Node.js Raspberry Pi - GPIO Introduction

GPIO stands for General Purpose Input Output. The Raspberry Pi has two rows of GPIO pins, which are connections between the Raspberry Pi, and the real world. Output pins are like switches that the Raspberry Pi can turn on or off (like turning on/off a LED light). But it can also send a signal to another device. Input pins are like switches that you can turn on or off from the outside world (like a on/off light switch). But it can also be a data from a sensor, or a signal from another device. That means that you can interact with the real world, and control devices and electronics using the Raspberry PI and its GPIO pins! Taking a Closer Look at the GPIO Pins This is an illustration of the Raspberry Pi 3. The GPIO pins are the small red squares in two rows on the right side of the Raspberry Pi, on the actual Raspberry Pi they are small metal pins. The Raspberry Pi 3 has 26 GPIO pins, the rest of the pins are power, ground or "other". The pin placements correspond with the table below. Raspberry Pi B+, 2, 3 & Zero 3V3

5V

5V

10

11 12

13 14

15 16

3V3 17 18

19 20

21 22

23 24

25 26

27 28