Controlling the RPZ from the UART GPIO port using the console cable

If you already have a computer that you use at home, the Raspberry Pi Zero will probably not be serving as a replacement. Wouldn't it be nice if you could work with the Zero through your own home computer? Then you only need one mouse, one keyboard, and one monitor. This recipe will show you how to use the Raspberry Pi Zero's UART GPIO to communicate with a USB-to-serial interface. Becoming familiar with this interface is great for troubleshooting (for example, when USB isn't working or you don't have a monitor nearby) and is one many different ways you can interact with your Zero.

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What is a UART and a GPIO? UART stands for Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter. Basically, that means it is a communication device understood by a lot of different devices, and it talks back and forth and doesn't wait for an acknowledgement. GPIO stands for General Purpose Input/Output and is the set of communication...