Smallest version of Pi that will allow .net development

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Hi all, what is the smallest version of the Pi that will allow me to do .net development? I understand that you have to set up connections to a PC and use VS code etc, and I think its some variant of the Zero? This is new territory for me so I may mislabel things.

I’m going to want to attach sensors to it as well so I think I need a kit version that has some gear already assembled ready to connect sensors to, I think there is a bus or something that you can purchase that will act as the connector to sensors? All of my incomplete ham fisted knowledge is the result of google and AI searches so I know I’m not using the right terms, so please have patience.

I’m an experienced software developer and used to build my own pcs, I don’t know the names of all the connectors and specs in this world but I do know how to take it a step at a time and be patient.

The ideal kit would be a pi in some sort of packaged form ready to have sensors plugged in that I could do .net development.

many thanks!

john

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Hey John.
Welcome Welcome.

Tough question. I use .net at work but I’ve never used it on a pi.
Happy to have a crack anyway.
I’ll need to ask some questions.

  1. What OS will you want to run? Windows?
  2. Do need anything beyond .net core?
  3. What version of .net? 7+?
  4. Is the language you want to code in c# or something else.
  5. Could you live with having to make shell libraries in Clang or rust that you then import into your .net infrastructure? (this may be required to get .net to be willing to interface with your arm based hardware)

Your search term is I2C which is a protocol, typically used in sensors, that implements a bus.
Each sensor declares it’s address on the bus and so you can connect many sensors to the
same wires and control them individually by prefixing the sensors address to your instruction.
An alternative is called SPI which adds complexity and in return gives you robustness and speed. These are the most common in my experienced.

The good news is that all pis implement at least two buses of i2c and SPI.

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Thanks! I ended up with a pi zero 2 W, and according to chatGPT it has the CPU version that will run .NET (RP3A0-AU on a Pi Zero 2 W) will run modern .NET (6/7/8)).

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