In the previous tutorial, a brief introduction of Internet of things was presented. The importance, challenges, applications and trends in IOT were discussed. Now, equipped with basic understanding of IOT, it’s time to investigate the building blocks of IOT. IOT is developed as a package with integration of various technologies. Each technology has its own principle role within the IOT system. In this tutorial, the basic building blocks of IOT and their place in an IOT infrastructure will be examined.
The top 3D-printed robotic arms for 2023
Previously, we discussed open-source 3D printable humanoid robot projects. Now, we’ll cover the top 3D printable robotic arms. A robotic arm is a pick-and-place robot typically used in manufacturing assembly lines. They’re also used for CNC, laser engraving, and 3D printing. The robots are designed to repeat specific tasks with the highest accuracy and precision. Servos electronically…
IoT-based smart remote classrooms
This project will show how we can use the IoT to create cheap and smart remote classrooms for rural areas using Raspberry Pi and its camera module. If a teacher teaches in a distant city, that session can be streamed live to rural areas. By such applications, children from rural areas can get quality education…
How to read analog signals in Raspberry Pi using ADS1015/ADS1115
Raspberry Pi is the most popular single-board computer. As an embedded microcomputer, data acquisition is almost essential in Raspberry Pi. Though Pi has several GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins, it does not have any built-in or onboard analog-to-digital converter. Therefore, Pi on its own cannot sample data from analog sensors. In embedded applications, analog sensors…
Using SMTP in the IoT
Controlling IoT devices requires specific apps and settings. But you can also control them using emails since emailing is possible using SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol), which is on the TCP/IP stack. Therefore, the devices that support TCP/IP stack can use emails as command and control. So, for an application purpose, we will be making…
Raspberry Pi-based digital door peekhole
A peephole, spyhole, or peekhole is a small opening through the door that allows viewing from inside to outside. Such door holes allow seeing outside the door without opening it. Usually, these door holes have a fisheye lens to have a wider look of the outside. In this project, we have developed a digital version…
RPi Python Programming 03: Raspberry Pi as Linux System
In the previous article, we reviewed several Raspberry Pi models and considered which are most suitable depending on the application. Most of the time, you will be using RPi as a Linux computer. Raspbian, the official operating system for Raspberry Pi, is a variant of Debian OS (a Linux Distribution). Other operating systems are available, but…
How to use Alarm Signal in Raspberry Pi -(Part 19/38)
The operating systems like Archlinux ARM, OpenELEC, Pidora, Raspbmc, RISC OS and the Raspbian and also Ubuntu versions are available for the Raspberrypi board. Linux operating systems especially Ubuntu is preferred for all kind of programming and development. The immediate advantage of having an Operating System like Ubuntu running on an embedded system device is multitasking. The Raspberrypi is a board actually designed for helping computer education for remote schools but it is a nice platform for programmers especially beginners to explore various coding techniques. In a multi-tasking system several processes will be running at a time. The Operating System can control a process by sending signals to it. A user can sometimes initiate a signal sending and the processes can also send signals to each other. This project demonstrates how a process can receive the signal called SIGALRM from the OS and use it.
How to Access Raspberry Pi Directly through the Ethernet Port of PC – (Part 03/38)
The Raspberry pi is a single board minicomputer which has only the essential hardware included so as to meet the goal of low cost. The board is Raspberry pi board runs on ARM11 processor but is available at extremely cheap price. The board is designed with an intention of providing computer education to the remote schools where the PCs are not very commonly used. The idea behind the design is to use the TV screen as the display unit for the Raspberry pi board and hence converting the normal TV into a computer. The board is hence provided with a RCA connector which can be used to connect it directly to a TV screen which is based on PAL and NTSC standard. The board also has a HDMI connector output which can be used to connect the board to a HD TV.
Top 11 applications of Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi is an amazing credit card-sized development board that can serve varied purposes for hackers, hobbyists, artists, as well as students. One of the most versatile application boards, it is believed that it can only be used for some common programming purposes especially the ones related to IoT or AI. In this blog, we will be breaking that myth and show you the versatility of this system and how it can make a difference to our lives in a long run. Let’s get on with it then.
How to Use Raspberry Pi as a Game Server- (Part 35/38)
In this particular project Ubuntu is installed on Raspberry pi board and is loaded on the Raspberry pi board and is connected to a router using a cross-over LAN cable. Hence the only additional hardware required with the Raspberry pi for this project is a LAN cable only.Once connected to the router with Ubuntu OS on it, it can be accessed remotely from other systems connected in same LAN network. The board can be accessed from a Linux PC using the secure shell which is enabled in the Ubuntu of Raspberry pi board.This article focus on how to configure the Raspberry pi board as a web server and the technique to make it serve a graphical game for those who type the IP or address of the Raspberry pi board from the address tab of their web browser. The Raspberry pi web server is available in the same LAN network or it can be made available to anyone who has the internet connectivity using the technique of port forwarding.
How to Add Sound to Raspberry Pi Game Pad- (Part 37/38)
The gamepad is a simple circuit built on a breadboard with few buttons, LEDs and a resistor array. There are eight general purpose IO pins on the 13*2 pin connectors of the Raspberrypi board and among them four pins has been selected as input and then remaining four pins as output. The input pins are connected to push button and are pulled down using 1K resistors. The output pins are connected to the LEDs through another set of 1K resistors. For this project the Raspberry pi board is loaded with Ubuntu and is remotely accessed using VNC. To access the pins that coming out of the Broadcom controller the C library “bcm2835” has been downloaded and installed. This article focuses on how to add sound to a game that is coded to be played with a Raspberry pi gamepad.
