Peltier Effect Cooling - Experiments with a Peltier Cooler Device DroneBot Workshop 2024-10-22 | Peltier Effect Cooling - Experiments with a Peltier Cooler Device
Raspberry Pi Remote Access - 3 Methods DroneBot Workshop 2024-07-14 | Let’s look at three methods of Remote Access for the Raspberry Pi. Forget the keyboard, mouse, and monitor!Article: dronebotworkshop.com/pi-remote-accessMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeWelcome back to the workshop (yes, it’s been a while)!Today, we will examine three remote access methods for the Raspberry Pi. Whether your Pi is in the same room or in another country, whether you need full GUI access or just a terminal, we have a method for you. We will look at SSH, which provides a secure shell for terminal access. Perfect if you need to update the Pi, restart it, or run a Python script.Then, we will move to VNC to get a full GUI screen that we can use as if we were directly connected to the Raspberry Pi.Finally, we’ll examine the newest remote access method, Raspberry Pi Connect. This product provides either terminal or GUI access from anywhere in the world using a web browser. You’ll need a free Raspberry Pi account to use Pi Connect.Here is the Table of contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:15 - Pi Networking07:34 - Raspberry Pi Boards08:41 - Getting your IP Address09:44 - SSH14:25 - VNC17:36 - Raspberry Pi Connect22:42 - ConclusionI hope you find the video useful. Be sure to check out the accompanying article on the DroneBot Workshop website - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-remote-access
News from the Workshop (+ New Videos Coming Soon) DroneBot Workshop 2024-06-28 | Here is the reason that there have not been any videos recently. The good news is that there will be new ones very soon!If you have any stroke recovery stories that you would like to share, please email them to info[at]dronebotworkshop[dot]com. My mother finds these very inspirational. Thank you!
Bluetooth Classic & BLE with ESP32 DroneBot Workshop 2024-05-26 | Learn to use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and Bluetooth Classic with the ESP32.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/esp32-bluetoothMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeBluetooth is a short-range, license-free wireless communications system used to connect mobile devices, sensors, computers, and peripherals. It is available in two “flavors”:Bluetooth Classic - The original Bluetooth, great for audio streaming and data transfer.Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) - An ultra-low power system perfect for IoT and mobile applications.The ESP32 supports both Classic and BLE; however, support differs between ESP32 models. Some ESP32 boards only support Classic, while others only support BLE. There is also a difference between the revisions of Bluetooth supported by different ESP32 chips.Today, we will work with both Bluetooth Classic and BLE with the ESP32. We’ll start by learning how both systems operate and what libraries Espressif provides for working with Bluetooth in the Arduino IDE. We will then run some simple code examples for both types of Bluetooth.By the end of the video, you will better understand how to build Bluetooth projects with the ESP32.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:59 - Bluetooth & BLE07:36 - ESP32 Boards08:59 - Bluetooth Revisions10:39 - ESP32 Differences11:38 - Bluetooth Serial Terminal12:23 - Classic Bluetooth & ESP3216:26 - Bluetooth Device Discovery20:29 - Bluetooth Serial Client24:18 - BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) & ESP3228:41 - BLE Server31:36 - BLE Client35:54 - ConclusionIncidentally, Bluetooth was named after an ancient King, Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson, and the Bluetooth logo is formed from the Nordic characters for his initials. The king was famous for uniting Denmark and Norway, just as the communications protocol he inspired unites devices from different manufacturers. Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Multimeters - The Complete Guide DroneBot Workshop 2024-03-24 | How to select and use a multimeter (and why you really need two of them!). Are the expensive ones really worth the money?Article: dronebotworkshop.com/multimetersMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday, we will be working with the most essential piece of electronic test equipment—the multimeter. We will learn how to use a multimeter and how to choose one. We’ll compare the accuracy between expensive and inexpensive meters. And I’ll try to convince you that you really need at least two multimeters on your workbench!Multimeters are test instruments for measuring AC and DC Voltage, Current, and Resistance. Modern multimeters can measure many more parameters, including Frequency, Capacitance, Continuity, and Diode Checking. Some meters also have non-contact AC current and voltage features.There are two objectives in this video:1 - To learn how to use a multimeter to make various measurements.2 - To