A Handbook on DIY Nowadays, security problems are rarely properly solved or correctly addressed. Electronic security is only part of the chain in making a system secure. Electronic security is usually addressed as network or software security, neglecting other aspects, but the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This book is about electronic hardware security, with an emphasis on problems that you can solve on a shoestring DIY budget. It deals mostly with secure communications, cryptosystems, and espionage. You will quickly appreciate that you can’t simply buy a trustworthy and reliable cryptosystem off the shelf. You will then realise that this applies equally to individuals, corporations, and governments. If you want to increase your electronic security awareness in a world already overcrowded with networks of microphones and cameras, this is a book for you. Furthermore, if you want to do something DIY by designing and expanding upon simple electronic systems, please continue reading. Some of the devices described are already published as projects in the Elektor magazine. Some are still ideas yet to be worked out. Complexity is the main enemy of security, so we'll try to keep to simple systems. Every chapter will analyse real-life espionage events or at least several hypothetical scenarios that will hopefully spark your imagination. The final goal is to build a security-conscious mindset (or “to get into a head of a spy”) which is necessary to recognise possible threats beforehand, to design a truly secure system. Don’t bother reading if: you think you and your secrets are 100% safe and secure you think somebody else can effectively handle your security you think conspiracy theories only exist in theory – Telefunken’s masterpiece the “FS-5000 Harpoon” was built on one!

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An Introduction to RISC-V RISC-V is an Instruction Set Architecture (ISA) that is both free and open. This means that the RISC-V ISA itself does not require a licensing fee, although individual implementations may do so. The RISC-V ISA is curated by a non-profit foundation with no commercial interest in products or services that use it, and it is possible for anyone to submit contributions to the RISC-V specifications. The RISC-V ISA is suitable for applications ranging from embedded microcontrollers to supercomputers. This book will first describe the 32-bit RISC-V ISA, including both the base instruction set as well as the majority of the currently-defined extensions. The book will then describe, in detail, an open-source implementation of the ISA that is intended for embedded control applications. This implementation includes the base instruction set as well as a number of standard extensions. After the description of the CPU design is complete the design is expanded to include memory and some simple I/O. The resulting microcontroller will then be implemented in an affordable FPGA development board (available from Elektor) along with a simple software application so that the reader can investigate the finished design.

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The author Stephan Menzel provides an introduction into capacitor technology and describes the wide range of capacitor types with their properties and parameters. Basic principles This chapter imparts basic knowledge on the relationships between the electric field, permittivity, as well as the structure and operating principles of a capacitor. Capacitor characteristics The electrical parameters and essential characteristics of a capacitor are explained in greater detail for the reader. This extends from the actual capacitance of a capacitor through to the interdependencies. Capacitor types Existing capacitor types and their characteristics are presented. Film, electrolyte and ceramic capacitors are considered in detail.

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Contents Basic principles A connector is an electromechanical system that provides a separable connection between two subsystems of an electronic device without an unacceptable effect on the performance of the device. It will be shown that there are a lot of complex parameters to handle properly to make this statement true. Design / Selection / Assembly This chapter provides an overview of design and material requirements for contact finishes, contact springs and connector housings as well as the major degradation mechanisms for these connector components. To complete this chapter, material selection criteria for each will also be reviewed. Additionally the Level of Interconnection (LOI) was integrated into this chapter as it addresses, where the connector is used within an electronic system and therefore influences the requirements and durability of the connector depending on its use. Applications This chapter is heading to the practical work and shows how customers use connectors in their applications to offer some possibilities and to ease your daily work. Additionally it contains some special topics like tin-whisker or impedance of ZIF cable to offer you extended background knowledge.

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Design Guide for EMI Filter Design, SMPS & RF Circuits The book focuses on the selection of components, circuitry and layout recommendations for a wide array of magnetics components, always keeping in mind an EMC point of view. Contents Basic principles The most important laws and foundations of inductive components, equivalent circuit diagrams and simulation models give the reader a basic knowledge of electronics. Components This chapter introduces inductive components and their special properties and areas of use. All relevant components are explained, from EMC components and inductors to transformers, RF components, circuit protection components, shielding materials and capacitors. Applications In this chapter, the reader will find a comprehensive overview of the principle of filter circuits, circuitry and numerous industrial applications that are explained in detail based on original examples.

