Book Image

Raspberry Pi for Python Programmers Cookbook - Second Edition

Book Image

Raspberry Pi for Python Programmers Cookbook - Second Edition

Overview of this book

Raspberry Pi cookbook for Python Programmers is a practical guide for getting the most out of this little computer. This book begins by guiding you through setting up the Raspberry Pi, performing tasks using Python 3 and introduces the first steps to interface with electronics. As you work through each chapter you will build up your skills and knowledge and apply them as you progress throughout the book, delving further and further into the unique abilities and features of the Raspberry Pi. Later, you will learn how to automate tasks by accessing files, build applications using the popular Tkinter library and create games by controlling graphics on screen. You will harness the power of the built-in graphics processor by using Pi3D to generate your own high quality 3D graphics and environments. Connect directly to the Raspberry Pi’s hardware pins to control electronics from switching on LEDs and responding to push buttons right through to driving motors and servos. Learn how to monitor sensors to gather real life data and to use it to control other devices, and view the results over the Internet. Apply what you have learnt by creating your own Pi-Rover or Pi-Hexipod robots. Finally, we will explore using many of the purpose built add-ons available for the Raspberry Pi, as well as interfacing with common household devices in new ways.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Raspberry Pi for Python Programmers Cookbook - Second Edition
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Hardware and Software List
Index

Introduction


The Raspberry Pi camera module is a special add-on of the Raspberry Pi that makes use of the Camera Serial Interface (CSI) connector. This connects directly to the GPU core of the Raspberry Pi processor, allowing images to be captured directly on the unit.

We shall create a basic graphical user interface (GUI) using the tkinter library we used in Chapter 3, Using Python for Automation and Productivity, and Chapter 4, Creating Games and Graphics. This will form the basis of the following three examples where we extend the GUI with additional controls so that we can put the camera to various uses for a range of different projects.

Finally, we set up the powerful Open Computer Vision (OpenCV) library to perform some advanced image processing. We will learn the basics of OpenCV and use it to track objects based on their color or detect movement.

Tip

This chapter uses the Raspberry Pi camera module, which is available from most retailers listed in the Makers, hobbyists, and Raspberry...