In this chapter, we had a look at how to use the serial interface on the GPIO port in order to interface with some external hardware. The knowledge of how to do this will allow you to interface the Pi with a much wider range of hardware in future projects.

We also took a look at the camera board and how it can be used from within Python. This camera is a very versatile device and has a very wide range of uses in portable projects and ubiquitous computing.

You are encouraged to take a deeper look at the source code for the time-lapse recorder application. This will get you on your way to understand the structure of moderately complex Python programs and the way they can be packaged and distributed.

In the following chapter, we will take a more intricate look at how to interface with external hardware as we build a home theater PC.