learn how to shop for a meter and get the best value for your money.We’ll do this by comparing five multimeters, each with a unique set of features. We'll learn how to use them, and we'll test their readings against calibrated test sources.Here is the Table of Contents for today’s video:00:00 - Introduction01:55 - Multimeters Intro04:14 - Look at Multimeters08:13 - Look at Multimeter accessories11:12 - Basic Multimeter Operation 13:00 - Measuring Resistance, Continuity & Diodes15:53 - Measuring AC & DC Voltage & Current24:02 - Non- Contact Measurement27:55 - Measuring Capacitance31:31 - Measuring Frequency34:07 - Measuring Temperature36:14 - Multimeter Specs40:19 - Multimeter Features45:48 - Multimeter Showdown - Resistance47:50 - Multimeter Showdown - DC Voltage53:03 - Multimeter Showdown - Capacitance56:57 - ConclusionIf you can only afford one piece of electronic test gear, make it a multimeter. It’s an inexpensive investment that will pay for itself quickly, both in your workshop and around your home.I hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Pi Solar Camera - Astronomy with the Raspberry Pi DroneBot Workshop 2024-03-10 | Build a Raspberry Pi Solar Camera and get a close-up look at the 2024 Solar Eclipse! Learn to use any telescope to stream video with a Raspberry Pi HQ Camera.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/pi-solar-cameraMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday, we will integrate a Celestron EclipSmart Solar Telescope (or any telescope) with a Raspberry Pi HQ Camera. The result is an instrument that can stream images to web browsers and video players or interact with popular astronomy applications.I’ll show you two applications that you can use to stream the data. One of them, RPI Cam ASCOM Alpaca, is used with professional astronomy software. The second, Picamera2 Web UI Lite, is a more general-purpose app. I’m using it in my implementation.I’ll also show you Astroberry Server, a complete Raspberry Pi suite of astronomy applications.I’m preparing for the April 2024 eclipse and am thrilled to report that the DroneBot Workshop is in the path of totality! As long as we have a clear day on April 8th, I’ll be able to watch and photograph the event of a lifetime from the comfort of my spare bedroom!The solar telescope is one of the instruments I will be using, and it is a fascinating device, even without an eclipse. It lets you view sunspots and watch them evolve, a real treat if you are into astronomy (as I am).I’ll also show you how to apply solar filters to a regular camera to obtain some great pictures of the Sun. And, naturally, I’ll show off some of my photos.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:35 - Raspberry Pi Astronomy07:18 - Celestron Solar Telescope10:02 - Raspberry Pi HQ Camera11:43 - Other Bits & Pieces14:50 - Telescope Assembly15:58 - Pi and Case Assembly18:17 - Image Software Introduction19:24 - Astroberry Server21:40 - RPI Cam ASCOM Alpaca24:02 - Picamera2 Web UI Lite Installation30:35 - Preparing for the Eclipse35:42 - My "Observatory" & Sun Filters37:30- DSLR Setup & Pictures39:03 - Pi Camera Setup & Pictures40:46 - ConclusionI hope you enjoy the project and have time to assemble it before the eclipse. If I get some photos and/or videos on April 8th, I’ll share them on the forum!Happy sungazing!Bill
Arduino IoT Cloud Fundamentals | 2024 Step-by-Step Guide DroneBot Workshop 2024-02-25 | We’re back in the Cloud today, looking at all the updated features of the Arduino IoT Cloud! Check out what’s new for 2024 and build your first cloud project using Uno R4 WiFi and ESP32 DevKit boards.Article with step-by-step guide dronebotworkshop.com/iot-cloud-fundamentalsMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeIn this first of (at least) three videos, we will revisit the Arduino IoT Cloud. There have been several changes to Arduino's IoT product since we last looked at it, including a “Triggers” feature and support for almost anything that can connect to the Internet.We will build a cloud project using an Arduino Uno R4 WiFi board and an ESP32 Dev Kit. We’ll see how to use the cloud console to set up the boards as cloud devices, associate them with a “thing,” and create cloud variables for them. Then, we will build a dashboard to control our boards.If you want a detailed step-by-step guide to getting started with the cloud, check out the accompanying article for this video at dronebotworkshop.com/iot-cloud-fundamentals. It will have you working up in the cloud in no time!Here is a breakdown of today's episode:00:00 - Introduction01:47 - Arduino IoT Cloud05:36 - Cloud Console Tour07:50 - Building a Cloud Project10:22 - Add an Uno R4 WiFi Device13:39 - Build a Thing16:20 - Cloud Project Code20:38 - Dashboard and Demo23:29 - Modify using Desktop IDE28:19 - Cloud Project Demo 2 - Variables and Dashboard30:30 - ESP32 Project37:39 - LED Code with OTA Update40:15 - Device to Device43:09 - Using Triggers41:47 - Add trigger and test 46:26 - ConclusionI have decided to make this the first video in a series because there are so many new IoT Cloud features, too many for one video or even two. The next one will cover using MicroPython with the IoT Cloud, followed by an episode about using the Cloud with Amazon Alexa Home devices.I've also been working with Arduino (I will be presenting an IoT Cloud project at Arduino Days 2024), and I asked them for a discount coupon so you could try the cloud. They obliged, and you can use code DRONEBOTSHOP when signing up for a monthly Maker plan. You'll get two months free, so you can try out the Arduino Iot Cloud for yourself.