Inventor’s Club Corner: Prototyping with Arduino and Raspberry Pi
It is a feeling that we have all experienced, not just inventors. That moment where you say “if I only knew how to do *that*, I would invent that idea myself! While some inventions are simple, there are many that require some form of technical knowledge like Electronics or Computer Programming. Unfortunately, for many people, this means they have reached the end of their inventive process.
While making a prototype is not the first step, it is certainly one of the most important. Making functioning electronic devices may seem like a daunting task at first, but we are here today to provide some guides to help make the process more welcoming.
"Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an LED, publishing something online. You can tell your board what to do by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board" (Arduino.cc).
by Michael Margolis
"Want to create devices
that interact with the physical world? This cookbook is perfect for anyone
who wants to experiment with the popular Arduino microcontroller and
programming environment. You'll find more than 200 tips and techniques for
building a variety of objects and prototypes such as toys, detectors,
robots, and interactive clothing that can sense and respond to touch,
sound, position, heat, and light.
You don't need experience with Arduino or programming to get started. Updated for the Arduino 1.0 release, the recipes in this second edition include practical examples and guidance to help you begin, expand, and enhance your projects right away—whether you're an artist, designer, hobbyist, student, or engineer."
by Simon Monk
"Using clear, easy-to-follow examples, Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches reveals the software side of Arduino and explains how to write well-crafted sketches using the modified C language of Arduino. No prior programming experience is required! The downloadable sample programs featured in the book can be used as-is or modified to suit your purposes."
by John Nussey
"Through this book you learn how to build a variety of circuits that can sense or control things in the real world. Maybe you'll prototype your own product or create a piece of interactive artwork? This book equips you with everything you'll need to build your own Arduino project, but what you make is up to you! If you're ready to bring your ideas into the real world or are curious about the possibilities, this book is for you."
by Bob Dukish
"A great way for technicians to learn about digital techniques and computers. As computer technology has evolved, there have been two groups of people: the hardware group that understands the machine, and the software group that codes in high-level programming languages. This book puts the two together by providing an understanding of the nuts and bolts of digital devices and implementing hardware operations by coding a microcontroller. We use the Arduino microcontroller, which is embraced by the world-wide maker community of well over 300,000 people of all ages and technical backgrounds."
by Brian Tracy
"This book looks at how to produce C programs to execute on a PC or a MAC computer. It also looks at the Arduino UNO micro controller and describes how to write C programs usng the Arduino 'wired' C functions as well as using standard ANSI C with direct access to the micro controller registers of the Ardunio UNO. This can lead to improved efficiency of the programs. Most of the Hardware available in the Arduino micro controller is described, and programs provided showing how to control and use them."
by Phil Winn
"The Arduino is a small inexpensive computer that can be used to build and program almost anything a maker can imagine. Readers will discover new processes, integrate visual information with text, and learn technical word meanings as they read the history of the Arduino and see how makers have put it to use in their inventions. They will also find out how to set up and program their own Arduino devices."
by Heather Moore Niver
"It has been said that good things come in small packages. Such is the case with Arduino. Using the Arduino programming language, users operate microcontrollers, which are essentially mini-computers that trigger physical systems such as lights and motors. This book introduces readers to one of the most popular programming platforms, taking computing beyond the computer. The text covers the particulars of Arduino's hardware and software, its capabilities, pros and cons of the platform, and examples of the creativity its use engenders."
"The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card
sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a
standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables
people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in
languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d
expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing
high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and
What’s more, the Raspberry Pi has the ability to interact with the outside world, and has been used in a wide array of digital maker projects, from music machines and parent detectors to weather stations and tweeting birdhouses with infra-red cameras" (raspberrypi.org)
by Bruce Smith
"With nothing other than the Raspbian Operating System installed on your Raspberry Pi, this book shows you how to access all the tools that you'll need to create your own machine code programs using assembly language.Ideal for the novice, this book starts from first principles and leads you comfortably on your way to become an accomplished programmer. Providing lucid descriptions, award winning author Bruce Smith keeps things simple and includes plenty of program examples you can try for yourself. "
by Rui Santos; Sara Santos
"After a crash course to get you set up with your Raspberry Pi, you'll learn how to build interactive projects like a digital drum set; a WiFi controlled robot; a Pong game; an intruder alarm that sends email notifications; a gas leak detector; a weather forecaster; and IoT gadgets that control electronics around the house. Along the way, you'll work with core components like LCD screens, cameras, sensors, and even learn how to set up your own server."
by Shawn Wallace; Matt Richardson
"This book takes you step-by-step through many fun and educational possibilities. Take advantage of several preloaded programming languages. Use the Raspberry Pi with Arduino. Create Internet-connected projects. Play with multimedia. With Raspberry Pi, you can do all of this and more."
by Alex Bradbury; Ben Everard
"Raspberry Pi chose Python as its teaching language of choice to encourage a new generation of programmers to learn how to program. This approachable book serves as an ideal resource for anyone wanting to use Raspberry Pi to learn to program and helps you get started with the Python programming language. Aimed at first-time developers with no prior programming language assumed, this beginner book gets you up and running."
by Tim Cox
"The aim of this book is to bring you a broad range of Python 3 examples and practical ideas which you can develop to suit your own requirements. By modifying and combining the examples to create your own projects you learn far more effectively with a much greater understanding. Each chapter is designed to become a foundation for further experimentation and discovery of the topic, providing you with the tools and information to jump right in. "
by Sean McManus; Mike Cook
"There's a reason the Raspberry Pi sold a million units in its first year, and you're about to find out why! In Raspberry Pi For Dummies, 3rd Edition veteran tech authors Sean McManus and Mike Cook make it easier than ever to get you up and running on your Raspberry Pi, from setting it up, downloading the operating system, and using the desktop environment to editing photos, playing music and videos, and programming with Scratch—and everything in between."
by Jason Scotts
"Raspberry Pi : The Ultimate Step by Step Guide Raspberry Pi User Guide (the updated version) gets you up and running on Raspberry Pi, whether you're an educator, hacker, hobbyist, or kid. Learn how to connect your Pi to other hardware, install software, write basic programs, and set it up to run robots, multimedia centers, and more."
by Simon Monk
"With millions of new users and several new models, the Raspberry Pi ecosystem continues to expand—along with a lot of new questions about the Pi's capabilities. The second edition of this popular cookbook provides more than 240 hands-on recipes for running this tiny low-cost computer with Linux, programming it with Python, and hooking up sensors, motors, and other hardware—including Arduino and the Internet of Things."
by Cefn Hoile; Clare Bowman
"Written for intermediate to seasoned Raspberry Pi users, this book explores four projects from around the world, explained by their makers. These projects cover five major categories in the digital maker space: music, light, games, home automation, and the Internet of Things."