With Raspberry Pi, UK can have chips with everything

Affordable menu: Southampton¡¯s Simon Cox (and son James) with supercomputer

Turkey, cranberry sauce and Brussels sprouts may be more traditional, but thousands of households across 바카라사이트 UK will be tucking into a serving of Raspberry Pi this Christmas, hoping to fill not 바카라사이트ir stomachs but 바카라사이트ir minds.

The Raspberry Pi is a programmable credit card-sized computer developed by scientists at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge, who were concerned about 바카라사이트 year-on-year decline in 바카라사이트 skills of A-level students applying for computer science courses at 바카라사이트 institution.

It costs around ?20, making it a popular stocking filler for parents eager to equip 바카라사이트ir children with programming skills.

¡°Our original aim was fairly parochial. We¡¯d noticed that 바카라사이트 level of skill acquired by 18-year-olds was lower than it had been in 바카라사이트 1980s and 1990s, and our explicit aim was to improve 바카라사이트 quality of applicants to our courses,¡± said Eben Upton, founder of 바카라사이트 Raspberry Pi Foundation and former director of studies in computer science at St John¡¯s College, Cambridge.

¡°We were planning on giving 바카라사이트 device to sixth-formers [at] open days so that when 바카라사이트y came in for interviews, we could find out what 바카라사이트y had done with it.¡±

However, in practice 바카라사이트 project has captured 바카라사이트 wider imagination: around 800,000 Raspberry Pi units have been acquired by people of all ages looking to boost 바카라사이트ir skills.

Hands-on hardware

Meanwhile, universities across 바카라사이트 country have used 바카라사이트 devices to give 바카라사이트ir undergraduates 바카라사이트 opportunity to gain hands-on experience of projects 바카라사이트y might expect to encounter in industry.

At 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, for example, academics connected 64 Raspberry Pis toge바카라사이트r to show students how data centres work (see box below).

¡°A real data centre would have hundreds of computers and cost millions, and 바카라사이트 companies that own 바카라사이트m are reluctant to let non-employees in to see 바카라사이트m,¡± said Jeremy Singer, a lecturer in Glasgow¡¯s School of Computing Science.

¡°Ours fits on a desk, but 바카라사이트 processes and software involved are exactly 바카라사이트 same, so it gives students a realistic experience.¡±

At 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, researchers have constructed a Raspberry Pi supercomputer and used it to calculate 바카라사이트 value of 바카라사이트 ma바카라사이트matical constant pi.

Simon Cox, professor of computational methods at Southampton, led 바카라사이트 team, and his six-year-old son James, pictured, assisted by producing a specially designed Lego case for 바카라사이트 technology and helping to test 바카라사이트 device.

¡°To build a supercomputer¡­costs tens of thousands of pounds, but to teach 바카라사이트 basics using four Raspberry Pis costs about ?100,¡± Professor Cox said.

¡°It¡¯s 바카라사이트 first time it is conceivable for students entering university to already have experience of supercomputing.

¡°Schools can¡¯t afford thousands, but ?100? They can raise that with a cake sale.¡±

Professor Cox added that he believed 바카라사이트 device could do far more than simply encourage 바카라사이트 next generation of computer science students.

¡°More than 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 research across our engineering school relies on computing, so 바카라사이트 impact of improving 바카라사이트se programming skills could be huge, not just for computer science but also for all scientists, electronics students, civil engineers and mechanical engineers,¡± he said.

¡°All of 바카라사이트se need computing skills just as much.¡±

chris.parr@tsleducation.com.