Tutorials:
Having trouble using a part? Looking for more information on the use of a sensor? Our in depth tutorials will have you up and running in no time!
In this revamped tutorial we are going to go over the basics of using both versions of our Raspberry Pi 16 Channel Analog Input HAT. These boards are designed to give the Raspberry Pi analog read capabilities similar to those found on the Arduino. Our boards can provide 16 channels of analog input at 10 bit resolution using two onboard MCP3008 Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs).
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Our Relay Breakout boards are designed to allow microcontrollers (like the Arduino), single board computers (like the Raspberry Pi), and other low power / low current signals to switch high current / high power loads. Relays are one of the easiest ways to control a high current / high voltage load, but a relay cannot simply be connected to a microcontroller, they require several additional components to function correctly and protect the microcontroller from damage.
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Ordering online with BC Robotics is easy! The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in a lot of new people shopping online, so we figured what better time than now for a quick step by step set of instructions for those unfamiliar with ordering online with our website. Whether you are just down the street wanting to pick up an order, or half way around the world, this guide will help you through the process.
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We have already covered using a Raspberry Pi and Python to send an email containing basic text – but what if you wanted to attach a picture instead? In this tutorial we are going to adapt our code from our basic email tutorial to allow picture attachments to be sent.
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The micro:bit is quite the amazing little device – it is packed with features and best of all, it is easy to use. However, there are some sensors that just don’t work well with the micro:bit directly. The micro:bit runs at a 3V logic voltage and works with any sensors running 3V as well – but some sensors require a higher voltage.
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Cron jobs are an easy way to schedule a script or program to run at specific dates and times in regular recurring cycles. These can be used for server maintenance tasks and scheduled backups, right out to real world applications for things like turning on or off lights and other automation.
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Wouldn’t it be nice if your project could email you when it is done a task, has a problem, or just randomly thought the day? Well, with the Raspberry Pi, this is something that can be easily set up with a little Python code and an extra Gmail account. In this tutorial we will go through the steps of setting up a chunk of code that can be easily configured to send an email on command in any Python project!
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In the past three tutorials we have assembled the irrigation board, wrote the code to run our system, and figured out how to run it on a schedule. In the last part of this tutorial series we are going to look at installing our irrigation controller and some of the most common setups.
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In the past two Raspberry Pi Irrigation Controller Tutorials we have assembled the board, connected the Pi, added sensors, and tested all of the components. In the third part of this four part tutorial we are going to figure out how to write a program that will run our sprinklers, monitor a few of our sensors, and email us once it has finished running.
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In the first part of this tutorial we looked at each of the connections available on the board (and if using the bare bones version, soldered everything in place). Now that we have everything ready for power we can work on the software / coding side of the project.
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In this multipart project tutorial we will be building a Raspberry Pi based Irrigation Controller using our Raspberry Pi IrrigationHAT. We wanted to create a functional project for people to dip their toes into the world of smart devices – and an irrigation controller seemed like a great choice! Following this tutorial will result in an operational Irrigation Controller with multiple zones, a configurable schedule, configurable run duration, and basic notification system.
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Blynk is a powerful Internet of Things (IoT) app for iOS and Android that allows you to control your Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or ESP8266 from your mobile phone. On your phone, the Blynk app allows you to build your own control interface without any complicated coding. It also runs on the target device (in our case, the Raspberry Pi) and handles all of the communication between the two over the internet.
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In this tutorial we will be looking at how to use an Ultrasonic Sensor to measure distance using an Arduino. This type of sensor emits a burst of ultrasonic sound and then waits to hear the echo. These sensors are generally inexpensive, fairly accurate, and not affected by lighting conditions like infrared based systems.
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Our Pi Relay HATs are designed to allow your Pi to switch higher voltages and higher currents from one self contained board. In this tutorial we are going to go over soldering the header to the Relay HAT, use Python with the included Pi.GPIO library to write code that triggers each relay, and go over the external relay connections and configuration options on the board.
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We always deal with electricity in our projects, but have you ever generated your own? This tutorial will step you through building our DIY Generator Kit. The DIY Generator is designed to light an LED purely by spinning a handle. Internally there is a gearbox to increase the rotation speed, and a simple DC Motor that acts as the generator.
