Raspberry PI/ Arduino

[MEZLAW]

Has anyone started to mess around with "Raspberry Pi' or "Arduino" boards?

[Dr. Radio]

Larry,

I was "late to the party" and didn't purchase and start playing with Arduino until 2015. I started out with the Arduino Uno (which makes the most sense, at least at the time, for a beginner). My biggest challenge is I am simply not a coder. I've done HTML and worked with Microsoft Sequel Studio, but I just don't seem to have the programming "gift". I do like the Arduino "sketch" layout.

Rasberry PI was at first, just a competitor, now it is arguably the choice of "professionals". In my last job, the engineering department used Rasberry PI to provide custom answers for our own in-house testing solutions for customer requested designs (we were a contract manufacturer who did everything from design to PCB population).

I don't know what your skill level is, but you MUST visit this place. Excellent resource for Arduino from beginner to expert:

https://www.arduino.cc/

I do not (yet?) own a Rasberry PI product, so I can't give you any helpful resources for that.

[TC Chris]

All I know is that I have read the term and have a vague awareness that it's a DIY computer product. Maybe somebody who has actually worked with them can give the rest of us a primer--what they do, what hardware is required, and what kind of programming. Just a very basic sketch of the project... I'm curious.

Chris Campbell

[Dr. Radio]

Chris,

The Arduino is a circuit board with on-board memory and voltage regulation. It has terminations that allow inputs and outputs. These can be reconfigured. You make a "sketch" on a regular computer which is your code you write to achieve the desired results. You then "send" your sketch to the Arduino via a USB cable which can also be used to standalone power the Arduino board. The programming language is based on C++.

You make it as simple or as complex as you want it. You can purchase "shields" which are basically daughter boards that plug into the connectors on the Arduino itself to make it customized to your desire. For instance, they make a Bluetooth shield, a sensor shield (for barometric pressure), Internet or IoT (internet of things) interface board etc.

The whole idea is understanding how microprocessors work, memory and assigning inputs and outputs to circuitry without physically whipping out a soldering iron.

But you can use your soldering iron when you get good to make some out-of-this-world projects.

The grandaddy of them all: (original UNO), still relevant:

https://www.amazon.com/Arduino-A000066- ... 7497319401

[Dr. Radio]

More info for you guys:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino_Uno

Some examples:

A lot of these are childish, but if you search the web, you can find some incredible P.h.D. level stuff. Like monitoring greenhouse conditions for optimal growing of plants, weather forecasting units that display real time data, clocks and novelties that could literally be sold on Amazon to the masses.

Just amazing stuff, if you are willing to take it to that level.

https://www.instructables.com/Arduino-Projects/

https://all3dp.com/2/most-useful-arduino-projects/

[Firedome]

My son, who was a Physics/Math major who works for HP-Agilent, configured one for me to act as a programmable traffic light controller - one of my other crazy hobbies is collecting/restoring vintage traffic lights and beacons (pics of a couple of them, I only have one now after our moves, in my garage). The original controllers were huge mechanical gear-cam-timer affairs in a big aluminum box that was usually mounted on a post on the corner that the over-street light hung off of, or earlier on the pole of a corner located light (like the yellow 12-light 4-way in my pics). The hard-core collectors restore and use the vintage mechanical controllers with their restored lights. With the Arduino programmable job it can mount inside the light itself and I can change the timing on the light cycle of my 1940s Crouse-Hinds "Art Deco" 3 way RYG, (the green one, it was made in Syracuse btw). I should make a YouTube of it working. In my early working years I was a Cobol, JCL, and Fortran programmer on IBM 3033 and 3081 mainframes, but as it was 40+ years ago I know nothing of CC+ or any new programming stuff. We actually some times even programmed in hexadecimal/machine language back then, not the easy way they do now. I collected DEC and DG minicomputers for a while. Anyhow the Arduino is amazingly powerful and flexible.

[MEZLAW]

I purchased the Arduino board a few years back and played around with it. I didn't find much use for it and put it aside. Based on this I dismissed using the Raspberry Pi. Well our ham radio club decided to build our own 220 repeater and use the Raspberry Pi as a controller. I was impressed with the results and decided to purchase a Raspberry Pi. The FEDEX truck just delivered it as I was typing this response. Well I'm off to open my new toy and will report back at some point.

[TC Chris]

I'm a sucker for colored lights! I leave my Xmas lights out until the end of Feb. usually; we need 'em here to brighten the dark days until the sun comes back. And I have a couple strings hanging in my office, just because. Those traffic lights are SERIOUS colored lights. I'm also a sucker for lighted radio dials, especially the edge-lighted car radio dials from the old days or the yellow Philco dials of the 30s. The radio dials, they were cheerful companions on late-night drives. I grad school, a tough time for me, I'd sometimes pause and just imagine driving on down the road in the dark, radio dial glowing.

Chris Campbell

[Dr. Radio]

Firedome, I love those Traffic lights!

Mez, any updates?

I stumbled upon this Piano "hat" for Rasberry Pi today! Ha!

https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Pi ... gJEb_D_BwE