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Diodes - A Practical Guide DroneBot Workshop 2024-02-05 | From Avalanche to Zener, we have diodes for you today! Learn how diodes work and how to use them in your circuits. Laser Diodes included!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/diodesMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeDiodes have been around for a very long time. They were the first tube devices and the first semiconductors, and today, there are many different types of diodes for many applications. We’ll look at several types of diodes today. We’ll see how they are used and perform a few experiments with them. Not only that, but we will also take out a few Laser diodes and play around with them.Here is a list of the diodes we will be learning about:Rectifier diodesSwitching DiodesSCRs (Silicon Controller Rectifiers)TRIACs DIACs and SIDACsZener DiodesAvalanche DiodesTunnel Diodes (Esaki Diodes)Varactor Diodes (Varicap Diodes)Schottky DiodesPIN DiodesShockley DiodesPhotodiodesLASCRsOpto-TRIACsLEDsLaser Diodes That's a lot of diodes, and each one is unique! Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:30 - Understanding Diodes07:31 - Bridge Rectifier08:50 - Bridge Rectifier Filter Experiment11:58 - SCRs - TRIACs - DIACs14:57 - SCR Latching Experiment17:27 - Zener Diodes19:05 - Zener "Voltmeter" Experiment23:53 - Exotic Diodes28:35 - Producing & Detecting Light with Diodes33:27 - LASER Diode Experiments38:11 - ConclusionHope you enjoy the video!Bill
Scam Alert! DroneBot Workshop 2024-01-28 | I am NOT running a contest! Responses and emails that seem to be from me are fake. It's a scam to obtain your personal information, please don't respond.
ESP32 Guide 2024 | Choosing and Using an ESP32 Board DroneBot Workshop 2024-01-21 | The ESP32 family has grown considerably since its introduction in 2016. We’ll look at every ESP32 series and see how they compare. We’ll also check out a few development boards that might belong in YOUR workshop.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/esp32-2024More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeDevKits, Modules, Systems on a Chip - the ESP32 has been around for over seven years! There are now almost a dozen distinct ESP32 series’, each with unique features and target applications. Combine that with a selection of a few hundred development boards, and it can be difficult to pick out the best ESP32 board for your project.Today, we’ll look at every ESP32 series and see how they compare. That includes some new devices that will be released this year. It’s amazing how many features they have crammed into the ESP32!We’ll also preview ESP Boards Manager 3.0 with the Arduino IDE and one of the latest ESP32-C6 DevKits. It’s coming out later this year, but you can run an Alpha copy now. And I’ll show you how to use an online version of ESP Tools to identify those mystery ESP32 boards from your parts' drawer. ESP Tools is a great utility that you’ll be seeing more of here in the workshop.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:48 - Espressif ESP32 Series09:23 - ESP32 Product Selector10:33 - Working with the ESP3214:04 - Using Online ESP Tools19:04 - Selecting an ESP32 Board25:28 - Some Suggested ESP32 Boards29:37 - Some Other ESP32 Boards32:59 - ESP32 Boards Manager Alpha 3.039:19 - ConclusionThe ESP32 has to be the most versatile microprocessor around today, and you can build many experiments and projects with it. So pick out a great ESP32 development board and start exploring the amazing world of the Espressif ESP32!Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Tech Toolkit | The Ultimate Electronics Tool Round-Up DroneBot Workshop 2024-01-01 | A complete guide to the tools you’ll need in your electronics workshop. From Beginner to Maker to Service Pro - we have the tools for you!Article: dronebotworkshop.com/tools-for-electronicsMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeNo code or microcontrollers today, just a deep dig into the tools you’ll need for working with electronics. Note that I’m NOT talking about test equipment today, but we will cover prototyping tools.It goes without saying (but I’ll say it anyway) that the quality of your work is limited by the tools you have to work with. Electronics is a great hobby and vocation, and there are specialized tools that will make working with electronics a lot easier.You don’t need to spend a fortune, especially as a beginner, to assemble a decent toolset