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Functionality, structure and handling of a power module For readers with first steps in power management the “Abc of Power Modules” contains the basic principles necessary for the selection and use of a power module. The book describes the technical relationships and parameters related to power modules and the basis for calculation and measurement techniques. Contents Basics This chapter describes the need of a DC/DC voltage converter and its basic functionality. Furthermore, various possibilities for realizing a voltage regulator are presented and the essential advantages of a power module are mentioned. Circuit topologies Circuit concepts, buck and boost topologies very frequently used with power modules are explained in detail and further circuit topologies are introduced. Technology, construction and regulation technology The mechanical construction of a power module is presented, which has a significant influence on EMC and thermal performance. Furthermore, control methods are explained and circuit design tips are provided in this chapter. Measuring methods Meaningful measurement results are absolutely necessary to assess a power module. The relevant measurement points and measurement methods are described in this chapter. Handling The aspects of storage and handling of power modules are explained, as well as their manufacturing and soldering processes. Selection of a power modules Important parameters and criteria for the optimal selection of a power module are presented in this section.

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Build your own AI microcontroller applications from scratch The MAX78000FTHR from Maxim Integrated is a small development board based on the MAX78000 MCU. The main usage of this board is in artificial intelligence applications (AI) which generally require large amounts of processing power and memory. It marries an Arm Cortex-M4 processor with a floating-point unit (FPU), convolutional neural network (CNN) accelerator, and RISC-V core into a single device. It is designed for ultra-low power consumption, making it ideal for many portable AI-based applications. This book is project-based and aims to teach the basic features of the MAX78000FTHR. It demonstrates how it can be used in various classical and AI-based projects. Each project is described in detail and complete program listings are provided. Readers should be able to use the projects as they are, or modify them to suit their applications. This book covers the following features of the MAX78000FTHR microcontroller development board: Onboard LEDs and buttons External LEDs and buttons Using analog-to-digital converters I²C projects SPI projects UART projects External interrupts and timer interrupts Using the onboard microphone Using the onboard camera Convolutional Neural Network

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A Reference and User Guide for the Arduino Mega 2560 Hardware and Firmware A manual providing up-to-date hardware information for the Arduino Mega 2560. The Arduino Mega 2560 is an upgrade to the popular Arduino Uno board, providing more pins, serial ports and memory. Arduino is the easy to use open-source electronics platform used by hobbyists, makers, hackers, experimenters, educators and professionals. Get all the information that you need on the hardware and firmware found on Arduino Mega 2560 boards in this handy reference and user guide. Ideal for the workbench or desktop. This manual covers the Arduino Mega 2560 hardware and firmware, and is a companion volume to the Ultimate Arduino Uno Hardware Manual, which covers the Arduino Uno hardware and firmware. Contains all of the Arduino Mega 2560 hardware information in one place Covers Arduino / Genuino Mega 2560 revision 3 and earlier boards Easily find hardware technical specifications with explanations Pin reference chapter with interfacing examples Diagrams and illustrations for easy reference to pin functions and hardware connections Learn to back up and restore firmware on the board, or load new firmware Basic fault finding and repair procedures for Arduino Mega 2560 boards Power supply circuits simplified and explained Mechanical dimensions split into five easy to reference diagrams Contains circuit diagrams, parts list and board layout to easily locate components A chapter on shield compatibility explains how shields work across different Arduino boards

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Develop your own custom home automation devices Espressif's ESP8266 and ESP32 microcontrollers have brought DIY home automation to the masses. However, not everyone is fluent in programming these microcontrollers with Espressif's C/C++ SDK, the Arduino core, or MicroPython. This is where ESPHome comes into its own: with this project, you don’t program your microcontroller but configure it. This book demonstrates how to create your own home automation devices with ESPHome on an ESP32 microcontroller board. You’ll learn how to combine all kinds of electronic components and automate complex behaviours. Your devices can work completely autonomously, and connect over Wi-Fi to your home automation gateways such as Home Assistant or MQTT broker. By the end of this book, you will be able to create your own custom home automation devices the way you want. Thanks to ESPHome and the ESP32, this is within everyone’s grasp. Set up an ESPHome development environment and create maintainable configurations Use buttons and LEDs Sound a buzzer and play melodies Read measurements from various types of sensors Communicate over a short distance with NFC, infrared light, and Bluetooth Low Energy Show information on various types of displays Downloads Software

