Raspberry Pi 2 + touch screen, visual monitoring of Bitcoin node operation

For fans of virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, there are many ways to show their support for the Bitcoin network, such as popularizing Bitcoin knowledge to others and letting more people know about Bitcoin. However, running a Bitcoin node is the best choice. Since its release, the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B has been proven to be able to not only run a Bitcoin node, but with the upcoming matching touch screen, users will be able to visually monitor the operation of the Bitcoin node.

Running a Bitcoin Node on a Raspberry Pi 2

Why are so few people willing to run a Bitcoin node on their computers? The main reason is that the amount of block data is too large. As of press time (September 18, US time), the block size is approaching the 50GB threshold, which contains all transactions since 2009. Especially when the hard drive is old, querying blockchain data may take quite a long time.

Even if you can run a Bitcoin node on the most modern computers, there is still a problem - the high cost of electricity, because running a Bitcoin node requires the equipment to be running non-stop. Of course, not every Bitcoin node needs to be accessible 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but it is generally considered best to keep the equipment running for a long time.

In February this year, soon after the release of Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, it attracted the attention of many Bitcoin enthusiasts. Compared with the previous generation, Raspberry Pi 2 Model B has undergone revolutionary upgrades in processor and memory. The processor has been upgraded from the original Broadcom BCM2835 Soc to BCM2836 Soc, and the memory has been upgraded from 512MB to 1GB. Therefore, Bitcoin enthusiasts began to try to use Raspberry Pi 2 Model B to run Bitcoin nodes. It turns out that Raspberry Pi 2 Model B is the perfect choice for running Bitcoin nodes.

When it comes to data storage, the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B supports micro SD memory cards as well as USB, both of which can be used to store all necessary data. For those who are a bit tech-savvy, connecting a hard drive or solid-state drive is another good option.

The Raspberry Pi 2 Model B is priced at only $35, which not only has a low device cost, but also supports running a full node. More importantly, the electricity cost is much lower than the cost of running a Bitcoin node with a computer. To drive the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, you only need a USB cable and then use a USB port to plug it into a network hub, monitor, TV screen or even a wall socket.

Monitor the operation of your Bitcoin node on a 7-inch touch screen

In addition to the above advantages, what else is more attractive about using the Raspberry Pi 2 Model B to run a Bitcoin node? That is the upcoming 7-inch touch screen, through which users can see the operation of the Bitcoin node. This is a news announced by The Raspberry Pi Foundation recently. The sale price of this touch screen is about $60.

This touch screen has a resolution of 800×400 and 10-finger touch function. The product comes with a bridge chip (conversion board) to drive the touch screen and connects to the Raspberry Pi via a DSI ribbon cable.

One of the main reasons to connect the Raspberry Pi via the DSI ribbon cable is to keep the Raspberry Pi's HDMI port free. This allows users to connect the device to a secondary screen if needed. However, it should be noted that early adopters of this touchscreen will need to spend a little time on some minor assembly before getting everything up and running.

This touch screen is compatible with Raspberry Pi 2 Model B, Model B+ and Model A+, but not with Raspberry Pi 1.