Based on PIC microcontrollers and Arduino
Every mobile phone includes a GSM/GPRS modem which enables the phone to communicate with the external world. With the help of the GSM modems, users can establish audio conversations and send and receive SMS text messages. In addition, the GPRS modem enables users to connect to the internet and to send and receive large files such as pictures and video over the internet.
This book is aimed for the people who may want to learn how to use the GSM/GPRS modems in microcontroller based projects. Two types of popular microcontroller families are considered in the e-book: PIC microcontrollers, and the Arduino. The highly popular mid-performance PIC18F87J50 microcontroller is used in PIC based projects together with a GSM Click board. In addition, the SIM900 GSM/GPRS shield is used with the Arduino Uno projects. Both GSM and GPRS based projects are included in the e-book.
The book will enable you to control equipment remotely by sending SMS messages from your mobile phone to the microcontroller, send the ambient temperature readings from the microcontroller to a mobile phone as SMS messages, use the GPRS commands to access the internet from a microcontroller, send temperature readings to the cloud using UDP and TCP protocols and so on.
It is assumed that the reader has some basic working knowledge of the C language and the use of microcontrollers in simple projects. Although not necessary, knowledge of at least one member of the PIC microcontroller family and the Arduino Uno will be an advantage. It will also be useful if the user has some knowledge of basic electronics.
40+ Projects using Arduino, Raspberry Pi and ESP32
This book is about developing projects using the sensor-modules with Arduino Uno, Raspberry Pi and ESP32 microcontroller development systems. More than 40 different sensors types are used in various projects in the book. The book explains in simple terms and with tested and fully working example projects, how to use the sensors in your project. The projects provided in the book include the following:
Changing LED brightness
RGB LEDs
Creating rainbow colours
Magic wand
Silent door alarm
Dark sensor with relay
Secret key
Magic light cup
Decoding commercial IR handsets
Controlling TV channels with IT sensors
Target shooting detector
Shock time duration measurement
Ultrasonic reverse parking
Toggle lights by clapping hands
Playing melody
Measuring magnetic field strength
Joystick musical instrument
Line tracking
Displaying temperature
Temperature ON/OFF control
Mobile phone-based Wi-Fi projects
Mobile phone-based Bluetooth projects
Sending data to the Cloud
The projects have been organized with increasing levels of difficulty. Readers are encouraged to tackle the projects in the order given. A specially prepared sensor kit is available from Elektor. With the help of this hardware, it should be easy and fun to build the projects in this book.
Add global GSM connectivity and GPS tracking to your project with a BerryGPS-GSM.
This is an all in one module which can provide location tracking and GSM services such as data, text and SMS to your project. It comes in the same form factor as a Raspberry Pi Zero, which makes it nice and compact when used with a Raspberry Pi Zero.
The two main components that make this board great are;
uBlox CAM-M8 GPS module (Same GPS found on BerryGPS-IMU V3)
uBlox SARA-U201 GSM for GSM connectivity, which has global coverage.
Both of these modules working together results in obtaining a GPS fix in secs, using Assisted GPS.
Typically, a GPS module can take a few minutes to get Time To First Fix(TTFF), or even longer if you are in built up areas. This is because the Almanac needs to be downloaded from satellites before a GPS fix can be acquired and only a small portion of the Almanac is sent in each GPS update.
Assisted GPS speeds this up significantly by downloading ephemeris, almanac, accurate time and satellite status over the network, resulting in faster TTTF, in a few seconds. This is very similar how to GPS works on a smartphone.
BerryGPS-GSM has been designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero, however it works with all versions of Raspberry Pi.
We have created a USB-to-USB PCB connector to be used with a Raspberry Pi Zero, which is designed to make your project more compact.
GPS Specific Datasheets
CAM-M8-FW3_DataSheet_(UBX-15031574)
CAM-M8-FW3_HardwareIntegrationManual_(UBX-15030063)
GSM Specific Datasheets
SARA-U201 DataSheet (UBX-13005287)
SARA-U201 SysIntegrationManual_(UBX-13000995)
u-blox CEL_ATCommands_(UBX-13002752)
Over 45 Builds for the Legendary 555 Chip (and the 556, 558)
The 555 timer IC, originally introduced by the Signetics Corporation around 1971, is sure to rank high among the most popular analog integrated circuits ever produced. Originally called the IC Time Machine, this chip has been used in many timer-related projects by countless people over decades.
This book is all about designing projects based on the 555 timer IC. Over 45 fully tested and documented projects are presented. All projects have been fully tested by the author by constructing them individually on a breadboard. You are not expected to have any programming experiences for constructing or using the projects given in the book. However, it’s definitely useful to have some knowledge of basic electronics and the use of a breadboard for constructing and testing electronic circuits.