that will give you years of enjoyment and productivity. In this video, I’ll cover all the hand tools (and some powered tools) you’ll need to assemble an electronics workbench, regardless of your skill level or ambitions.Here is an outline of what I have in store for you today:00:00 - Introduction01:57 - User Types 04:52 - Screwdrivers & Bit Sets11:29 - Nut Drivers13:56 - Allen Keys15:11 - Pliers17:57 - Vampliers19:56 - Wire Strippers & Wire Cutters23:34 - Tweezers24:38 - Solder for Electronics26:44 - Soldering Irons & Stations28:20 - USB-C and Butane Soldering Irons30:34 - Soldering-Gun31:41 - Solder Extractors (and work surface)34:08 - Basic Crimping Tool & Simple Ratchet36:36 - Engineer PA09 Crimping Tool38:01 - Crimping Tool with Interchangeable Heads39:08 - Drill & Drill Bits42:20 - Hot Glue-Gun43:38 - Heat-Gun44:53 - Rotary Tool46:30 - Solderless Breadboards & Preformed Jumper Wires51:42 - Shields, HATs, and Proto Boards55:42 - Chip Extractors & Plastic Tuning Tools58:25 - Tie Wrap Tool59:50 - Nibbing (Nibbling) Tool1:02:37 - Tap & Die Set1:04:28 - Circuit Board Holders1:07:50 - My Favorite Tools1:11:06 - Buying Tools & Storing Tools1:14:16 - Shopping List1:16:01 - ConclusionThe article accompanying this video has more details about these tools, so please check it out.I hope you find this guide useful and that you discover some new tools to add to your own workshop!Bill
Arduino GIGA Display Shield DroneBot Workshop 2023-11-30 | The Arduino Giga Display Shield is a touchscreen display with an IMU, microphone, RGB LED, and camera connector.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/giga-displayMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeWe have already looked at the Arduino Giga; it’s an advanced microcontroller that brings the horsepower of the Portenta series to a board with an Arduino Mega format.Today, we will look at an exciting accessory for the Giga, the Arduino Giga Display Shield. This is a full-featured 800x480 TFT display with a capacitive touch screen. It also has an onboard IMU so you can read the display orientation, a MEMS microphone, and an RGB LED. There is also an extension of the Giga’s existing camera connector on the front of the display.This device is called a “shield,” but it actually mounts on the underside of the GIGA board, using the display and camera connectors. This arrangement makes for a very straightforward hardware setup, and you can still use conventional shields on the Arduino when the display is mounted.In this video, I will walk you through all the features of the Arduino Giga Display Shield. Here is the Table of Contents for today's presentation:00:00 - Introduction01:25 - Arduino Giga Display Shield05:08 - Getting Started06:47 - RGB LED Coding08:26 - IMU Coding10:30 - Microphone Coding14:54 - ArduinoGraphics Library16:32 - ArduinoGraphics Library Demo19:13 - Arduino Logo Demo21:42 - Displaying Your Own Images25:04 - GFX Library26:20 - GFX Library Demo29:33 - LVGL Library & Framework32:10 - LVGL Demo Code36:42 - LVGL with IMU and Image39:49 - Touch Screen Intro40:58 - Touch Screen Polling Demo43:44 - Touch Screen Interrupt Demo46:10 - Camera48:22 - Camera Demo53:02 - ConclusionI think that this display would make an ideal “master control panel,” perhaps for an Arduino IoT Cloud project. You can expect to see it again in another video!
IR Remotes & Microcontrollers - Arduino & ESP32 DroneBot Workshop 2023-10-29 | Everything you need to know about using IR Remote Controls with Arduino and ESP32.Article with code and resources: dronebotworkshop.com/ir-remotesMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeWe have looked at infrared remote controls before, but the library has changed in the five years since we did, and the technology has advanced. So it’s time to pay this topic another visit.First, we’ll see how these gizmos work and get into the details of the NEC IR Protocol, which about 80% of consumer devices use. We’ll even hook a recover and IR diode to an oscilloscope to take a look at the invisible infrared signal.Then, we’ll get up to date with the latest IRremote Library updates and look at another library that supports three times as many IR protocols. I’ll also show you how to handle those “stubborn” remote controls, like the ones used with air conditioners.And, of course, we’ll have plenty of “hands-on,” with experiments based around both a classic Arduino Uno and an ESP32. And I couldn’t have you watch an hour and a half of video without building something practical. So, we’ll finish up by putting together a custom IR remote control with an ESP32. It uses a web-based interface, so you can add as many buttons as you need and control your world from your phone or tablet.Here is the table of contents for today's huge video:00:00 - Introduction02:53 - IR Remote Controls10:42 - Sensors, Emitters & Scope Test15:40 - The Arduino-IRremote Library17:43 - Arduino Uno Hookup24:44 - SimpleReceiver Example30:52 - SimpleSender Example35:31 - The IRMP Library37:38 - Arduino & LCD Hookup42:10 - AllProtocols Code & Demo46:04 - Emulating Transmitters and Receivers47:06 - Receiver Code & Demo52:52 - Transmitter Code & Demo1:00:30 - Capturing IR Remote Codes1:01:19 - ReceiveAndSend Code & Demo1:10:58 - ReceiveAndSendDistanceWidth Code & Demo1:16:18 - ESP32 Remote Control & Hookup1:19:06 - ESP32 Remote Control Code & Demo1:28:53 - ESP32 IR Receiver Hookup1:29:48 - ConclusionBelieve it or not, there is more material, but I had to stop somewhere! So keep your eyes peeled for another video with three really cool IR projects.And make sure that you check out the accompanying article on the DroneBot Workshop website. It has more information and links to many IR remote control-related websites. Hope you enjoy the (long) video!Bill
