From 0 to 1: Raspberry Pi and the Internet of Things from Udemy

What's inside

Learning objectives

Understand what the internet of things and physical computing are
Know their way around a raspberry pi
Use the raspberry pi in home automation projects

Think of different iot applications and visualize the components needed to build them
Do cool things like control switches in their home with their smartphone

Understand what the internet of things and physical computing are
Know their way around a raspberry pi
Use the raspberry pi in home automation projects
Think of different iot applications and visualize the components needed to build them
Do cool things like control switches in their home with their smartphone

Syllabus

What this course is about

We - the course instructors - start with introductions. We are a team that has studied at Stanford, IIT Madras, IIM Ahmedabad and spent several years working in top tech companies, including Google and Flipkart.

Next, we talk about the target audience for this course: There is no bar. Even absolute beginners can take this course. It starts with the basics and builds up to solid intermediate level home automation projects with the Raspberry Pi.

At the end of this course, you should be able to confidently build an IoT project on your own.

Tech companies are buzzing with anticipation about the Internet of Things. What is it and why should you care? This class takes you through the possibilities that the Internet of Things can open up. It also explains in brief how it can be achieved.

We'll start with understanding the basic setup of a 'smart' home. The thing that makes it smart is a special type of computer. Microcontrollers are examples of special purpose computers that can be used for automating things.

We'll talk about Arduino boards which are microcontroller based DIY kits and very popular for IoT experimentation. The Raspberry Pi is a tiny credit card sized computer that packs quite a punch.

The Raspberry Pi is tiny but still packs quite a punch. The Broadcom System on A Chip (SOC) is the secret sauce that makes this possible.

You can connect many things to a Raspberry Pi - Camera. HDMI, audio, GPIO - this class takes you on a tour of

the Raspberry Pi Board

The Raspberry Pi's SOC only has a small RAM. Where do you store your data, OS etc then? Use a Micro-SD card to store all your files and data.

The Raspberry Pi only runs specific kinds of operating systems - but there is still a lot of choice. Beef up on your OS fundamentals - RISC, CISC architectures, Open source vs closed source and make an informed choice of OS.

It's time to get started. We'll walk you through the steps involved in installing an Operating system.

Raspbian is the OS we've chosen to install. It's pretty similar to Debian - a linux distribution. Go on a tour of the OS.

Walk through a few useful linux shell commands including grep.

Adding a user and giving them permissions is not as straightforward as Windows. Redirection symbols come in real handy when you want to capture or parse the output at a command line.

Installing a software requires a few specific commands. These will be a lifesaver, whenever you use any Linux based OS in the future.

Connecting your Raspberry Pi to the internet can be a little tricky if you have never worked on a Linux based OS. We'll walk you through it step by step and there is a guide attached as well.

If you are absolutely new to coding, don't be intimidated in the least - its just like cooking.

A list is a list, as the name implies. Everything in life is a list, including strings

Let's do some stuff with lists.

Dictionaries, the name itself best describes what they are: collections of key-value pairs that you can look up blazingly fast. If-Else Statements come in real handy when you need to check for a condition.

Ever wondered what's the biggest difference between Excel, and a serious programming language? Loops. Loops are big productivity boosters.

Lists and Dictionaries are inextricably linked with loops. Use loops to do something with each element of a list or each key-value pair of a dictionary.

If coding is like cooking, functions are like food processors. They automate repetitive tasks by mechanically taking stuff in and churning stuff out.

Modules are awesome, you can do amazingly complex things by importing a module, without having to code stuff from scratch.

Walk through the various steps involved in a physical computing project. These are general enough that you can use this same process with any project , regardless of whether it is a Raspberry Pi that you're using as the main unit.

Devices communicate through interfaces, these are boundaries that connect them to other devices and define how the communication will be. Digital communication starts with binary and includes many possible interfaces -Serial, parallel, UART, Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) and I2C. Pulse Width Modulation is a way to convert digital to analog.

This is the most critical step in physical computing - designing a circuit that connects your Raspberry Pi to other devices. We'll start from basics - what is the Ohm's law? What is resistance? Understand the specific roles that the different GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi play.

To tie it all up, you'll need to write a program that controls the devices in your circuit. RPi.GPIO in Python or WiringPi in C are options but the basic steps are the same.

Here are few things you might want to add to your shopping list.

Our first physical computing project! Have some fun turning an LED on or off with your Raspberry Pi.

Read input from a Push Button, which is a tiny switch.

Take a reading from a photoresistor which is a light sensor. Use an RC circuit to measure the resistance of the photoresistor.

Use the Ultrasonic sensor to figure out if there is something is near the Raspberry Pi - and how far away it is.

We'll build upon the previous 2 projects. If a person walks into a room and the room is too dark - turn on the light switch. The project uses 3 circuits - Light sensor, Ultrasonic sensor, Relay to control a switch

WiringPi is a library that was written for Arduino like programming on the Raspberry Pi. Pulse Width Modulation is a way to convert digital to analog - we'll explore both of these in this class .