Some of the projects in the book are:
Alternately Flashing Two LEDs
Changing LED Flashing Rate
Touch Sensor On/Off Switch
Switch On/Off Delay
Light-Dependent Sound
Dark/Light Switch
Tone Burst Generator
Long Duration Timer
Chasing LEDs
LED Roulette Game
Traffic Lights
Continuity Tester
Electronic Lock
Switch Contact Debouncing
Toy Electronic Organ
Multiple Sensor Alarm System
Metronome
Voltage Multipliers
Electronic Dice
7-Segment Display Counter
Motor Control
7-Segment Display Dice
Electronic Siren
Various Other Projects
The projects given in the book can be modified or expanded by you for your very own applications. Electronic engineering students, people engaged in designing small electronic circuits, and electronic hobbyists should find the projects in the book instructive, fun, interesting, and useful.
59 Experiments with Arduino IDE and Python
The main aim of this book is to teach the Arduino IDE and MicroPython programming languages in ESP32 based projects, using the highly popular ESP32 DevKitC development board. Many simple, basic, and intermediate level projects are provided in the book using the Arduino IDE with ESP32 DevKitC. All projects have been tested and work. Block diagrams, circuit diagrams, and complete program listings of all projects are given with explanations. In addition, several projects are provided for programming the ESP32 DevKitC using MicroPython. The projects provided in this book are designed to teach the following features of the ESP32 processor:
GPIOs
Touch sensors
External interrupts
Timer interrupts
I²C and I²S
SPI
PWM
ADC
DAC
UART
Hall sensor
Temperature sensor
Infrared controller
Reading and writing to SD card
Reading and writing to flash memory
RTC timer
Chip ID
Security and encryption
Wi-Fi and network programming
Bluetooth BLE programming
Communication mobile devices
Low power design
ESP-IDF programming
The projects have been organized with increasing levels of difficulty. Readers are encouraged to tackle the projects in the order given. A specially prepared hardware kit is available from Elektor. With the help of this hardware, it should be easy and fun to build the projects in this book.
39 Experiments with Raspberry Pi and Arduino
This book is about Raspberry Pi 3 and Arduino camera projects.
The book explains in simple terms and with tested and working example projects, how to configure and use a Raspberry Pi camera and USB based webcam in camera-based projects using a Raspberry Pi.
Example projects are given to capture images, create timelapse photography, record video, use the camera and Raspberry Pi in security and surveillance applications, post images to Twitter, record wildlife, stream live video to YouTube, use a night camera, send pictures to smartphones, face and eye detection, colour and shape recognition, number plate recognition, barcode recognition and many more.
Installation and use of popular image processing libraries and software including OpenCV, SimpleCV, and OpenALPR are explained in detail using a Raspberry Pi. The book also explains in detail how to use a camera on an Arduino development board to capture images and then save them on a microSD card.
All projects given in this book have been fully tested and are working. Program listings for all Raspberry Pi and Arduino projects used in this book are available for download on the Elektor website.
Getting started with the world’s best open-source PCB tool
The latest iteration of KiCad, the world’s best free-to-use Printed Circuit Board tool, is packed with features usually found only in expensive commercial CAD tools. This modern, cross-platform application suite built around schematic and design editors, with auxiliary applications is a stable and mature PCB tool. KiCad 8 is a perfect fit for electronic engineers and makers.
Here are the most significant improvements and features in KiCad 8, both over and under the hood:
Modern user interface, completely redesigned from earlier versions
Improved and customizable electrical and design rule checkers
Theme editor allowing you to customize KiCad on your screen
Ability to import projects from Eagle, CADSTART, and more
Python scripting API
Improved integrated SPICE circuit simulator
Multi-sheet schematics
Filters define selectable elements
Enhanced interactive router helps you draw single tracks and differential pairs with precision
New or enhanced tools to draw tracks, measure distances, tune track lengths, etc.
Advanced interactive router
Built-in bill of materials generator
Realistic ray-tracing capable 3D viewer
Customizable teardrops
Plug-in manager for quick installation of themes, libraries and functionalities such as autorouters and BOM generators
This book will teach you to use KiCad through a practical approach. It will help you become productive quickly and start designing your own boards. Example projects illustrate the basic features of KiCad, even if you have no prior knowledge of PCB design.
The author describes the entire workflow from schematic entry to the intricacies of finalizing the files for PCB production and offers sound guidance on the process. Further full-fledged projects, of incremental difficulty, will be presented in a second book, together with a variety of advanced recipes.
Easy and Affordable Digital Signal Processing
The aim of this book is to teach the basic principles of Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and to introduce it from a practical point of view using the bare minimum of mathematics. Only the basic level of discrete-time systems theory is given, sufficient to implement DSP applications in real time. The practical implementations are described in real time using the highly popular ESP32 DevKitC microcontroller development board. With the low cost and extremely popular ESP32 microcontroller, you should be able to design elementary DSP projects with sampling frequencies within the audio range. All programming is done using the popular Arduino IDE in conjunction with the C language compiler.
