RS Components celebrates "˜Pi Day' with Raspberry Pi prize draw

The prize draw commemorates the recent fifth birthday of the Raspberry Pi, and the launch is timed to coincide with "Pi Day', which is celebrated by students and lovers of mathematics each year on March 14th. The date represents 3.14, the approximation to two decimal places of the mathematical constant Pi (Greek letter "'). The first official celebration of Pi Day, on a large scale, was in 1988 at the San Francisco Exploratorium.

Raspberry Pi was launched on 29 February 2012 by the Raspberry Pi Foundation, with its name derived from the fact that there were a number of early home microcomputers named after fruit, such as Apple and Apricot. The Pi element of the name is derived from the Python programming language used by the board.

Originally set up to promote and teach basic computer science in schools and colleges around the UK, the initial version of the Raspberry Pi ranged in specifications and capabilities. Its low cost and ease of use made it an instant hit with makers and enthusiasts, as well as its intended audience of students. Now on the third incarnation of the board, the Foundation has sold more than 11 million units worldwide, earning the Raspberry Pi the title of the best-selling British computer.

The latest model in the range is the Raspberry Pi 3 Compute Module, which marks a new direction for the product as it is aimed directly at the professional embedded design engineer for integration into their product designs. The Raspberry Pi 3 Compute Module will be supported until 2023, along with hardware documentation such as datasheets, schematics and application notes.

The prize draw is open to all via the DesignSpark site. It will run from 09:00 GMT on 14 March until 17:00 GMT on 21 March.