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Projects with Thonny-IDE, uPyCraft-IDE, and ESP32 The 'Python' programming language has enjoyed an enormous upswing in recent years. Not least, various single-board systems such as the Raspberry Pi have contributed to its popularity. But Python has also found widespread use in other fields, such as artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning (ML). It is obvious, therefore, to use Python or the 'MicroPython' variant for use in SoCs (Systems on Chip) as well. Powerful controllers such as the ESP32 from Espressif Systems offer excellent performance as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality at an affordable price. With these features, the Maker scene has been taken by storm. Compared to other controllers, the ESP32 has a significantly larger flash and SRAM memory, as well as a much higher CPU speed. Due to these characteristics, the chip is not only suitable for classic C applications, but also for programming with MicroPython. This book introduces the application of modern one-chip systems. In addition to the technical background, the focus is on MicroPython itself. After the introduction to the language, the programming skills learned are immediately put into practice. The individual projects are suitable for use in the laboratory as well as for everyday applications. So, in addition to the actual learning effect, the focus is also on the joy of building complete and useful devices. By using laboratory breadboards, circuits of all kinds can be realized with little effort, turning the testing and debugging of the 100% homebrew projects into an instructive pleasure. The various applications, such as weather stations, digital voltmeters, ultrasound range finders, RFID card readers or function generators, make the projects presented ideally suited for practical courses or subject and study work in the natural sciences, or in science and technology classes.

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Develop innovative hardware-based projects in C The Raspberry Pi has traditionally been programmed using Python. Although this is a very powerful language, many programmers may not be familiar with it. C on the other hand is perhaps the most commonly used programming language and all embedded microcontrollers can be programmed using it. The C language is taught in most technical colleges and universities and almost all engineering students are familiar with using it with their projects. This book is about using the Raspberry Pi with C to develop a range of hardware-based projects. Two of the most popular C libraries, wiringPi and pigpio are used. The book starts with an introduction to C and most students and newcomers will find this chapter invaluable. Many projects are provided in the book, including using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to establish communication with smartphones. Many sensor and hardware-based projects are included. Both wiringPi and pigpio libraries are used in all projects. Complete program listings are given with full explanations. All projects have been fully tested and work. The following hardware-based projects are provided in the book: Using sensors Using LCDs I²C and SPI buses Serial communication Multitasking External and timer interrupts Using Wi-Fi Webservers Communicating with smartphones Using Bluetooth Sending data to the cloud Program listings of all Raspberry Pi projects developed in this book are available on the Elektor website. Readers can download and use these programs in their projects. Alternatively, they can customize them to suit their applications.

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A Reference and User Guide for the Arduino Uno Hardware and Firmware A manual providing up-to-date hardware information for the popular Arduino Uno, the easy to use open-source electronics platform used by hobbyists, makers, hackers, experimenters, educators and professionals. Get all the information that you need on the hardware and firmware found on Arduino Uno boards in this handy reference and user guide. ldeal for the workbench or desktop Contains all of the Arduino Uno hardware information in one place Covers Arduino / Genuino Uno revision 3 and earlier boards Easily find hardware technical specifications with explanations Pin reference chapter with interfacing examples Diagrams and illustrations for easy reference to alternate pin functions and hardware connections Learn to back up and restore firmware on the board, or load new firmware Basic fault finding and repair procedures for Arduino Uno boards Power supply circuits simplified and explained Mechanical dimensions split into five easy to reference diagrams Contains circuit diagrams, parts list and board layout reference to easily locate components

