Physical computing / robotics has become a fun and potent force in the world of technology. There’s something magical about writing software that moves stuff in the real world. I love that my brother in another city can chase my kids remotely using our Raspberry Pi robot I built.
In the past week, I got my hands on a new Raspberry Pi 2. This inexpensive Linux computer gives you the ability to interface with electronics, python tools and stuff to learn to code. Over the weekend, I decided to upgrade my CoderBot design to the Raspberry Pi 2. In moving the robot control program over to the Raspberry Pi 2, I found out that I needed to re-write some python code to control my robot. This process wasn’t trivial and I needed a good coach.
Fortunately, I found a great set of Raspberry PI video tutorials by Paul Mcwhorter. Make sure to check out his blog at http://TopTechBoy.com . Paul recorded these video tutorials on Raspberry PI to serve the high school students he teaches. He covers everything from setting up your Raspberry Pi for the first time, learning Linux to using the GPIO python API. For my project, I needed to learn how to control servos using the Raspberry Pi.
Make sure to check out http://TopTechBoy.com to review Paul’s complete list of Raspberry Pi lessons. He also offers content on Arduino and other micro-controllers. So far, I have found his coaching complete and informative. As he’s teaching you to use the GPIO API to interface with electronics, I really appreciate how he connected an oscilloscope to help you visualize the patterns of voltage levels. Check out Paul’s links below.
I hope you find these resources helpful.
What kind of stuff are you building with your Raspberry Pi? Leave a comment below!
http://www.toptechboy.com/raspberry-pi-with-linux-lessons/
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