Introduction to Raspberry Pi

Module 1 - Raspberry Pi Basics

This session covers an overview of the Raspberry Pi's hardware and software capabilities. You will learn how to start your Raspberry Pi and begin interacting with it for the first time. You will connect to it with a serial cable and then over an ssh network connection. Once connected, you will begin exploring how to write python scripts that can actuate motors and LEDs and interact with external switches and buttons.

Before class:

Please install the following driver (and software) as appropriate for your operating system:

• Windows 8 : NOT SUPPORTED. Please contact me if you have only a Windows 8 system
• Windows XP/Windows 7:
  • Prolific PL2303 Windows Driver
  • PuTTY (SSH Client)
• OS X Lion (10.7+):
  • Prolific PL2303 OS X Lion Driver
• OS X (10.6 and below):
  • Prolific PL2303 OS X Driver

Raspberry Pi Overview

• Raspberry Pi 2 Model B Port Diagram
• Raspberry Pi 2 Model B Pinout
• Raspberry Pi Model Comparison

Installing Raspberry Pi software to SD Card

Before using the Raspberry Pi, the SD card must be loaded with the proper software. In this class, we will be using Raspbian. The SD cards in the material kit is already preloaded with the latest Raspbian. If you'd like to reimage another SD card, please follow these instructions. Other Raspberry Pi distributions include:

• Pidora - A Fedora remix
• OpenElec - Xbox Media Center (XMBC) port
• RaspBMC - Xbox Media Center (XBMC) port
• Risc OS - Risc OS
• Arch Linux - Lightweight linux - not for beginners

Materials List

Materials List

Safety Precautions

Below are some basic electronics safety precautions for this class that should be followed at all times:

1. Keep foods and liquids away
2. Don't work on a circuit while it is powered up.
3. Check your work before applying power the first time to avoid short circuits.
4. Avoid mains(wall socket) electricity unless you have proper training.
5. Consider removing rings, watches or jewelry to prevent shorts
6. Wash your hands before eating, some nasty chemicals are involved in the manufacturing process
7. Use an ESD wrist strap if desired or ground yourself first before handling a circuit.

Connecting to a Raspberry Pi

Connecting to a Raspberry Pi

Installing Adafruit WebIDE

1. In your computers browser, visit Bitbucket to create an account that will be used as revision control for all your projects.
2. On the Raspberry Pi, run the following command: curl https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adafruit/Adafruit-WebIDE/alpha/scripts/install.sh | sudo sh
3. Back on your computers browser, go to your Bitbucket Account Page. You may need to login with your new username and password first.
4. From the navigation panel on the left, click “OAuth”
5. Click the “Add Consumer” button.
6. Enter “WebIDE” for the name and click the “Add consumer” button.
7. Once the command from step 2 is done running, it will provide the address you can use to access the WebIDE. Enter this URL into your computer's browser.
8. Copy and paste the Key and Secret into the WebIDE’s login screen (you will need to scroll all the way to the bottom)

For more details, see: http://learn.adafruit.com/webide/

Class Resources

• VNCServer Autostart