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Program, build, and master over 50 projects with MicroPython and the RP2040 microprocessor The Raspberry Pi Pico is a high-performance microcontroller module designed especially for physical computing. Microcontrollers differ from single-board computers, like the Raspberry Pi 4, in not having an operating system. The Raspberry Pi Pico can be programmed to run a single task very efficiently within real-time control and monitoring applications requiring speed. The ‘Pico’ as we call it, is based on the fast, efficient, and low-cost dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ RP2040 microcontroller chip running at up to 133 MHz and sporting 264 KB of SRAM, and 2 MB of Flash memory. Besides its large memory, the Pico has even more attractive features including a vast number of GPIO pins, and popular interface modules like ADC, SPI, I²C, UART, and PWM. To cap it all, the chip offers fast and accurate timing modules, a hardware debug interface, and an internal temperature sensor. The Raspberry Pi Pico is easily programmed using popular high-level languages such as MicroPython and or C/C++. This book is an introduction to using the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller in conjunction with the MicroPython programming language. The Thonny development environment (IDE) is used in all the projects described. There are over 50 working and tested projects in the book, covering the following topics: Installing the MicroPython on Raspberry Pi Pico using a Raspberry Pi or a PC Timer interrupts and external interrupts Analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) projects Using the internal temperature sensor and external temperature sensor chips Datalogging projects PWM, UART, I²C, and SPI projects Using Wi-Fi and apps to communicate with smartphones Using Bluetooth and apps to communicate with smartphones Digital-to-analogue converter (DAC) projects All projects given in the book have been fully tested and are working. Only basic programming and electronics experience is required to follow the projects. Brief descriptions, block diagrams, detailed circuit diagrams, and full MicroPython program listings are given for all projects described. Readers can find the program listings on the Elektor web page created to support the book.

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Learn to program displays and GUIs with Python This book is about Raspberry Pi 4 display projects. The book starts by explaining how to install the latest Raspbian operating system on an SD card, and how to configure and use the GPIO ports. The core of the book explains the following topics in simple terms with fully tested and working example projects: Simple LED projects Bar graph LED projects Matrix LED projects Bitmap LED projects LED strips LCDs OLED displays E-paper displays TFT displays 7-inch touch screen GUI Programming with Tkinder One unique feature of this book is that it covers almost all types of display that readers will need to use in their Raspberry Pi based projects. The operation of each project is fully given, including block diagrams, circuit diagrams, and commented full program listings. It is therefore an easy task to convert the given projects to run on other popular platforms, such as Arduino or PIC microcontrollers. Python program listings of all Raspberry Pi projects developed in this book are available for download at qavlunxerzi.info. Readers can use these programs in their projects. Alternatively, they can modify the programs to suit their applications.

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Hands-on in more than 50 projects STM32 Nucleo family of processors are manufactured by STMicroelectronics. These are low-cost ARM microcontroller development boards. This book is about developing projects using the popular STM32CubeIDE software with the Nucleo-L476RG development board. In the early Chapters of the book the architecture of the Nucleo family is briefly described. The book covers many projects using most features of the Nucleo-L476RG development board where the full software listings for the STM32CubeIDE are given for each project together with extensive descriptions. The projects range from simple flashing LEDs to more complex projects using modules, devices, and libraries such as GPIO, ADC, DAC, I²C, SPI, LCD, DMA, analogue inputs, power management, X-CUBE-MEMS1 library, DEBUGGING, and others. In addition, several projects are given using the popular Nucleo Expansion Boards. These Expansion Boards plug on top of the Nucleo development boards and provide sensors, relays, accelerometers, gyroscopes, Wi-Fi, and many others. Using an expansion board together with the X-CUBE-MEMS1 library simplifies the task of project development considerably. All the projects in the book have been tested and are working. The following sub-headings are given for each project: Project Title, Description, Aim, Block Diagram, Circuit Diagram, and Program Listing for the STM32CubeIDE. In this book you will learn about STM32 microcontroller architecture; the Nucleo-L476RG development board in projects using the STM32CubeIDE integrated software development tool; external and internal interrupts and DMA; DEBUG, a program developed using the STM32CubeIDE; the MCU in Sleep, Stop, and in Standby modes; Nucleo Expansion Boards with the Nucleo development boards. What you need a PC with Internet connection and a USB port; STM32CubeIDE software (available at STMicroelectronics website free of charge) the project source files, available from the book’s webpage hosted by Elektor; Nucleo-L476RG development board; simple electronic devices such as LEDs, temperature sensor, I²C and SPI chips, and a few more; Nucleo Expansion Boards (optional).

