2. Overview
This API provides features that are selectively available, depending on the pi-top device that you are using. To find out what is available for your pi-top device, see the relevant section below.
Choose your pi-top device to go to the relevant section:
This API provides some convenience classes for common System Peripheral Devices, such as:
Camera
Keyboard
2.1. pi-top [4]
2.1.1. Interacting with onboard pi-top [4] hardware
pi-top [4] supports the following API devices/components for its onboard hardware:
pi-top [4] does not support the following API devices/components:
This is due to the fact that pi-top [4] has no attached display, and the pi-top [4] official display’s brightness is handled in hardware with physical brightness buttons, and the backlight is handled by DPMS (the operating system’s internal screen blanking functionality).
2.1.2. Physical computing with pi-top [4]
pi-top [4] supports the following API devices/components for physical computing:
The pi-topPULSE can be used as a Raspberry Pi HAT with a pi-top [4]. The USB camera library can be used with any USB camera, and - whilst technically can be used with any Raspberry Pi/pi-top, was designed with the pi-top [4] and PMA in mind.
pi-top [4] does not support the following API devices/components:
This is due to the fact that pi-topPROTO+ makes use of the legacy ‘modular rail’, which has no way of connecting to a pi-top [4].
Check out the key concepts for pi-top Maker Architecture for more information.
2.2. pi-top laptops
2.2.1. Interacting with onboard pi-top laptop hardware
pi-top laptops (Original pi-top and pi-top [3]) support the following API devices/components for their onboard hardware:
pi-top laptops does not support the following API devices/components:
This is due to the fact that pi-top laptops do not include the pi-top [4]’s miniscreen.
2.2.2. Using peripherals with a pi-top laptop
pi-top laptops (Original pi-top and pi-top [3]) support the following API devices/components for use with peripherals:
Note that the USB camera library works with any pi-top with a USB camera connected. This was designed for pi-top [4] usage, but due to its general purpose functionality, it can technically be used if desired.
pi-topSPEAKER support is provided automagically by pi-topd, and so there is no exposed API for this.
pi-top laptops does not support the following API devices/components:
This is due to the fact that PMA is only available for pi-top [4].
2.3. pi-topCEED
2.3.1. Interacting with onboard pi-topCEED hardware
pi-top laptops (Original pi-top and pi-top [3]) support the following API devices/components for their onboard hardware:
pi-top laptops does not support the following API devices/components:
This is due to the fact that pi-topCEED does not include a battery or the pi-top [4]’s miniscreen.
2.3.2. Using peripherals with a pi-topCEED
pi-topCEED supports the following API devices/components for use with peripherals:
Note that the USB camera library works with any pi-top with a USB camera connected. This was designed for pi-top [4] usage, but due to its general purpose functionality, it can technically be used if desired.
pi-topSPEAKER support is provided automagically by pi-topd, and so there is no exposed API for this.
pi-topCEED does not support the following API devices/components:
This is due to the fact that PMA is only available for pi-top [4].