The Edgeberry Project Aims to Provide a Modular, Easy Approach to Raspberry Pi-Powered IoT

Maker Sanne Santens has designed a device that takes a Raspberry Pi single-board computer and adapts it specifically for Internet of Things use, complete with "Hardware Cartridge" add-ons to customize its connectivity: the open source Edgeberry.

"Edgeberry is an open source ecosystem that enhances your favorite single-board computer with hardware, software, and mechanical integration possibilities, making it easier to explore the connected device aspect in your creative solutions," Santens claims of the carrier board and its supporting accessories. "Aimed at lean and fast development and deployment iterations, Edgeberry simplifies the process of bridging the physical world with the digital realm."

The center of the Edgeberry ecosystem is the Edgeberry Base Board, a carrier that connects to a Raspberry Pi single-board computer over its general-purpose input/output (GPIO) connector. It offers an integrated power supply, two-color status LED, and a buzzer — but it's what you add off the board, rather than on it, that makes the Edgeberry project interesting, thanks to its support for easy expansion through "Edgeberry Hardware Cartridges."

A connector on the Edgeberry Base Board carries all the otherwise-unused GPIO pins from the Raspberry Pi, and is designed for use with add-on boards that slot into the side. While presently a work-in-progress, designs planned include: an "EDU Hardware Cartridge" for educational use, which bring out analog, digital, and pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals, along with I2C bus connectivity; the "Console & CAN Hardware Cartridge," which includes a USB-accessible serial console and CAN bus connectivity; and the "Sense'n'Drive Hardware Cartridge," which includes six high-power digital outputs and a sensor connector. If those aren't enough, a KiCad template is offered so you can design your own.

Everything is designed to work under the control of the Edgeberry Device Software, which provides both a command-line interface (API) and a web interface with remote connection to a dashboard system. "The Edgeberry Device Software connects your device to the Edgeberry Dashboard," Santens explains, "enabling remote device management. It manages the on-board status indicators for providing useful feedback and assigns essential functions, like device reset, to the physical button."

While still a work-in-progress, Santens has put the Edgeberry Base Board up for sale on Tindie at $46.47, with the Sense'n'Drive cartridge available for an extra $25 or the Console & CAN cartridge at $30. More information is available in the project's hardware and software GitHub repositories, licensed under the Weakly Reciprocal variant of the CERN Open Hardware Licence Version 2 and the GNU General Public License 3 respectively.