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Beginning Custom Projects with Raspberry Pi

Beginning Custom Projects with Raspberry Pi

Name: Beginning Custom Projects with Raspberry Pi
Rating: 4.803571428571429 (56 reviews)

This course is part of Raspberry Pi Projects Specialization

Instructor: Drew Wilson

9,144 already enrolled

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

56 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

56 reviews

1 week to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Tools you'll learn

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

7 assignments

Taught in English

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This course is part of the Raspberry Pi Projects Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
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There are 4 modules in this course

In this course you will use a Raspberry Pi 4 to build a complete network-connected project with sensors and motors and access it from your smartphone. We'll explore all the parts which make this work, so you can use this experience as a foundation for your own projects. We'll use the Raspberry Pi as an "embedded system" (as opposed to a desktop computer) so you're ready to build a Raspberry Pi into your projects as the brains that make it all work. Want to build your own Internet of Things (IoT) device? Home automation? Robotics? This is the class to learn how it all works, to get you building on your own. No experience in embedded systems, programming, or electronics is assumed, and optional bonus sections are provided for those who want a fast start in Python programming, Linux essentials, and basic electronics. The course is divided into four modules to explore each focus area with demontrations and extras along the way: 1) installing and configuring a Raspberry Pi, 2) accessing the Raspberry Pi over the network, 3) programmatically controlling external sensors and motors, and 4) accessing the embedded device through a web interface. After these four modules you'll get started building your own projects right away, and the three follow-on courses in this Coursera specialization dive into each area to really boost your skills and the complexity of your projects. I hope you enjoy all the courses and I hope you take your builds to the next level.

Module details

In this module, we introduce the Raspberry Pi, and discuss how it is different from an Arduino. We will install and configure the operating system on a Raspberry Pi and connect to it via a network connection. If you’re not familiar with the Linux shell, there is an optional bonus section at the end of this module on Linux command line basics. Soon, we'll be using the pins on the Raspberry Pi to control things in the real world such as an LED.

What's included

14 videos2 readings2 assignments

14 videosTotal 94 minutes

Module 1 Introduction1 minute
Introducing the Raspberry Pi5 minutes
How are Raspberry Pi and Arduino Different?9 minutes
Physical Connections on the Raspberry Pi10 minutes
Introducing Raspberry Pi OS6 minutes
Installing Raspberry Pi OS8 minutes
Configuring with raspi-config4 minutes
Determining the Raspberry Pi IP Address4 minutes
Connecting with SSH11 minutes
Running Command-Line Performance Tests7 minutes
Summary of Module 11 minute
Shell, Prompt, and User7 minutes
Directory Navigation10 minutes
Executables and the Python Interpreter11 minutes

2 readingsTotal 12 minutes

Follow Along with Your Own Raspberry Pi 2 minutes
Summary of Commonly Used Commands10 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 130 minutes
Linux Command Line30 minutes

As we enter this module, your Raspberry Pi is up and running on the network and we’ve done quite a lot on the Linux command line. In this module, we’ll connect to a full graphical desktop session over the network, learn some electronics theory and how we can use the GPIO pins to light an LED, and create a web API endpoint to toggle the LED and demonstrate how embedded devices can use simple web APIs for a control interface. At the end of this module is an optional bonus section on the Python language, which you might find useful if Python is new for you. All of this is groundwork for the next module where we create sensors and spin motors with the Raspberry Pi.

What's included

13 videos2 assignments

13 videosTotal 126 minutes

Introduction to Module 21 minute
Connecting to a Remote GUI desktop with VNC8 minutes
Introducing the Raspberry Pi OS Graphical Desktop11 minutes
VNC vs SSH for Designing IoT, Home Automation, and Robotics6 minutes
Currents and Voltages in a Circuit18 minutes
Analysis of an LED Circuit12 minutes
Using Python to Light an LED17 minutes
Python Web Frameworks7 minutes
Writing an API Endpoint20 minutes
Summary of Module 21 minute
Introduction to Python5 minutes
Basic Python syntax13 minutes
Using the Official Python Documentation7 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 230 minutes
The Python Programming Language30 minutes

In this module, we’ll build on our Raspberry Pi GPIO skills and use some of the dedicated circuitry for driving special signals, like the pulse width modulation (PWM) circuitry, to vary the brightness of an LED. We’ll also access external hardware to run a motor, and discuss when external hardware is necessary, such as for real-time application or to drive power-hungry devices like motors. This is a fun module, and if you've been wondering how to control hardware with a Raspberry Pi, I think you'll find a lot of answers in this module. In the final module, Module 4, we'll take these individual skills and everything we've learned in Modules 1 and 2, along with some new ideas, and build a project together. By the end of this module, you might be surprised to see what types of complex systems you already know how to design and build.

What's included

19 videos2 assignments

19 videosTotal 162 minutes

Introduction to Module 32 minutes
Learning More About the Raspberry Pi Hardware (Part 1)12 minutes
Learning More About the Raspberry Pi Hardware (Part 2)14 minutes
Vendor-Agnostic Serial Protocols12 minutes
Software Stacks for Serial Protocols (Part 1)14 minutes
Software Stacks for Serial Protocols (Part 2)13 minutes
Troubleshooting I²C Sensor Signals8 minutes
What to Look for When Troubleshooting SPI5 minutes
Controlling LED Brightness with PWM9 minutes
What is Real-Time Processing and When Do You Need It?8 minutes
Offloading Power and Timing Responsibilities to a Driver Board5 minutes
Types of Motors and How to Control Them (Part 1)13 minutes
Types of Motors and How to Control Them (Part 2)9 minutes
Types of Motors and How to Control Them (Part 3)4 minutes
Types of Motors and How to Control Them (Part 4)5 minutes
Summary of Module 31 minute
Linux Administration Basics: Root, Commands, and Directories12 minutes
Linux Administration Basics: Background Tasks and Services9 minutes
Linux Administration Basics: Creating Users and Home Directories6 minutes

2 assignmentsTotal 60 minutes

Module 330 minutes
Linux Administration Basics30 minutes

In the first three modules we got our Raspberry Pi running over the network, we interfaced to physical world items such as LEDs and motors, and we controlled our Raspberry Pi with a web API. In this module we’ll take a closer look at some security concepts, combine what we know about sensors and electronics to create our own web-enabled home automation project you can access from your phone or computer. We'll keep things simple because the goal is for you to understand how all the parts work and, when it's time for you to create your own project, you can extend these concepts to create even the wildest projects.