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Learn to use Python productively in real-life scenarios at work and in everyday life If you have mastered the basics of Python and are wanting to explore the language in more depth, this book is for you. By means of concrete examples used in different applications, the book illustrates many aspects of programming (e.g. algorithms, recursion, data structures) and helps problem-solving strategies. Including general ideas and solutions, the specifics of Python and how these can be practically applied are discussed. Python 3 for Science and Engineering Applications includes: practical and goal-oriented learning basic Python techniques modern Python 3.6+ including comprehensions, decorators and generators complete code available online more than 40 exercises, solutions documented online no additional packages or installation required, 100% pure Python Topics cover: identifying large prime numbers and computing Pi writing and understanding recursive functions with memorisation computing in parallel and utilising all system cores processing text data and encrypting messages comprehending backtracking and solving Sudokus analysing and simulating games of chance to develop optimal winning strategies handling genetic code and generating extremely long palindromes Downloads Software

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Create Models for 3D Printing, CNC Milling, Process Communication and Documentation Engineers dread designing 3D models using traditional modeling software. OpenSCAD takes a refreshing and completely different approach. Create your models by arranging geometric solids in a JavaScript-like language, and use them with your 3D printer, CNC mill, or process communication. OpenSCAD differs from other design systems in that it uses programmatical modeling. Your model is made up of primitives that are invoked using a C-, Java- or Python-like language. This approach to model design is close to the “mechanical work” done in the real world and appeals to engineers and others who are not a member of the traditional creative class. OpenSCAD also provides a wide variety of comfort functions that break the 1:1 relationship between code and geometry. This book demonstrates the various features of the programming language using practical examples such as a replacement knob for a LeCroy oscilloscope, a wardrobe hanger, a container for soap dispensers, and various other real-life examples. Written by an engineer with over 15 years of experience, this book is intended for Linux and Windows users alike. If you have programming experience in any language, this book will have you producing practical three-dimensional objects in short order!

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STmicroelectronics’ wireless IoT & wearable sensor development kit ‘SensorTile.box’ is a portable multi-sensor circuit board housed in a plastic box and developed by STMicroelectronics. It is equipped with a high-performance 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 processor with DSP and FPU, and various sensor modules, such as accelerometer, gyroscope, temperature sensor, humidity sensor, atmospheric pressure sensor, microphone, and so on. SensorTile.box is ready to use with wireless IoT and Bluetooth connectivity that can easily be used with an iOS or Android compatible smartphone, regardless of the level of expertise of the users. SensorTile.box is shipped with a long-life battery and all the user has to do is connect the battery to the circuit to start using the box. The SensorTile.box can be operated in three modes: Basic mode, Expert mode, and Pro mode. Basic mode is the easiest way of using the box since it is pre-loaded with demo apps and all the user has to do is choose the required apps and display or plot the measured data on a smartphone using an app called STE BLE Sensor. In Expert mode users can develop simple apps using a graphical wizard provided with the STE BLE Sensor. Pro mode is the most complex mode allowing users to develop programs and upload them to the SensorTile.box. This book is an introduction to the SensorTile.box and includes the following: Brief specifications of the SensorTile.box; description of how to install the STE BLE Sensor app on an iOS or Android compatible smartphone required to communicate with the box. Operation of the SensorTile.box in Basic mode is described in detail by going through all of the pre-loaded demo apps, explaining how to run these apps through a smartphone. An introduction to the Expert mode with many example apps developed and explained in detail enabling users to develop their own apps in this mode. Again, the STE BLE Sensor app is used on the smartphone to communicate with the SensorTile.box and to run the developed apps. The book then describes in detail how to upload the sensor data to the cloud. This is an important topic since it allows the sensor measurements to be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection, at any time. Finally, Pro mode is described in detail where more experienced people can use the SensorTile.box to develop, debug, and test their own apps using the STM32 open development environment (STM32 ODE). The Chapter explains how to upload the developed firmware to the SensorTile.box using several methods. Additionally, the installation and use of the Unicleo-GUI package is described with reference to the SensorTile.box. This PC software package enables all of the SensorTile.box sensor measurements to be displayed or plotted in real time on the PC.

