Learn Electronics with Raspberry Pi: Physical Computing with Circuits, Sensors, Outputs, and Projects

✍ Scribed by Watkiss, Stewart

• Publisher: Apress
• Year: 2016
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 306
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Make a variety of cool projects using the Pi with programming languages like Scratch and Python, with no experience necessary. You'll learn how the Pi works, how to work with Raspbian Linux on the Pi, and how to design and create electronic circuits.

Raspberry Pi is everywhere, it's inexpensive, and it's a wonderful tool for teaching about electronics and programming. This bookshows you how to create projects like an arcade game, disco lights, and infrared transmitter, and an LCD display. You'll also learn how to control Minecraft's Steve with a joystick and how to build a Minecraft house with a Pi, and even how to control a LEGO train with a Pi. You'll even learn how to create your own robot, including how to solder and even design a printed circuit board!


Learning electronics can be tremendous fun -- your first flashing LED circuit is a reason to celebrate! But where do you go from there, and how can you move into more challenging projects without spending a lot of money on proprietary kits?Learn Electronics with Raspberry Pishows you how to and a lot more.

What You'll Learn


Design and build electronic circuits
Make fun projects like an arcade game, a robot, and a Minecraft controller
Program the Pi with Scratch and Python


Who This Book Is For
Makers, students, and teachers who want to learn about electronics and programming with the fun and low-cost Raspberry Pi.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents at a Glance......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
About the Author......Page 16
About the Technical Reviewer......Page 18
Acknowledgments......Page 20
Introduction......Page 22
Chapter 1: Getting Started with Electronic Circuits......Page 26
Voltage, Current, and Resistance......Page 27
Ohm’s Law......Page 28
Electrical Safety......Page 29
Breadboard......Page 30
A First Breadboard Circuit......Page 33
Static-Sensitive Devices......Page 35
More Circuits......Page 36
Introduction to the Raspberry Pi......Page 37
Raspberry Pi GPIO Ports......Page 38
SPI: Serial Peripheral Interface Bus......Page 40
Getting Started with Raspbian Linux......Page 41
Connecting to the Raspberry Pi Using the Network......Page 42
Secure Shell (ssh)......Page 43
Remote Desktop Using VNC (TightVNC)......Page 44
More Raspberry Pi......Page 45
Introduction to Scratch......Page 46
Controlling an LED Using Scratch GPIO Server......Page 49
Resistor......Page 50
Connecting the LED to the Raspberry Pi......Page 51
Using a Switch as a Digital Input......Page 54
Adding the Switch to the Circuit......Page 55
Robot Soccer......Page 57
Playing Robot Soccer......Page 65
Making an Enclosure......Page 66
Adding Joystick and Switches......Page 67
Wiring the Switches......Page 68
Creating the Game......Page 69
More Games......Page 76
Power Supplies......Page 77
Another USB Power Supply......Page 78
Other External Power Supplies......Page 79
Transistor......Page 81
Calculating the Resistor Sizes......Page 83
Introduction to Python......Page 85
Getting Started with Python GPIO Zero......Page 88
Circuit Diagram and Schematics......Page 90
Brighter LEDs with Darlington Transistors......Page 95
Reading a Switch Input with Python GPIO Zero......Page 99
Disco Lights with MOSFETs......Page 101
Light Sequence Using a Python List (Array)......Page 106
Switching AC Lights Using a Thyristor and a TRIAC......Page 107
More GPIO Zero......Page 109
Controlling a Raspberry Pi Camera with picamera......Page 110
Using a PIR Sensor as a Motion Sensor......Page 113
Using the PIR Motion Sensor to Trigger the Camera......Page 116
Infrared Receiver......Page 117
Infrared Transmitter......Page 118
Infrared Transmitter and Receiver Circuit......Page 119
Configuring the Infrared Transmitter and Receiver Using LIRC......Page 120
Receiving Infrared Commands Using python-lirc......Page 124
More Infrared Devices......Page 126
Voltage Divider Circuit to Reduce Input Voltage......Page 127
