Getting Started with BeagleBone: Linux-Powered Electronic Projects With Python and JavaScript

by Matt Richardson

Overview

Many people think of Linux as a computer operating system, running on users' desktops and powering servers. But Linux can also be found inside many consumer electronics devices. Whether they're the brains of a cell phone, cable box, or exercise bike, embedded Linux systems blur the distinction between computer and device.

Many makers love microcontroller platforms such as Arduino, but as the complexity increases in their projects, they need more power for applications, such as computer vision. The BeagleBone is an embedded Linux board for makers. It's got built-in networking, many inputs and outputs, and a fast processor to handle demanding tasks. This book introduces you to both the original BeagleBone and the new BeagleBone Black and gets you started with projects that take advantage of the board's processing power and its ability to interface with the outside world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449345334
Publisher:	Make Community, LLC
Publication date:	10/04/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	142
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Matt Richardson is a Brooklyn-based creative technologist and video producer. He's a contributor to MAKE magazine and Makezine.com. Matt is also the owner of Awesome Button Studios, a technology consultancy. Highlights from his work include the Descriptive Camera, a camera which outputs a text description of a scene instead of a photo. He also created The Enough Already, a DIY celebrity-silencing device. Matt's work has garnered attention from The New York Times, Wired, New York Magazine and has also been featured at The Nevada Museum of Art and at the Santorini Bienniele. He is currently a Master's candidate at New York University's Interactive Telecommunications Program.

Table of Contents

Foreword; Preface; Conventions Used in This Book; Using Code Examples; Safari® Books Online; How to Contact Us; Acknowledgements; Chapter 1: Embedded Linux for Makers; 1.1 Why Use BeagleBone?; 1.2 Intended Audience; 1.3 Feedback; Chapter 2: The Basics and Getting Set Up; 2.1 Tour of the Board; 2.2 What You Need; 2.3 The Operating System; 2.4 Connecting to Your BeagleBone; Chapter 3: Getting Around with Linux; 3.1 The Command Line; 3.2 Filesystem; 3.3 Setup; 3.4 Shutting Down; Chapter 4: First Steps with Digital Electronics; 4.1 Connect an LED; 4.2 Output; 4.3 Input; 4.4 Project: Networked Outlet Timer; Chapter 5: Python Pin Control; 5.1 Installing Adafruit’s BeagleBone IO Python Library; 5.2 Blinking an LED with Python; 5.3 Reading a Button with Python; 5.4 Reading an Analog Input; 5.5 Analog Output (PWM); 5.6 Taking it Further; Chapter 6: Putting Python Projects Online; 6.1 Sending an Email Alert; 6.2 Web Interface; 6.3 Data Logging with Xively; 6.4 Taking it Further; Chapter 7: Bonescript; 7.1 The Cloud9 IDE; 7.2 Beginning BoneScript; 7.3 Running JavaScript Files from the Command Line; 7.4 Setting JavaScript Files to Run Automatically; 7.5 BoneScript Reference; Chapter 8: Using the Desktop Environment; 8.1 Accessing the Desktop; 8.2 Getting to the Terminal; 8.3 Navigating the Filesystem; 8.4 Editing Text; 8.5 Executing Scripts; 8.6 Switching Workspaces; 8.7 Connecting to the Desktop Remotely with VNC; Chapter 9: Taking It Further; 9.1 Getting Help; 9.2 Getting Inspired; 9.3 Sharing Projects; 9.4 Having Fun; Installing a Fresh Ångström Image; On OS X; On Windows; On Linux; Flashing the eMMC; Setting up System Services; Creating a Service File; Enabling and Starting the Service; Disabling and Stopping the Service; Checking the Status of a Service; Setting Time and Date as a System Service; Quick Reference: GPIO; GPIO with the Filesystem; GPIO with Python; GPIO with Node.js; GPIO Pins; Colophon;