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A comprehensive course that will teach you how to build a modern IoT application This book will take you on a whirlwind tour of full-stack web application development using Raspberry Pi. You will learn how to build an application from the ground up. You will gain experience and know-how of technologies including: The Linux operating system and command line. The Python programming language. The Raspberry Pi General Purpose Input Output pins (GPIOs). The Nginx web server. Flask Python web application microframework. JQuery and CSS for creating user interfaces. Dealing with time zones. Creating charts with Plotly and Google Charts. Data logging with Google Sheet. Developing applets with IFTTT. Securing your application with SSL. Receiving SMS notifications to your phone using Twilio. This book will also teach you how to set up a remote wireless Arduino sensor node and collect data from it. Your Raspberry Pi web application will be able to process Arduino node data in the same way it processes data from its onboard sensor. Raspberry Pi Full Stack will teach you many skills essential to building Web and Internet of Things applications. The application you will build in this project is a platform that you can extend upon. This is just the start of what you can do with a Raspberry Pi and the software and hardware components that you will learn about. This book is supported by the author via a dedicated discussion space.

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Secure, Modular, Open-Source and Self-Sufficient Ever since the Raspberry Pi was introduced, it has been used by enthusiasts to automate their homes. The Raspberry Pi is a powerful computer in a small package, with lots of interfacing options to control various devices. This book shows you how you can automate your home with a Raspberry Pi. You’ll learn how to use various wireless protocols for home automation, such as Bluetooth, 433.92 MHz radio waves, Z-Wave, and Zigbee. Soon you’ll automate your home with Python, Node-RED, and Home Assistant, and you’ll even be able to speak to your home automation system. All this is done securely, with a modular system, completely open-source, without relying on third-party services. You’re in control of your home, and no one else. At the end of this book, you can install and configure your Raspberry Pi as a highly flexible home automation gateway for protocols of your choice, and link various services with MQTT to make it your own system. This DIY (do it yourself) approach is a bit more laborious than just installing an off-the-shelf home automation system, but in the process, you can learn a lot, and in the end, you know exactly what’s running your house and how to tweak it. This is why you were interested in the Raspberry Pi in the first place, right? Turn your Raspberry Pi into a reliable gateway for various home automation protocols. Make your home automation setup reproducible with Docker Compose. Secure all your network communication with TLS. Create a video surveillance system for your home. Automate your home with Python, Node-RED, Home Assistant and AppDaemon. Securely access your home automation dashboard from remote locations. Use fully offline voice commands in your own language. Download the software and view the errata for the book on GitHub.

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Multitasking and multiprocessing have become a very important topic in microcontroller-based systems, namely in complex commercial, domestic, and industrial automation applications. As the complexity of projects grows, more functionalities are demanded from the projects. Such projects require the use of multiple inter-related tasks running on the same system and sharing the available resources, such as the CPU, memory, and input-output ports. As a result of this, the importance of multitasking operations in microcontroller-based applications has grown steadily over the last few years. Many complex automation projects now make use of some form of a multitasking kernel. This book is project-based and its main aim is to teach the basic features of multitasking using the Python 3 programming language on Raspberry Pi. Many fully tested projects are provided in the book using the multitasking modules of Python. Each project is described fully and in detail. Complete program listings are given for each project. Readers should be able to use the projects as they are, or modify them to suit their own needs. The following Python multitasking modules have been described and used in the projects: Fork Thread Threading Subprocess Multiprocessing The book includes simple multitasking projects such as independently controlling multiple LEDs, to more complex multitasking projects such as on/off temperature control, traffic lights control, 2-digit, and 4-digit 7-segment LED event counter, reaction timer, stepper motor control, keypad based projects, car park controller, and many more. The fundamental multitasking concepts such as process synchronization, process communication, and memory sharing techniques have been described in projects concerning event flags, queues, semaphores, values, and so on.