Unidirectional Level-Shift Buffer......Page 128
Bidirectional Level-Shifter......Page 129
I2C......Page 131
I2C Backpack for the LCD Character Display......Page 132
True or False Game Circuit......Page 133
Setting Up the I2C Connection and Adding the Code......Page 135
Creating an Analog Value Using a Potentiometer......Page 141
SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface Bus)......Page 142
Potentiometer SPI Circuit......Page 144
Accessing the ADC Using Python......Page 145
More Input and Output......Page 147
Taking the Next Steps in Python Programming......Page 148
Adding Disco Light Sequences Using Python Functions......Page 151
Making Python Programs Executable......Page 154
Handling Command-Line Arguments......Page 155
Running Python Programs as a Service......Page 157
Running Programs at Regular Intervals with Cron......Page 158
Creating an Automated Lego Train Using Infrared......Page 159
Dealing with Conflicts......Page 163
Software to Control the Lego Train Using LIRC and GPIO Zero......Page 164
Using the Internet of Things to Control the Model Train......Page 165
Controlling Color Light Strips Using NeoPixels......Page 172
Installing the Python Module......Page 174
Controlling RGB LEDs from Python......Page 175
Creating a Graphical Application Using Pygame Zero......Page 176
Adding an Icon to the Raspbian Desktop......Page 184
More Linux and Programming......Page 186
Infrared Shutter Release......Page 188
Designing the Film......Page 193
Filming the Scenes......Page 195
Creating the Video on a Raspberry Pi......Page 196
Editing the Video on a PC Using OpenShot......Page 197
Adding Effects to the Video......Page 199
Adding Special Effects Using GIMP......Page 200
Making Changes to Video Frames......Page 201
Using Green Screen Special Effects......Page 202
Adding Sounds to the Video......Page 206
Recording Sounds with Audacity......Page 207
Adding Sounds to OpenShot......Page 208
More Video Editing......Page 209
Selecting or Making a Robot Chassis......Page 210
Buying a Kit or Making Your Own......Page 211
Choosing a Raspberry Pi......Page 212
DC Motors and Stepper Motors......Page 213
H-Bridge Motor Control......Page 215
Controlling the Speed with Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)......Page 219
Powering the Motors and the Raspberry Pi......Page 220
Building the Circuit on a Breadboard......Page 221
Add-On Motor Controller Boards......Page 222
Controlling the Robot Using Python......Page 223
Measuring the Distance Using an Ultrasonic Range Sensor......Page 227
Controlling the Robot Using a Wii Remote......Page 231
More Robotics......Page 237
Connecting to Minecraft with Python......Page 238
Moving Around Using a Joystick......Page 241
Building a House in Minecraft......Page 244
Adding Status LEDs......Page 248
Find the Glowstone Game......Page 253
More Minecraft Hardware Programming......Page 255
Gathering the Essential Tools......Page 256
Choosing Solder......Page 258
Safety Tips When Soldering......Page 259
Soldering to a Printed Circuit Board......Page 260
Soldering Direct to Leads......Page 261
Raspberry Pi Prototyping Boards......Page 262
Testing Tools......Page 264
Multimeter......Page 265
Oscilloscope......Page 266
More Project Making......Page 267
The Design Process in a Nutshell......Page 268
Looking at Manufacturer Datasheets......Page 269
Designing a Circuit Diagram/Schematic......Page 272
Design Conventions......Page 275
Creating a Breadboard Layout......Page 276
Designing a Printed Circuit Board......Page 277
Buck Converter......Page 281
Designing More Circuits......Page 282
Crimping and Soldering Tools......Page 283
Chapter 1: Simple LED Circuit......Page 284
Chapter 3: Mars Lander......Page 285
Chapter 5: Infrared Transmitter and Receiver......Page 286
Chapter 7: Video Capture......Page 287
Chapter 10: Permanent Circuits......Page 288
Chapter 11: Powering the Raspberry Pi......Page 289
Switches......Page 290
Bipolar Transistor......Page 291
Triac......Page 292
Resistor Color Codes......Page 293
Electrolytic Capacitors......Page 295
Polyester Capacitors......Page 296
Ceramic Capacitors......Page 297
GPIO Pin Layouts......Page 298
GPIO Ports with Alternative Functions......Page 299
Index......Page 301

✦ Subjects

Nonfiction