Small Electronics for
Your MakerspaceArianna Schlegel
CLC Trendspotting: The Technologies of Makerspaces14 February 2014
So many options…!
The Connected Home: Which Board Is Right For Me? (2/7/14)
MAKE magazine,volume 36
Inside: an illustrated glossary and projects, plus more in-depth discussion of each board.
3 Main Categories
1.actual computers2.sensory processors3.wearables
First: What is I/O?
Stands for Input/Output - think of your five senses. Those are input. How you process and respond to those senses? That is your output.
What kind of I/O do the PCs sitting in front of you have?
1. Raspberry Pi
• is actually a very tiny (single-board) computer running Unix
• not a ton of processingpower for $35...but it’s only $35
• can be written & rewritten over ad infinitum
• need some project ideas? http://makezine.com/category/electronics/raspberry-pi/
1. BeagleBone• “designed for makers” - designed from the ground up to
work with hardware (sensors, etc.)
• like Raspberry Pi, it’s alsoan entire computer andalso runs Unix
• moved the operating system from the SD card to the board itself
• costs $45 (down from $89)
Not sure which to choose?
MAKE magazine to the rescue again!
How to Choose the Right Platform: Rasbperry Pi or BeagleBone Black
1. Gizmo Board
An x86 board which MAKE magazine calls “essentially a laptop on a single board” that is “blinding fast, extremely flexible, and hugely powerful by the standards of those of us coming from the microcontroller world.” Cost: $200 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/01/amdgizmosphereboard.jpg
2. Arduino• first of its kind (a single-board
microcontroller) - designed as a platform for makers
• began as a project to give artists the ability to embed microprocessors for use in interactive pieces (like my dad’s, below)
• many different flavors
• used primarily for sensory computing
• available in a lot of places (Radio Shack, Amazon, online)
• costs ~$35-$100,depending on features & power
• tutorials here
2. The many faces of Arduino
(And these are just the official & current ones!)
See here for a still incomplete but much longer list...
Yùn ~ Leonardo ~ Uno ~ Due Mega2560 ~ Ethernet ~ Fio ~ Nano LilyPad ~ Pro ~ Mega ADK ~ Esplora Micro ~ Mini
2. DigiSpark
• PROS: o costs just $9!o small and lightweighto works like an Arduino
• CONS: o less powerful (for more
power, see the TinyDuino)o codeless?
2. TI LaunchPad
• $5-$10
• less - 14 I/O pins (vs. 20 on Arduino) and 16K (vs. 32K on Arduino)
• used to be difficult to program on, but they have released a new, open source platform (Energia) which works on all OSes
• you can also use your Arduino code on it!
2. Netduino
• very different from the Arduino, despite its name
• you have to know how to program in C#, and it’s mostly restricted to Windows computers
• costs $35
2. Parallax Propeller
• can control 8 things at one time
• costs $50
• good for robotics
2. AVR Butterfly
• the size of a name tag, which is what it can be used for!
• includes an LCD screen, joystick, speaker
• costs $20
• NOT compatible with Arduino code
2. MaKey MaKey
A fun beginner project
that anyone can do!
Takes no time at all to
learn & set up, and
appeals to all ages.
3. Lilypad Arduino & Flora
Designed for wearable computing.
(BONUS: They’re waterproof!)
For example...
Some other great examples...
Becky Stern is the wearable tech goddess! Watch her Adafruit tutorial videos here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2B8A7560BC19F361
My first (misguided) project
www.youtube.com/embed/nFjQWAFEo48
For your advanced users:
FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays) that start you with a blank slate - you must design the chip at the hardware level, so you can dictate precisely how things work. (This is good to know for those who want to work for electronics companies like Intel.) The Papilio (http://papilio.cc/)
And many more!
There are dozens of options out there now. You will have to decide which is right for your library’s needs and community.
To consider: price, learning curve, available tutorials quality, features, intended use
Evolution Continues
These boards are constantly being worked on - new types are regularly introduced. The latest? Wireless capabilities (Yún) and hybrid boards. But things won’t stop there. Keep up to date with the latest boards on places like http://makezine.com/category/electronics/ or http://www.adafruit.com (they call them “Dev Boards”) or Kickstarter (seach on “arduino”).
Need To Know
UNIX
(learn here: http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Teaching/Unix/)
...or...
Arduino code (C or C++)(learn here: http://arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/HomePage)
(But PLEASE don’t let this scare you away!)
#1
#2 and #3
Where To Learn
• Adafruit (highly recommended)
• MakeZine.com (Weekend Projects)
• YouTube
• books (like Make: Electronics or Encyclopedia of Electronic Components, Volume 1)
• fellow enthusiasts! (at other makerspaces?)
Dewey Decimal?Put signs in the following sections:• 000 Computer science, knowledge & systems
• 338 Production / Entrepreneurship
• 500 Sciences (Pure sciences)
• 600 Technology (Applied sciences)
o Patents
o 620 Engineering
o 670 & 680 Manufactures
o 690 Building and construction
• 700 The arts
o 730 Sculpture, ceramics & metalwork
o 740 Drawing & decorative arts
o 770 Photography and computer art
o 780 Music
You know your patrons - what sections would you find them in?
Use Your Categorization
Use Your Categorization
Library of Congress?Put signs in the following sections:• HB 615-715 Entrepreneurship
M - MUSIC
• N - FINE ARTS
• Q - SCIENCE
o QA - Mathematics, Computer Science
o QC - Physics
• T - TECHNOLOGY
o T - Patents
o TJ - Mechanical Engineering
o TK - Electrical Engineering
You know your patrons - what sections would you find them in?
References
This presentation pulled heavily from http://makezine.com/magazine/make-36-boards/which-board-is-right-for-me/ while attempting to synthesize and reinterpret for newer techies. Thank you to Alasdair Allan for a thorough and accessible presentation.
Contact me!
Arianna Schlegel
Haas Library 409
Western Connecticut State University
203-837-8818
List of 3s: professional allies (coworkers, library staff)
•
List of 3s: patron/community allies
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List of 3s: community groups to tap
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List of 3s: spaces (where?)
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List of 3s: funding sources
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List of 3s: small beginner projects
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List of 3s: places to purchase
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Other Considerations
• charge a fee?
• materials to purchase
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