have any logical relation to the cost of chocolate or development boards?

Re:

[Jakune]

Really? How much more for you to add something like some temperature sensors, humidity sensors, servos, etc? I can add most of those at cost of the sensor/servo/device since I can directly interface it to the Pi. Keep in mind, the Pi is not for someone that wants a tablet. It is for someone that wants to tinker, learn about electronics/software, teach about electronics/software, etc. And You can also set up a pi and access it remotely (through something like SSH). I don't have many tablets that could s

Not for cars

[Anonymous Coward]

At 194mmX110mm it's just a wee bit too big for the standard double DIN stereo slot. Bummer.

Available for a long time

[elgatozorbas]

Good that the Foundation has now released their own screen, but touchscreens for the rpi have been available for a long time [ebay.com], most of them looking more customized for the rpi than this one..

Re:Available for a long time

[FranTaylor]

most of them looking more customized for the rpi than this one.

RTFA:

"Using DSI keeps the Pi's HDMI port free, so people can use both the small touchscreen display and a big monitor or TV simultaneously."

maybe you can provide a list of other touchscreen vendors that are using the DSI interface?

Re:

[elgatozorbas]

maybe you can provide a list of other touchscreen vendors that are using the DSI interface?

Maybe you should take a look at the link I provided already? Most of these displays don't use the HDMI interface. Instead they use the rpi's GPIOs (using spi or something ) to interface with the display. More importantly, they are mechanically customized to fit on the rpi and on the rpi only.

I would say that is rather customized for the rpi.

Re:

[FranTaylor]

Instead they use the rpi's GPIOs (using spi or something ) to interface with the display.

The display update rate is awful, useless for video and marginal for scrolling. Also it consumes the SPI port which is usually why one gets a raspberry pi in the first place.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Less space than a nomad. Lame.

Re:

[elgatozorbas]

The display update rate is awful, useless for video and marginal for scrolling. Also it consumes the SPI port which is usually why one gets a raspberry pi in the first place.

All of that may be true, but doesn't change anything to my original statement that the Foundation's was not the first and not the most customised display board. There are other uses for a rpi than the SPI interface, and for many of those -controlling stuff, playing music, whatever!- no high refresh rate is needed, and a compact display is very useful.

Re:

[Ulric]

Instead they use the rpi's GPIOs (using spi or something ) to interface with the display.

The display update rate is awful, useless for video and marginal for scrolling. Also it consumes the SPI port which is usually why one gets a raspberry pi in the first place.

FWIW, I have had Pies since they were first released and have never used the SPI port.

Re:Available for a long time

[spire3661]

I have screens that mechanically mate with the pi from adafruit, and they are great, but they take special custom Raspbian to make it work and consume most of the GPIO. I have the adafruit kippah mated to a 7" 40 pin screen and i also have a 3.5" resistive touch screen Pi hat. Another thing you are overlooking is its hard to find CAPACITIVE touch in this size, most of it is resistive. I physically own the hardware you describe and i am excited about this new screen. The DSI interface and capacitive touch make it very interesting to me.

Re:

[PolygamousRanchKid]

I've been using this one for a long time, and am completely satisfied with it: https://www.adafruit.com/produ... [adafruit.com]

Although, that will depend on your application, and what you want to use it for. I just needed a bunch of icons that I could click for controlling a robot. I didn't do any browsing or text editing.

10 fingers?

[Anonymous Coward]

Only 10 simultaneous filter touches allowed? I have 15 fifteen fingers you insensitive clods!

Re:

[amiga3D]

No.....no he doesn't.

Re:

[Schmorgluck]

Okay please someone with mod point skyrocket this to +5 funny.

Re:ummm

[FranTaylor]

There's already been PLENTY of RPi compatible touchscreens (PiTFT).

unlike all the others, this one uses the DSI interface so you can get good performance (unlike SPI displays) and you can also plug another monitor into the HDMI port.

Re:

[camperdave]

I don't see an LCD multitouch display as a "make it yourself" venture. It's a component, like a stepper motor, or an ultrasonic range finder. Nobody is going to build one when they can buy one, unless building one is the project. It's like hand carving your own screws, or doping your own transistors. Sure, you COULD do it, but why would you?

Re:

[nnull]

Because the Raspberry Pi is now being used more than what they intended it to be used for. I'm actually using them in an industrial and commercial setting for display purposes and a touchscreen for machines. It's rock stable, no fans, doesn't break and being able to use python, Ethernet/IP (Yes, I wrote my own library for that because no one will because of the stupid licenses) and ModbusTCP, or even using the GPIO for input/outputs, and make my own UI interface is a big plus. It looks a thousand times bet

Re:

[amiga3D]

This sounds interesting. Could you maybe elaborate a bit more on how you're utilizing the Raspberry Pi?

Re:

[TemporalBeing]

There's already been PLENTY of RPi compatible touchscreens (PiTFT).

I've looked around. Yes there are quite a few. But how many are at that price (~$60 USD) and how many support 10 points of touch?

Hint: Not many. Most are more expensive and/or only support 1-2 points of touch.
Note: Most tablets only support 2-3 points of touch at most.

Re:

[amiga3D]

I've got two of them in my fallout shelter. One hooked to the sensor network. Radiation sensor and CO2 sensor.

Re:

[IRGlover]

the clue is in the name: 1 PipBoy = 1.5 Pi

Re:

[ledow]

You could RTFA where it answers you.

Re:

[camperdave]

From The Fancy Article:

The display has an 800×480 resolution, 10-finger capacitive touch capability, and an adapter board that is used both to power the display and connect to the Raspberry Pi with a DSI ribbon cable. Using DSI keeps the Pi's HDMI port free, so people can use both the small touchscreen display and a big monitor or TV simultaneously.

Re:

[Schmorgluck]

I prefer "Funky" when I want to use the "F" in RTF* and still be polite, but I commend you for your restraint anyway.

Re:

[FranTaylor]

And I thought the hardware grew on the vine? This is not cheap by any means. Wrong way.

for low volume prototyping you are not going to find much cheaper

consumer manufacturing does indeed produce very inexpensive devices, but for experimenting you need computers with GPIO headers and the software to use them and you are not going to find such things for cheap

Re:

[Coren22]

But does it have tongue print identification, and is it hindmost approved?

10-finger touch

[PopeRatzo]

I can see using one of these on my next bespoke musical instrument controller. Ever since I got my Surface Pro, I've been dreaming about home-brewing something cool for music production with a Raspberry Pi, and this might give me a good opportunity.

But I might wait until they come up with something with higher resolution.

So sad this didn't get funded... Raspitab

[advocate_one]

https://www.kickstarter.com/pr... [kickstarter.com]