Simple Raspberry Pi Game Pad for Ball Catching Game – (Part 36/38)
Raspberry Pi is provided with a RCA connector which can be used to connect it directly to a TV screen which is based on PAL and NTSC standard. The board also has a HDMI connector output which can be used to connect the board to a HD TV. One can also use remote login to access the Raspberry pi and view the GUI (Text User Interface) on the PC screen. The Raspberry pi board is also very easy to interface with external devices or circuits through its pin outs. This makes the Raspberry pi a suitable platform for playing and developing interesting games.This article discusses how to develop a simple graphical game using the HTML5 and JavaScript language and to interface it with an external custom made game pad hardware connected to the pins of Raspberry pi board.
Playing Snake Game using Raspberry Pi Game Pad- (Part 38/38)
This article discusses about how to develop simple game pad hardware and interface it with the Raspberrypi board and also about the technique of interfacing a game code written in HTML5 with the game pad. Here a Snake game written in HTML5 and JavaScript is modified in such a way that it can be played with the new game pad having four push buttons. In this project the techniques of signals, pipe, fork etc. are used get the game running. The Snake game running on a browser window forms the GUI or front end of the entire system. In a Linux operating system each hardware device is represented as a file. In this project there is game pad which is the hardware and there is a process which reads from the game pad and there is also a Pipe file or FIFO in-between the game and the game pad reading process.
Controlling Hardware using GUI in Raspberry Pi -(Part 32/38)
The Graphical User Interface (GUI) helps the user to communicate with the system effortlessly. The GUI is considered as the front end of an application. In a Linux operating system each hardware device is represented as a file. The device can be controlled by simply reading and writing into that file. The hardware of an operating system is on the one side and the user trying to access the hardware is on the other side, and in between them there might be several layers of process running which communicates each other using inter process communication methods. The GUI is the process which the user can use to communicate with all these process layers and finally communicate with the Hardware. This project demonstrates how to create a GUI using the QT which can control the LEDs connected to the Raspberrypi board.
How to Control Hardware using Named Pipe – (Part 34/38)
In a Linux operating system all each hardware device is represented as a file. The device can be controlled by simply reading and writing into that file. The hardware of an operating system is on the one side and the user trying to access the hardware is on the other side, and in between them there might be several layers of applications running which communicates each other using inter process communication methods. This project demonstrates how to control a process which can turn on and off the LEDs of the Raspberrypi with the help of another process by writing into a pipe file. The Raspberrypi is a mini computer which can be used to learn and experiment the concept and working of an Operating System. The Raspberry pi is a device which uses the Broadcom controller chip which is a SoC (System on Chip). This SoC has the ARM11 processor which runs on 700 MHz at its core.
How to Get GUI on Raspberry Pi – (Part 04/38)
The Raspberry pi is a single board minicomputer which comes without input and output units, but with connectors for them. The board is designed to be easy to use and available at the least possible price. The main intention of releasing such a board is to provide computer education to the remote schools where the PCs are not very commonly used. The idea is to use the TV screen as the display unit for the Raspberry pi board and hence converting the TV into a computer. The board is hence provided with a RCA connector which can be used to connect it directly to a TV screen which is based on PAL and NTSC standard. The board also has a HDMI connector output which can be used to connect the board to a HD TV, but there is no VGA connector.
Named Pipe Example Using Raspberry Pi – (Part 33/38)
Multi-tasking Operating Systems can run several processes at a time creating and effect of parallel processing with the help of the high speed processor. There are different kinds of Inter Process Communication (IPC) system and the Named Pipe is one of the simplest of them. The Named Pipe is actually a temporary file having a particular name and stored at a particular directory whose name and location are known to the processes which needs to communicate with each other. The Named Pipe is also called First In First Out (FIFO).This project demonstrates how two programs communicate each other using named pipe. In this project a simple program is written which creates a pipe and continuously checks for any data on the pipe. The data is written to the pipe by simply using terminal commands. As soon data appears on the pipe, the program reads it and prints back on the terminal.
How to Create Buttons in Qt- (Part 31/38)
In this project the Raspberrypi board is loaded with Ubuntu and is remotely accessed using VNC. The Raspberrypi board is also connected to the internet. Downloading and installing the fourth version, QT4 using commands are already discussed in a previous article. There is another article which discusses about how to start with programming in QT, a hello world program using QT. Once the installation is complete the user can find them listed under the installed programs for ‘Programming’. The list includes “Qt 4 Assistant”, “Qt 4 Designer”, “Qt 4 Linguist” and “Qt Creator”. The “Qt 4 Assistant” is basically provides help in the form of documentations related to the topics in QT. “Qt 4 Designer” is where the user can create a design and save it as a ‘.ui’ file which can then be used in QT projects. The “Qt 4 Linguist” provides a language view of the design created.
Hello World Program using Qt in Raspberry Pi- (Part 30/38)
The Raspberrypi board is powerful enough to run large operating systems like Linux, Mac and Windows. Linux operating systems especially Ubuntu is preferred for all kind of programming and development.The board is provided with a RCA connector which can be used to connect it directly to a TV screen which is based on PAL and NTSC standard. The board also has a HDMI connector output which can be used to connect the board to a HD TV. A board capable of generating graphics on standard display screen needs a perfect application using which the programmers can exploit that capability. The ‘QT’ is a widely used platform for creating GUIs in Linux environment.Qt is an application which helps indeveloping the UI framework using the Qt IDE. Qt uses standard C++ but it also supports support many compilers, including the GCC C++ compiler and the Visual Studio suite.