Raspberry Pi Zero Cookbook

Raspberry Pi Zero Cookbook

Overview of this book

The Raspberry Pi Zero, one of the most inexpensive, fully-functional computers available, is a powerful and revolutionary product developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Raspberry Pi Zero opens up a new world for the makers out there. This book will give you expertise with the Raspberry Pi Zero, providing all the necessary recipes that will get you up and running. In this book, you will learn how to prepare your own circuits rather than buying the expensive add–ons available in the market. We start by showing you how to set up and manage the Pi Zero and then move on to configuring the hardware, running it with Linux, and programming it with Python scripts. Later, we integrate the Raspberry Pi Zero with sensors, motors, and other hardware. You will also get hands-on with interesting projects in media centers, IoT, and more.

Raspberry Pi Zero Cookbook

Credits

About the Author

About the Reviewer

www.PacktPub.com

Customer Feedback

Preface

Free Chapter

Kick-Start Your Raspberry Pi Zero

Introduction

Understanding the standard connectors and test points

Reviewing power supply requirements

Choosing an operating system to install

Writing to an SD card with NOOBS

Using Windows to write a Raspbian image to an SD card

Using OS X to validate a Raspbian image and write it to an SD card

Using Ubuntu 16.04 to validate a Raspbian image and write it to an SD card

Identifying RCA solder points for analog video connections

Adding a USB extension over a USB OTG connector

Connecting to displays and changing the configuration settings

Logging in to the RPZ desktop for the first time, creating users, and rebooting

Setting Up Physical and Wireless Connections

Introduction

Controlling the RPZ from the UART GPIO port using the console cable

Adding Wi-Fi dongle over USB OTG

Hacking RPZ hardware to add up permanent Wi-Fi dongle

Setting Up dynamic and static IP address for RPZ

Pinging from another computer over same network

SSHing your RPZ from your desktop computer

Sharing a screen on your desktop computer

Copying different files to and from your home network

Adding USB functions to Raspbian Jessie

Using a virtual serial adapter on USB OTG

Programming over a virtual Ethernet modem on USB OTG

Making your RPZ a USB mass storage device

Programming with Linux

Navigating a filesystem and viewing and searching the contents of a directory

Creating a new file, editing it in an editor, and changing ownership

Renaming and copying/moving the file/folder into a new directory

Installing and uninstalling a program

Downloading a file from the Internet and deleting a file

Changing to root and using superpowers

Extracting a zipped file and zipping it back

Searching executed code from the terminal's history

Changing RPZ configuration settings from the command line

Checking running processes and killing a process running in the background

Creating our first shell program and automating a process

Syncing with NTC servers to update the current time

Running a background process in Linux

Setting a file to run automatically on startup

Using crontab to run a script automatically at predefined intervals

Programming with Python

Introduction

Choosing between Python 2 and 3

Installing important Python packages

Creating our first Python program and running loops

Playing with strings

Plotting graphs using Python

Sending an e-mail from a Python Script

Creating a program to log and append data to a CSV file

Using a Python script to upload data online to a Google spreadsheet interface

Adding help and parameters to your Python Program

Getting Your Hands Dirty Using the GPIO Header

Introduction

Pin configurations and precautions for using the GPIO pins

Using the GPIOs with the WiringPi library

Connecting an LED with RPZ and controlling it using C, Python, and a shell

Basics of the UART port and getting data from the desktop on the serial port using Minicom

Writing a Python/C program to get UART data in your code

Basics of I2C and checking the I2C devices present on a port

Basics of SPI and setting up an SPI module

Converting a 5V signal into a 3.3V signal and slew rates

Running RPZ on a battery

Controlling GPIOs using a web interface

Making RPZ a radio transmitter and sharing music

Using a Node.js library to control the GPIOs

Interfacing the ESP8266 WiFi module with RPZ

Controlling the LEDs and Displays

Introduction

Setting up brightness using PWM

Monitoring Twitter/e-mails to blink an LED

Connecting a seven-segment number display module to the RPZ

Connecting an LED matrix display to the RPZ

Connecting an RGB LED and generating different colors

Interfacing the 16x2 LCD display with RPZ

Connecting the 74HC595N shift register to control many LEDs

Controlling the Hardware

Introduction

Integrating voltage translators with the RPZ

Controlling a stepper motor using a RPZ and motor drivers

Connecting a DC motor and controlling its speed and direction

Controlling high power AC load using relays

Controlling high power DC load using MOSFETs

Controlling a buzzer with an RPZ

Monitoring the physical health of the RPZ hardware

Interfacing the PiFace with the RPZ

Taking Digital Inputs to the Raspberry Pi Zero

Introduction

Interfacing push switches

Interfacing toggle switches and setting debouncing

Avoiding the floating states of the input line

Interfacing a keypad with the RPZ

Interfacing RTC to get accurate time

Setting up Interrupts on a toggle switch through GPIO

Interfacing RFID tags with the RPZ

Interfacing a GPS module with the RPZ

Interfacing Sensors with the Raspberry Pi Zero

Interfacing any resistive sensor on GPIO

Interfacing an LDO with the RPZ

Interfacing an ultrasonic sensor with the RPZ

Interfacing an analog-to-digital convertor to interface any analog sensor with the RPZ

Interfacing an infrared receiver to read remote controls and control a TV with the RPZ

Interfacing a motion sensor

Interfacing a temperature humidity sensor using bit-banging

Interfacing a gyroscope and accelerometer with the RPZ

Pulling it all together with the Pi Sense Hat

Cooking up Projects to Amaze the World!

Introduction

Setting up hardware for home automation with the RPZ

Setting up software for home automation with the RPZ

Making the RPZ an IoT Sensor Node

Making the RPZ a media center

Controlling RPZ media center using IR remote

Heartrate monitoring wearable device

Customer Reviews

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Interfacing the ESP8266 WiFi module with RPZ

Earlier in the book, we covered a hack for taking a USB Wi-Fi adapter and hard-wiring it to the Raspberry Pi Zero board. This works just fine, but you can also configure Wi-Fi communication over the GPIO port! Truly, the Raspberry Pi's flexibility in configuration is astounding. In this hack, we will connect and play around with the inexpensive and popular ESP8266 to get our RPZ talking over Wi-Fi. We will also use some of the skills we picked up in earlier recipes talking over the GPIO serial bus to open the door to even cooler hacks!

Getting ready

You don't need much for this except your Raspberry Pi Zero and the ESP8266. The one I used was from Adafruit, called the ESP-12-E, but there several options available. I would go with anyone that is already mounted to a board for prototyping, unless you are planning to solder it to a custom-made circuit board to attach to your Raspberry Pi Zero. If not, you'll need some jumper cables and a breadboard...

Raspberry Pi Zero Cookbook

Raspberry Pi Zero Cookbook

Overview of this book

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Getting ready