XIAO ESP32S3 Sense - Tiny ESP32 Camera DroneBot Workshop 2023-10-01 | The Seeeduino XIAO ESP32S3 Sense board combines a camera, microphone, MicroSD card reader, and battery charger into a tiny package.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/xiao-esp32s3-senseMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeSeeed Studio’s XIAO line of microcontrollers has a new family member, the XIAO ESP32S3 Sense board. It’s actually two boards: the ESP32S3-based XIAO and a tiny expansion board with a camera, MEMS microphone, and MicroSD card holder.Complete with a USB-C connector and provisions for charging and powering off a 3.7-volt battery; this little board packs a lot of power for the low price of 14 US dollars. And it's pin-compatible with other boards in the XIAO series, so any prototyping boards you already have on hand can be used with it.Today, we will examine the XIAO ESP32S3 Sense board and its components. We’ll also use it to build a camera that also records sound. And we will upgrade the camera module to a 5-megapixel model.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:05 - XIAO ESP32S3 Sense11:12 - Getting Started - IDE Setup12:55 - Reloading Bootloader14:22 - CameraWebServer Demo17:01 - Voice Recording Camera21:53 - Voice Recording Camera Sketch28:01 - Voice Recording Camera Demo34:04 - OV5640 Camera Upgrade39:07 - OV5640 Camera Test42:42 - ConclusionIncidentally, the ESP32S3 board is also available on its own for $7.49, making it one of the least expensive ESP32S3 boards you can buy.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
LoRa - Long-Range Radio for IoT | Arduino, ESP32, RPI Pico DroneBot Workshop 2023-09-11 | LoRa is a low-cost, license-free method of sending short data bursts over long distances. It’s perfect for IoT sensors and remote control projects. Today, we’ll see how easy it is to use LoRa in our projects.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/loraMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeIf you need to send small amounts of data, such as sensor readings, over long distances, then LoRa (Long Range) radio is the technology for you. You can achieve incredible distances using low-cost modules and basic antennas. You can measure these distances in miles or kilometers with the right equipment. Today, we will experiment with two readily available, low-cost LoRa modules: the HopeRF RFM95W and the Adafruit RFM9x. They are essentially the same module, with the Adafruit device having onboard voltage regulation and logic-level conversion, making it compatible with both 5-volt and 3.3-volt microcontrollers. The Adafruit offering is also easier to handle, as the HopeRF module is not breadboard-friendly. We will use these modules with an Arduino Uno, a Raspberry Pi Pico, and an ESP32. We’ll program with both C++ in the Arduino IDE and MicroPython using the Thonny IDE.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:30 - LoRa Primer07:38 - HopeRF RFM95W & Adafruit RFM9x11:08 - LoRa Antennas13:06 - Seeedstudio LoRa-E514:35 - Heltec ESP32-LoRa16:09 - Installing & Using the LoRa Library18:32 - Adafruit RFM9x Hookup21:24 - Demo 1 - Simple data transmission25:43 - Demo 2 - One-way remote control30:34 - Demo 3 - Callback & Two-way remote control36:43 - Raspberry Pi Pico MicroPython & Hookup39:13 - LoRa with MicroPython Code & Demo45:39 - Data Gathering Project Intro46:35 - Data Gathering Hookup & Operation53:11 - Data Gathering Code1:02:45 - Data Gathering Demos1:05:07 - ConclusionWhile this is a long video, it barely scratches the surface of what you can accomplish using LoRa. You’ll be seeing more LoRa-related projects and tutorials here soon, including one on LoRaWAN.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Exploring the Arduino Nano ESP32 | MicroPython & IoT Cloud DroneBot Workshop 2023-08-13 | Another new Arduino board! This time it’s the Arduino Nano ESP32, and we’ll test it out today. Includes MicroPython and Arduino IoT Cloud experiments.