After laying a solid foundation of DSP theory and pertinent discussions on the main DSP software tools on the market, the book presents the following audio-based sound and DSP projects:
Using an I²S-based digital microphone to capture audio sound
Using an I²S-based class-D audio amplifier and speaker
Playing MP3 music stored on an SD card through an I²S-based amplifier and speaker
Playing MP3 music files stored in ESP32 flash memory through an I²S-based amplifier and speaker
Mono and stereo Internet radio with I²S-based amplifiers and speakers
Text-to-speech output with an I²S-based amplifier and speaker
Using the volume control in I²S-based amplifier and speaker systems
A speaking event counter with an I²S-based amplifier and speaker
An adjustable sinewave generator with I²S-based amplifier and speaker
Using the Pmod I²S2 24-bit fast ADC/DAC module
Digital low-pass and band-pass real-time FIR filter design with external and internal A/D and D/A conversion
Digital low-pass and band-pass real-time IIR filter design with external and internal A/D and D/A conversion
Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT)
50+ Android Apps with Raspberry Pi, ESP32 and Arduino
This book is about developing apps for Android compatible mobile devices using the MIT App Inventor online development environment. MIT App Inventor projects can be in either standalone mode or use an external processor. In standalone mode, the developed application runs only on the mobile device (e.g. Android). In external processor-based applications, the mobile device communicates with an external microcontroller-based processor, such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP8266, ESP32, etc.
In this book, many tested and fully working projects are given both in standalone mode and using an external processor. Full design steps, block programs, circuit diagrams, QR codes and full program listings are given for all projects.
The projects developed in this book include:
Using the text-to-speech component
Intonating a received SMS message
Sending SMS messages
Making telephone calls using a contacts list
Using the GPS and Pin-pointing our location on a map
Speech recognition and speech translation to another language
Controlling multiple relays by speech commands
Projects for the Raspberry Pi, ESP32 and Arduino using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
MIT APP Inventor and Node-RED projects for the Raspberry Pi
The book is unique in that it is currently the only book that teaches how to develop projects using Wi-Fi and Node-RED with MIT App Inventor. The book is aimed at students, hobbyists, and anyone interested in developing apps for mobile devices.
All projects presented in this book have been developed using the MIT App Inventor visual programming language. There is no need to write any text-based programs. All projects are compatible with Android-based mobile devices. Full program listings for all projects as well as detailed program descriptions are given in the book. Users should be able to use the projects as they are presented, modifying them to suit their own needs.
Over 45 Builds for the Legendary 555 Chip (and the 556, 558)
The 555 timer IC, originally introduced by the Signetics Corporation around 1971, is sure to rank high among the most popular analog integrated circuits ever produced. Originally called the IC Time Machine, this chip has been used in many timer-related projects by countless people over decades.
This book is all about designing projects based on the 555 timer IC. Over 45 fully tested and documented projects are presented. All projects have been fully tested by the author by constructing them individually on a breadboard. You are not expected to have any programming experiences for constructing or using the projects given in the book. However, it’s definitely useful to have some knowledge of basic electronics and the use of a breadboard for constructing and testing electronic circuits.
Some of the projects in the book are:
Alternately Flashing Two LEDs
Changing LED Flashing Rate
Touch Sensor On/Off Switch
Switch On/Off Delay
Light-Dependent Sound
Dark/Light Switch
Tone Burst Generator
Long Duration Timer
Chasing LEDs
LED Roulette Game
Traffic Lights
Continuity Tester
Electronic Lock
Switch Contact Debouncing
Toy Electronic Organ
Multiple Sensor Alarm System
Metronome
Voltage Multipliers
Electronic Dice
7-Segment Display Counter
Motor Control
7-Segment Display Dice
Electronic Siren
Various Other Projects
The projects given in the book can be modified or expanded by you for your very own applications. Electronic engineering students, people engaged in designing small electronic circuits, and electronic hobbyists should find the projects in the book instructive, fun, interesting, and useful.
The Raspberry Pi is a $35 credit-card sized computer with many applications, such as in desktop computing, audio and video playback, and as a controller in many industrial, commercial and domestic applications.
This book is about the Raspberry Pi computer and its use in control applications. The book explains in simple terms, with examples, how to configure the RPi, how to install and use the Linux operating system, how to write programs using the Python programming language and how to develop hardware based projects.
The book starts with an introduction to the Raspberry Pi computer and covers the topics of purchasing all the necessary equipment and installing/using the Linux operating system in command mode. Use of the user-friendly graphical desktop operating environment is explained using example applications. The RPi network interface is explained in simple steps and demonstrates how the computer can be accessed remotely from a desktop or a laptop computer.
The remaining parts of the book cover the Python programming language, hardware development tools, hardware interface details, and RPi based hardware projects. All the 23 projects given in the book have been tested and are working.
The following headings are given for each project:
Project title
Project description
Project block diagram
Project circuit diagram
Project program description using the Program Description Language (PDL)
Complete program listing
Description of the program
The book is ideal for self-study, and is intended for electronic/electrical engineering students, practising engineers, research students, and hobbyists.