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One of the most common questions asked about the Raspberry Pi is how to get code you wrote to run automatically as soon as you boot it up. We get why this question is so common; a lot of people have entered this world of open electronics by way of the Arduino, and simply giving it power will start it up and run your code.
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In this tutorial we are going to go over the basics of using our Raspberry Pi 16 Channel Analog Input HAT. This board is designed to give the Raspberry Pi analog read capabilities similar to those found on the Arduino. In this case, the board can provide 16 channels at 10 bit resolution through two MCP3008 Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs).
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We are almost there – in the past three Raspberry Pi Weather Station tutorials we have assembled the weather station electronics, wrote the code to gather data, and set up ThingSpeak to collect and display the data – now we just need to get it outside. In the final part of this tutorial we are going to set up the Pi to run our weather station code automatically, look at how to protect the Pi from the elements, and discuss placement of your weather station and the logistics of it being outside.
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In the past two Raspberry Pi Weather Station Tutorials we have build the hardware to monitor several weather parameters and written the code to collect the information. In the third part of our four part tutorial we are going to figure out how to log our weather station’s data and display it on live updating graphs using a free web-based data service called ThingSpeak.
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In the last part of this tutorial we added our components to the weather board and connected everything up. Now that we have everything ready for power, we can work on the software / coding side of this project. In part two of this tutorial we will boot up the Raspberry Pi, do some initial configuration of the Raspbian operating system, install Python libraries for a few of the sensors, and write some basic Python code to collect and display data from each of the sensors.
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In this tutorial we are going to go in a little bit of a different direction – this will be a project tutorial, which when followed, will result in a working Raspberry Pi based Weather Station that streams data to the ThingSpeak Data service. We will break this down into four components: A board overview and assembly guide, collecting the data using python, sending the data to ThingSpeak, and finally a section looking at installation outdoors.
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In this tutorial we will be using an Arduino to control the speed and direction of a DC Motor. For this tutorial we will be using our basic DC Hobby Motor but this tutorial can be applied to just about any DC Motor out there that falls within the peak voltage and current specifications of the H-Bridge we are using.
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While very basic, how to power an LED is probably one of our most commonly asked questions. Here are a few simple steps to getting started with LEDs on a breadboard. The math behind choosing a current limiting resistor is also covered in this tutorial.
A Few Considerations:
• While there are special LED driver chipsets out there, we are going to keep this to basic components.
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The Raspberry Pi 3B++ is the newest version of the popular single board computer by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Pi 3B++ (or Pi 3B+) is a huge step up in terms of computing power and features 64bit architecture. In addition to a bunch more computing power this new version of the Raspberry Pi also features built in Bluetooth LE and Dual Band WiFi.
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The Raspberry Pi Zero is the latest single board computer released by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. The Zero is a change in direction for the foundation; it is a direct shot at making the cheapest single board computer possible. Being cheap does not mean this board is lacking power, but there are some differences to note between this board and the previous versions of the Pi.
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While the Blinky Light Kit does include instructions, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words! We have assembled this quick visual guide to help you get your first soldering project built and blinking.
A Few Considerations:
Before we jump into soldering this board together there are a few points to consider.
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The TMP36 temperature sensor is an easy way to measure temperature using an Arduino! The sensor can measure a fairly wide range of temperature (-50°C to 125°C), is fairly precise (0.1°C resolution), and is very low cost, making it a popular choice. In this tutorial we will go over the basics of hooking the TMP36 up and writing some basic code to read the analog input it is connected to.
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In this tutorial we will be controlling a solenoid with an Arduino and a transistor. The solenoid we have picked for this tutorial is our Plastic Water Solenoid Valve (perfect for controlling flow to a drip irrigation system) but this tutorial can be applied to most inductive loads including relays, solenoids, and basic DC motors.
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In this tutorial we will be hooking up a Flow Sensor to an Arduino Uno to measure liquid flow. This type of flow sensor is designed to measure the volume of liquid traveling past a given point, a great way to keep tabs on how much water your drip irrigation system is using, or any other project were the flow of liquid needs to be tracked.
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The 4 Channel Relay Breakout is an easy way to use your Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or other microcontroller to switch high voltages and high current loads. The board is both 3.3V and 5V logic compatible and uses 4 digital outputs to control 4 individual relays. Each relay has the common, normally open, and normally closed pin broken out to a convenient 5.0mm pitch screw terminal.
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