Raspberry Pi

Instructors :

Joe Wilkes, PhD:
is a retired Electrical Engineer, Life Fellow of the IEEE, co-author of three books on cellular technology, amateur radio operator (wa2sff), and has been building electronic projects since teenage years. He built his first computer from a kit in 1976.

 

 

Neil Cherry:
 is a Quality Assurance Engineer with Tech Mahindra, has an AAS in Electronics and a BS in Computer Science and Information Systems, and is the author of “Wiley’s Linux Smart Homes For Dummies”. He has been working with computers, computer electronics, and software since 1978; has been playing with X10 since 1982; and began automating his home in 1992 when a friend gave him an X10 computer interface. Neil started the Linux Home Automation web site.

 

Course Objectives

Upon successfully completing this course, students will be able to “do something useful with the Rasberry Pi”.

  • load software onto the Raspberry Pi via the USB cable
  • Install shields onto the Raspberry Pi
  • Design a simple program to solve a problem
  • Perform basic interfacing of the Raspberry Pi  to external devices (lamps and switches)

Course Requirements / Prerequisites

  • No prior programming experience necessary.
  • There are no required materials for this class other than the Raspberry Pi itself.  The GitHub site will provide links to recommended books, and PDFs for several open source books that are free to download. These are the materials that the instructors use for reference.

Technology Requirements

You must have easy access to a laptop computer with a USB port and  high-speed internet connection.

About the Lessons

The lessons in this course include the following topics.

  • Class 1: 4/10/14 – Introduction to the Raspberry Pi
  • Class 2: 4/17/14 – Introduction to the Linux Operating System
  • Class 3: 4/24/14 – Introduction to Programming with Python
  • Class 4: 5/01/14 – Expanding your Pi through the Input/Output Ports (GPIO)

COST: $100, or $25 per class.

• Bring a +1 FREE – Bring a child, a spouse, or a friend for no additional charge. Work together as a team and share your hardware.
• Payable in person – cash or check
• All money goes to support IXR and InfoAge Science Museum

About the course series:

The Raspberry Pi (http://www.raspberrypi.org/faqs) is a credit card-sized computer that plugs into your TV and a keyboard. It is a capable little computer which can be used in electronics projects, and for many of the things that your desktop PC does, like spreadsheets, word-processing, games, and can also play high-definition video.

Maybe you’ve already purchased a Raspberry Pi, or have been thinking about diving in? This hands-on, 4 part course series will help you get started on making amazing projects with your Pi!

This course series is designed to introduce a new user to the Raspberry Pi. Each session will consist of a presentation, a demonstration on the Pi, and a hands-on lab session, all designed to explain and build experience with the Pi. At the end of the course, you should be able to use the Pi and understand its hardware and software.

Class 1: Introduction to the Raspberry Pi
– Thursday, April 10th, 7-9pm
• Review of the hardware
• Installing the operating system on an SD card
• Configuration of the Pi
• Hands on session to setup and configure your Pi

Class 2: Introduction to the Linux Operating System
– Thursday, April 17th, 7-9pm
• What is Linux? The history of Linux
• Useful command line tools
• Useful Graphical User Interface (GUI) tools
• Hands-on session to use the common tools

Class 3: Introduction to Programming with Python
– Thursday, April 24th, 7-9pm
• Introduction to Python commands
• Using Python from the GUI and the command line
• Some example Python code
• Hands-on session to write code for simple functions

Class 4: Expanding your Pi through the General Purpose Input/Output Ports (GPIO)
– Thursday, May 1st, 7-9pm
• Explanation of all input and output ports on the Pi and their use
• Examples of hardware add-ons for the Pi (prototyping boards and shields)
• Example hardware and software setup for common applications
• Hands-on session to use the GPIO ports through hardware and software

PARTICIPANTS WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:

• A Raspberry Pi
• Laptop computer
• USB keyboard
• USB mouse
• A compatible monitor (HDMI or DVI with HDMI adaptor)
• SD memory card (at least 4 GB)
• 5VDC USB power supply
• USB to micro-USB cable

If you are not able to bring a monitor, keyboard, mouse, or laptop, IXR has some on hand that you may borrow (first come, first serve). Please notify the organizers.

If you need to purchase a Raspberry Pi or other prerequisites, IXR recommends purchasing from adafruit.com (http://www.adafruit.com/category/105).

If you’re just starting out, the Raspberry Pi Starter Pack (http://www.adafruit.com/products/1014) from Adafruit contains everything you will need to get started.

 

Assignments and Assessments

This course not graded pass/fail – Students are suggested to attend all four classes due to the compacted nature of the program.

There will not be homework in the traditional graded sense,  how ever there will be suggested reading , video watching and programming exercises.

We learn by doing, so your are encouraged to put some time in to the homework. The instructors will review your work on your request.