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Practical Multitasking Fundamentals Programming embedded systems is difficult because of resource constraints and limited debugging facilities. Why develop your own Real-Time Operating System (RTOS) as well as your application when the proven FreeRTOS software is freely available? Why not start with a validated foundation? Every software developer knows that you must divide a difficult problem into smaller ones to conquer it. Using separate preemptive tasks and FreeRTOS communication mechanisms, a clean separation of functions is achieved within the entire application. This results in safe and maintainable designs. Practicing engineers and students alike can use this book and the ESP32 Arduino environment to wade into FreeRTOS concepts at a comfortable pace. The well-organized text enables you to master each concept before starting the next chapter. Practical breadboard experiments and schematics are included to bring the lessons home. Experience is the best teacher. Each chapter includes exercises to test your knowledge. The coverage of the FreeRTOS Application Programming Interface (API) is complete for the ESP32 Arduino environment. You can apply what you learn to other FreeRTOS environments, including Espressif’s ESP-IDF. The source code is available from GitHub. All of these resources put you in the driver’s seat when it is time to develop your next uber-cool ESP32 project. What you will learn: How preemptive scheduling works within FreeRTOS The Arduino startup “loopTask” Message queues FreeRTOS timers and the IDLE task The semaphore, mutex, and their differences The mailbox and its application Real-time task priorities and its effect Interrupt interaction and use with FreeRTOS Queue sets Notifying tasks with events Event groups Critical sections Task local storage The gatekeeper task

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Programming the Finite State Machine with 8-Bit PICs in Assembly and C Andrew Pratt provides a detailed introduction to programming PIC microcontrollers, as well as a thorough overview of the Finite State Machine (FSM) approach to programming. Most of the book uses assembly programming, but do not be deterred. The FSM gives a structure to a program, making it easy to plan, write, and modify. The last two chapters introduce programming in C, so you can make a direct comparison between the two techniques. The book references the relevant parts of the Microchip datasheet as familiarity with it is the best way to discover detailed information. This book is aimed at Microsoft Windows and Linux users. To keep your costs to a minimum and to simplify the toolchain, specific applications are provided as a free download to enable you to use an FTDI serial lead as the programmer. The assembler used is the open-source "gpasm". All programming can be done in a text editor. There are detailed instructions on how to perform the necessary installations on Windows, Linux Debian, and derivatives such as Ubuntu and Fedora. For programming in C, Microchip's XC8 compiler is used from the command line. In addition to the programming applications, two serial read and serial write applications can be used for communicating with the PICs from a computer. A voltmeter project including practical instructions on building a circuit board from scratch is included. All theory is covered beforehand, including how to do integer arithmetic in assembly. Two PICs are covered: the PIC12F1822 and the PIC16F1823. Both can run at 32 MHz with an internal oscillator. You do not need to buy a factory-made development board and programmer. With relatively inexpensive parts including a serial lead, microcontroller, a few resistors, and LEDs, you can get started exploring embedded programming. Links Updated Programmer

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Ready to explore the world around you? By attaching the Sense HAT to your Raspberry Pi, you can quickly and easily develop a variety of creative applications, useful experiments, and exciting games. The Sense HAT contains several helpful environmental sensors: temperature, humidity, pressure, accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope. Additionally, an 8x8 LED matrix is provided with RGB LEDs, which can be used to display multi-color scrolling or fixed information, such as the sensor data. Use the small onboard joystick for games or applications that require user input. In Innovate with Sense HAT for Raspberry Pi, Dr. Dogan Ibrahim explains how to use the Sense HAT in Raspberry Pi Zero W-based projects. Using simple terms, he details how to incorporate the Sense HAT board in interesting visual and sensor-based projects. You can complete all the projects with other Raspberry Pi models without any modifications. Exploring with Sense HAT for Raspberry Pi includes projects featuring external hardware components in addition to the Sense HAT board. You will learn to connect the Sense HAT board to the Raspberry Pi using jumper wires so that some of the GPIO ports are free to be interfaced to external components, such as to buzzers, relays, LEDs, LCDs, motors, and other sensors. The book includes full program listings and detailed project descriptions. Complete circuit diagrams of the projects using external components are given where necessary. All the projects were developed using the latest version of the Python 3 programming language. You can easily download projects from the book’s web page. Let’s start exploring with Sense HAT.

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