pbc v0.0
This Raspberry Pi 5 based remote will likely become the main controller for all my robotics projects. Version 0.0 is just a bunch of electronics modules mounted to some laser cut acrylic.
Bill of Materials (BOM)
Here are all the parts used to make the PBC. I bought most of these in early 2026, hopefully prices will go down in the future…
| Description | Part Number | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB) | 1 | $200 | |
| 7“ Touchscreen | 1 | $39 | |
| Joystick Module | 1 | ||
| Tactile Button | 6 | $6.50 (for 20) | |
| Emergency Stop (E-Stop) Button | 1 | ||
| Raspberry Pi Pico | 1 | ||
| Protoboard | 1 | ||
| Jumper Wires | - | ||
| USB-A to micro USB | 1 | ||
| 2.0 mm Stand Off | 4 | ||
| 2.5 mm Stand Off | 9 |
Q&A That Pi5 is hella expensive. Can I use another Single Board Computer (SBC)?
Sure! I got the Pi 5 two years ago and it’s just been sitting in a box. I don’t have any requirements for the software yet, but I’ll update when I do.
Software Setup
I used VSCode and its Remote Developer extension for this project.
Q&A Do I have to use VSCode?
For remote projects, I often use NeoVim, VScode, or just develop on host and copy over to target later. It really depends on how capable the target is.
Tools
I use the following tools:
- uv
- just
- mpremote
Q&A Do I have to use uv and just?
Nope. I’ve been enjoying them lately, but if you want to just use pip that’s fine. Keep in mind if you don’t use these tools then you will need to alter the steps a bit.
Initial Setup
mkdir ~/pbc
cd ~/pbc
uv init --bare
uv init --bare micro
uv init --bare hostYou should have the following folder structure.
pbc/
├── host/
│ └── pyproject.toml
├── micro/
│ └── pyproject.toml
└── pyproject.toml