Raspberry Pi A User Manual page 274

258
P A R T I V
H A R D W A R E H A C K I N G
Figure 16-7:
The Gertboard,
designed by
Gert van Loo
As the list of features indicates, the Gertboard is a powerful and complex device. Its flexibil-
ity makes it a great choice for more complex projects—but that same complexity affects its
size. The Gertboard is almost two-and-a-half times larger than the Raspberry Pi itself, mak-
ing it both the most powerful and the largest add-on board for the Pi available at the time of
writing. To counteract its size, the Gertboard connects to the Pi through a ribbon cable ter-
minated in male sockets (see Figure 16-8). This cable allows the Gertboard to sit away from
the Pi, or to be mounted in a project permanently yet still be quickly detached from the Pi if
necessary.
Perhaps the most important feature of the Gertboard is the protection it offers to the Pi.
Using a 3.3 V regulator, the Gertboard is designed to prevent the Pi's GPIO port from receiv-
ing voltages it cannot handle. Like the Slice of Pi, it also attempts to restrict access to the six
pins labelled Do Not Connect as well as the 3.3 V and 5 V pins to help prevent accidental
shorting. Although care must be taken while wiring up circuits, following the instructions
included in the Gertboard's user manual guarantees the Pi's safety.