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Covers basics to advanced concepts for varied skill levels

Taught by electrical engineers who work in top tech companies

Provides hands-on experience with home automation projects

Reviews summary

Hands-on introduction to raspberry pi iot

According to learners, this course offers a highly accessible introduction to the world of Raspberry Pi and the Internet of Things, particularly focusing on home automation projects. Students appreciate that it starts from scratch, making it suitable for those with little to no prior experience in electronics or programming. The hands-on activities and practical projects are frequently highlighted as the course's strongest aspect, providing tangible results and building confidence. While the course provides a good overview, some mention that it is more of a basic introduction than a deep dive into advanced topics. Some learners also report struggling with hardware setup and needing external resources for troubleshooting, indicating this might be a warning point for absolute beginners. Overall, students find the course engaging and effective for getting started in the field.

Specific Raspberry Pi and components needed.

"Needed to buy quite a bit of hardware, which added to the cost of taking the course."

Covers many topics but lacks depth for experts.

"Good overview, but doesn't go very deep into any single topic."

"If you want to specialize, you'll need more study."

"More of a basic introduction than truly intermediate."

Unique style, quizzes keep learning interesting.

"The course style is unique and keeps you interested."

"Loved the quirky examples and little touches that aid recall."

Starts from scratch, concepts explained clearly.

"This course is fantastic for beginners! It starts from scratch and explains everything clearly."

"The explanations were engaging and the quizzes helped solidify understanding."

"For someone completely new to this, the course was accessible."

Hands-on activities build real-world skills.

"The home automation projects were the best part and really helped me apply what I learned."

"Loved the hands-on nature and building actual circuits."

"Projects are practical and well-explained step-by-step."

Hardware setup and troubleshooting can be difficult.

"Struggled with the hardware setup and troubleshooting."

"Needed a lot of external searching for help to get things working."

"Some setup steps felt a bit out of date."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in From 0 to 1: Raspberry Pi and the Internet of Things with these activities:

Review Practical Computing Skills

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Review your general skills in working with the Raspberry Pi and its various interfaces. Review how to establish a circuit.

Browse courses on DIY Electronics

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Setup your Raspberry Pi and make sure it boots to a command line
Connect each of the interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART) to a known good device
Install any known good drivers for each of these devices
Write and run a test script to ensure that each device is connected and communicating properly

Type commands into the Linux terminal

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Refresh your memory on how to use important Linux commands such as ls, cd, mv, and more.

Browse courses on Linux Command Line

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Start up your Linux terminal
Navigate the file system using 'cd'
List all files and folders using 'ls'
Move files or folders to another directory using 'mv'
Copy files or folders to another directory using 'cp'

Practice Installing Software on Raspberry Pi

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Install a few software packages on the Raspberry Pi using the apt commands to get more comfortable with the syntax.

Browse courses on Raspberry Pi

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Open a terminal
Make a list of 5 packages you want to install
Use the 'apt' command to install each package
Identify and fix any errors, if necessary

One other activity

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Show all four activities

Arduino Tutorials

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Review some of the basics of Arduino coding with these tutorials.

Browse courses on Arduino

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Locate the Arduino tutorials
Pick an Arduino code tutorial to work through
Type the Arduino code into your IDE
Compile and run the Arduino code

Career center

Learners who complete From 0 to 1: Raspberry Pi and the Internet of Things will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Quality Assurance Engineer

A Quality Assurance Engineer tests and evaluates software and hardware products to ensure they meet quality standards. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in quality assurance concepts, including testing methodologies, defect tracking, and quality control.

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Systems Administrator

A Systems Administrator manages and maintains computer systems and networks. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in systems administration concepts, including operating systems, security, and backups.

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Hardware Engineer

A Hardware Engineer designs and develops computer hardware. This course may be helpful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in hardware engineering concepts, including electronics, microprocessors, and embedded systems.

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Robotics Engineer

A Robotics Engineer designs, builds, and maintains robots. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in robotics concepts, including kinematics, dynamics, and control.

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Mechatronics Engineer

A Mechatronics Engineer designs and builds systems that integrate mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in mechatronics concepts, including sensors, actuators, and control systems.

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Product Manager

A Product Manager is responsible for the development and launch of new products. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in product management concepts, including market research, product design, and launch strategy.

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User Experience Designer

A User Experience Designer designs and evaluates user interfaces for websites, apps, and other products. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in user experience design concepts, including user research, prototyping, and usability testing.

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Software Engineer

A Software Engineer designs, develops, and maintains software systems. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in software engineering concepts, including programming, software design, and testing.

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Network Engineer

A Network Engineer designs, implements, and maintains computer networks. This course may be helpful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in networking concepts, including protocols, routing, and switching.

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Computer Scientist

A Computer Scientist researches, designs, and develops computer systems and applications. This course may be helpful for those interested in this field as it provides an introduction to computer science concepts, including programming, data structures, and algorithms.

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Electrical Engineer

An Electrical Engineer designs, develops, tests, and maintains electrical systems and components in various industries, such as power generation, telecommunications, and manufacturing. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in electrical engineering concepts, including circuit design and physical computing.

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Web Developer

A Web Developer designs and develops websites. This course may be helpful for those interested in this field as it provides an introduction to web development concepts, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

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Data Analyst

A Data Analyst collects, analyzes, and interprets data to extract meaningful insights. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides an introduction to data analysis concepts, including statistics and machine learning.

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IT Support Specialist

An IT Support Specialist provides technical support and assistance to computer users. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in computer hardware, software, and networking.

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Technical Writer

A Technical Writer creates and maintains technical documentation. This course may be useful for those interested in this field as it provides a foundation in technical writing concepts, including documentation standards, style guides, and user experience.

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