Unless you use radio communication links, developers using the Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone black will sooner or later need to hook up control and sensor signals to external devices. Some developers reading through the Systems Reference Manual took heed of the warnings about the risks of connecting external systems without first powering the BeagleBone Black.

They realised that all users would be faced with the same need to electrically isolate any signal to an external device. An additional restriction meant that BeagleBone Black's default operating mode utilized many of the pins present on the I/O connectors and these were not available for general use without extensive operating system changes. Their solution was to build a comprehensive interface board to provide a simple universal solution for Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone Black users. In addition the MotherBone PiOne board gives Raspberry Pi programmers a platform to easily port their routines to BeagleBone Black. Its main features include:

  • Multiple on-board switching power supplies powering Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black and the on-board high-powered USB hub
  • Power isolation to protect BeagleBone Black and Raspberry Pi I/O pins
  • Extensive high powered I/O for real world projects

With just over two weeks to run the project is hoping to raise the necessary funding on Kickstarter.