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/nano-esp32More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeArduino has certainly been busy lately. After releasing the Arduino Giga at the beginning of the year, they followed up by releasing two new Arduino Uno boards. And, as if that wasn’t enough, they have just added another member to the growing Arduino Nano family - the Arduino Nano ESP32.Although a few of the Nano boards already have ESP32 chips, those boards use the ESP32 as a communications coprocessor. This new Nano is the first Arduino board to use the ESP32 as its main processor. We will begin by looking at the board features and pinouts. Of course, all Nano boards use the same pinout, allowing you to repurpose any prototyping tools you have gathered for the other family members.At the heart of the board is an ESP32-S3 module, so the new Nano board has essentially the same specifications as other boards built around that chip.We’ll also use the board with MicroPython, and I’ll show you how to install the MicroPython bootloader. Don’t worry; you can revert to C++ by reinstalling the Arduino Bootloader. I’ll show you how to do that as well.And we will build a project for the Arduino IoT Cloud. The Arduino Nano ESP32 is an inexpensive way of creating IoT applications.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:56 - Arduino Nano ESP3209:32 - Arduino IDE Setup & WiFi Scan Test12:13 - Nano ESP32 as a Human Interface Device19:07 - Using MicroPython23:30 - Installing MicroPython27:40 - Using the Arduino Labs Python Editor32:28 - Reloading the C++ Bootloader34:28 - Arduino IoT Cloud37:09 - IoT Cloud Project Hookup38:05 - Connect Nano ESP32 to IoT Cloud41:06 - Build a Thing44:29 - IoT Cloud Project Code49:01 - Build a Dashboard53:49 - Running Remote & OTA Updates54:52 - ConclusionIf Arduino releases any more new boards this year, I’ll need a new Arduino shirt! Hope you enjoy the video.Bill
NEW Arduino Uno R4 Boards - Minima & WiFi DroneBot Workshop 2023-07-29 | Two new Arduino Uno boards - the Minima and WiFi. Let's examine them and test some of their unique features, including the CAN Bus and LED Matrix.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/arduino-uno-r4-minima-wifiMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe Arduino Uno R3 was released in 2011. It has become the most popular maker and experimenter microcontroller board today, thanks to its ease of use and open-source design that allowed several low-cost “clones” to be made available.Now, after a dozen years, Arduino has updated the Uno. Actually, they did make a WiFi Uno in 2018, but nobody noticed, and there was a “mini” collectors edition Uno in 2021. But this update is so big they made it into two boards!Arduino has released the low-cost (20.00 USD) Uno R4 Minima and the full-featured Uno R4 WiFi boards (27.50 USD). These boards are pin-for-pin compatible with the older Uno R3 and are also 5-volt logic devices, rare these days. This means compatibility with your existing shields and prototyping boards.The new boards are powered by the Renesas RA4M1 microcontroller, running at 48 MHz. This provides an emulation of the ATMega328P used in the original board and also adds new features, several that we will test out today.Among the new features we will try out are the following:12-bit DAC - We'll generate a sine wave with a library that makes it very easy.CAN Bus connection - We'll connect 2 Minima boards using a CAN Bus.WiFi Access Point - We'll build an Access Point with a web page to control an LED.LED Matrix Display - We'll use the online Matrix Editor to create patterns.We’ll also run benchmark tests on these boards and compare them to the older Uno R3, as well as a few other popular microcontroller boards.Here is the Table of Contents of today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:41 - Arduino Uno R4 Boards13:10 - Boot & 8mA Current Limitation15:27 - Arduino R4 IDE Setup 16:40 - DAC & Sine Wave Hookup18:21 - DAC - Sine Wave Code20:28 - DAC - Sine Wave Demo with scope21:37 - CAN Bus Explainer & Hookup30:50 - CAN BUS Code - canwrite32:28 - CAN BUS Code - canread33:29 - CAN BUS Demo - 2 Minimas35:11 - Uno R4 WiFi & ESP3238:19 - WiFi Access Point Code42:19 - WiFi Access Point Demo43:19 - LED Matrix Explainer46:18 - LED Live Preview Code47:52 - LED Live Preview Online Edit & Demo49:44 - Benchmarking Setup & Code52:19 - Benchmark Test Results54:56 - ConclusionThese are two unique boards, certain to interest experimenters and educators (the LED matrix opens up a lot of interesting classroom displays).Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Simple ESP32-CAM Object Detection DroneBot Workshop 2023-06-25 | Train an ESP32-CAM for Object Detection using a free Edge Impulse account. All without writing any code!Article with full instructions: dronebotworkshop.com/esp32-object-detectMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeObject Detection is a Machine Learning (ML) technique that uses a computer with a camera to identify classes of objects it has been trained to recognize. Although this used to require massive computers and large datasets, it is now possible to perform decent object detection using microcontrollers.While most microcontroller-based object detection projects use 64-bit chips like the powerful Kendryte K210, you can also use a 32-bit ESP32 to get the job done. And that’s exactly what we will do today - take a 9-dollar ESP32-CAM board and train it to detect objects.I’ll be using a lantern battery and Robie, a 40-year-old Radio Shack robot, as my two “test objects” We’ll train a model using the powerful online neural network services of Edge Impulse; you’ll need an account, but don’t worry, it’s completely free. Once we have our model trained, we’ll export it in the form of an Arduino Library. The library even includes a sample sketch we can use to test our model; no code to write! I’ll try it on an ESP32-CAM and ESP-EYE board. Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:34 - Object Detection06:27 - Edge Impulse08:15 - Workflow10:47 - Look at ESP32-CAM & ESP-EYE12:48 - Capturing Images - Webcam Setup14:34 - Edge Impulse Setup15:39 - Image Capture17:57 - Label Images20:32 - Create an Impulse 24:52 - Export to an Arduino Library25:25 - Importing Library to Arduino IDE27:41 - Testing with ESP-EYE29:43 - Testing with ESP32-CAM32:04 - EloquentESP32CAM Library34:14 - Collect Images Sketch35:35 - Capturing Images - ESP32-CAM39:12 - Import & Label with Edge Impulse42:46 - Build & Deploy Impulse46:45 - Testing with ESP32-CAM48:28 - EloquentArduino Code & Demo51:32 - Conclusion53:25 - Robie the Robot!I will actually show you two methods of capturing images of your subject(s) - using a webcam or using the ESP32-CAM board itself. I’ll also introduce you to a library that can make doing all of this a lot easier.The results are good, good enough to consider using the ESP32-CAM as an inexpensive object detection sensor.Hope you enjoy the video!
Op-Amps - Using Operational Amplifiers DroneBot Workshop 2023-05-15 | Op-amps are like analog building blocks; you can create almost anything with them. Today, we’ll learn how to use these versatile components, alone and with an Arduino.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/op-ampMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeOperational Amplifiers, or “op-amps,” were initially designed for use in analog computers back in the 1940s. In fact, the “operational” in the name is a reference to the op-amp's ability to perform mathematical operations on voltages, which is how analog computers represent numbers.Op-amps have been available in integrated circuit (IC) format for nearly 60 years and have become a vital component in analog electronic design. There are two reasons for their popularity:1 - They are versatile - Op-amps can be configured into dozens of basic circuits.2 - They are inexpensive - Op-amps are pretty cheap! One of the devices we will look at today costs about 10 cents per op-amp.You can also use operational amplifiers to “glue” analog and digital electronics; in fact, one of the demos today uses an op-amp with an Arduino.Aside from that, we’ll also learn how op-amps work, how to configure them into several basic “analog building block” circuits, how to build a light-sensitive switch using them, and how to turn a single power supply into a dual one using an op-amp.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:20 - Operational Amplifiers12:14 - Popular Op-Amps16:17 - Op Amp Basic Circuits Hookup18:32 - Voltage Follower (Buffer)21:03 - Inverting Amplifier22:36 - Non-Inverting Amplifier24:06 - Low-Pass Filter25:53 - High-Pass Filter27:33 - Square & Triangle Wave Generator29:22 - Op Amps with Arduino34:58 - Light-Sensitive Switch38:00 - Single to Dual Power Supply42:13 - ConclusionOne other thing to note is that “classic” components, like op-amps, didn’t seem to be affected by the global chip shortage. One more reason to consider using them in your designs!Hope you enjoy the video.Bill
Arduino GIGA WiFi - First Look DroneBot Workshop 2023-03-27 | The most powerful Arduino yet - meet the new Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi board!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/gigaMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeWhat looks like an Arduino Mega, works like an Arduino Portenta (but costs a lot less), and has a ton of exciting new features? It’s the Arduino GIGI R1 WiFi, the newest microcontroller board from Arduino.This beast may look like a Mega 2560, but that’s where the resemblance ends. The GIGA has even more I/O ports, 76 of them. It has an integrated Real Time Clock, 16-bit Analog to Digital Converters (ADCs), 12-bit Digital to Analog Converters (DACs), and CANBUS connections. It also has a USB-A connector that you can use with a keyboard, mouse, or USB storage device.Its STM32H747XI microcontroller has two powerful high-speed cores, and you can even run a MicroPython program in one core and an Arduino C++ program in the other. The GIGA has a Murata LBEE5KL1DX-883 radio module for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication. Here is a breakdown of today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:23 - Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi11:07 - Look at GIGA board13:54 - Getting Started with the GIGA15:46 - Fixing Linux Error22:18 - Example - WiFiWebClient26:45 - Real Time Clock28:25 - RTC Manual Code & Demo33:19 - RTC WiFi Code & Demo36:38 - Working with USB38:41 - Read USB Directory41:52 - Write to USB Drive44:23 - Read from USB Drive46:05 - Using the ADCs50:55 - Using the DACs - Waveform Generator58:03 - ConclusionWhile the hardware for the GIGA is nothing short of amazing, the software is currently in development. I had many issues getting it all to work. I’ll show you how to resolve these issues if you encounter them.But software issues aside, this powerful microcontroller board will find many great applications in robotics, process control, and IoT (it’s ready for the Arduino IoT Cloud).Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Using PS3 Controllers with ESP32 | Build Custom Remote Controls DroneBot Workshop 2023-03-05 | Control the world (or anything you can hook up to an ESP32) using a PS3 controller! I’ll show you how to control motors, LEDs, and more.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/ps3-esp32More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeIf you’re looking for an easy to use and yet sophisticated remote control for your next ESP32 project, why not try a PS3 controller? Priced at around 10 dollars on Amazon, these little gems feature many controls and features, including an accelerometer, two joysticks, and a rechargeable battery.I’ll show you how to use the ESP32-PS3 Library to simplify interfacing with the controller. This amazing library covers every controller event and even lets you “rumble” the controllers' motors!I’ll also show you my “robot car experimenters platform,” which is a long-winded way of saying a two-wheeled car base with a power supply, motor driver, and solderless breadboard. I’ll use it to demonstrate control of some LEDs and motors. You'll see how easy it is to adapt the library to your own special needs.When we are done, we’ll have the basis of a robot car controlled by a PS3 remote control!Here is the Table of Contents of today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:29 - PS3 Controllers07:03 - Controller MAC Address09:02 - ESP32-PS3 Library10:53 - ESP32-PS3 Library - PS3Demo16:22 - ESP32-PS3 Library - PS3Accelerrometer17:46 - ESP32-PS3 Library - PS3Rumble20:04 - My Robot Car Test Base26:01 - Controlling LEDs33:39 - Controlling an RGB LED40:35 - Controlling a Servo Motor46:34 - Responding to TOF Sensor52:52 - Controlling DC Motors1:02:46 - Final Robot Car Code & Demo1:06:03 - ConclusionYou may have a few of these remote controls kicking around the house, dust them off and use them as unique remote controls!Hope you enjoy the video.Bill
ChatGPT with Arduino and ESP32 | C++ and MicroPython coding DroneBot Workshop 2023-01-29 | See how ChatGPT can write C++ and MicroPython code for an Arduino Uno and an ESP32. You now have an AI-Assisted coder to help you with your projects!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/chatgptMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeOn November 30, 2023, OpenAI released ChatGPT, an AI-powered chatbot. The reaction has been phenomenal, and for a good reason - ChatGPT’s human-like responses often seem like the stuff of science fiction. ChatGPT is so good that it, and other technology based around the same GPT-3.5 Language Model, could seriously jeopardize many people's jobs.And that might even include programmers and developers! Because ChatGPT is equally adept at writing code as it is at writing essays.As a tool, ChatGPT is remarkable, and it really offers a lot of advantages to makers and hobbyists. Imagine having your own personal coding assistant on call 24 hours per day. Well, now you can have that with ChatGPT!I’ll show you how to use ChatGPT to code in both C++ and MicroPython, using an Arduino Uno and an ESP32 module. We’ll start off small and then move up to building a Temperature & Humidity Meter, a WiFi Scanner, and a MicroPython-based ESP32 Web Server.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:48 - ChatGPT09:57 - Getting started with ChatGPT12:06 - Arduino Uno Hookup14:34 - Blink16:31 - PWM LED Dimmer18:34 - ChatGPT Code Correction19:58 - ChatGPT "Forgets"!22:14 - DHT22 Temp & Humid24:48 - OLED Display26:38 - Temp & Humid Meter with C/F31:12 - ESP32 WiFi Scanner33:47 - ESP32 MicroPython Web Server36:29 - ChatGPT vs. GitHub Copilot38:49 - ConclusionWhile I don’t think that ChatGPT will be replacing coders too soon, it is a valuable tool that will really assist developers and makers in improving their code and reducing their coding time.Also, please note that this video (and its accompanying article) were created at the end of January 2023, about 8 weeks after the release of the public beta of ChatGPT. It’s very likely that new features will be added, and ChatGPT Pro will be released soon. Keep that in mind when you watch the video in the future!Hope you find it useful.Bill
Using the ESP32 DAC - Voltages, Waveforms & Sounds DroneBot Workshop 2023-01-08 | Oscilloscope Art, Musical Fruit - just a few of the things we’ll build with the ESP32’s built-in DAC (Digital to Analog Converter)!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/esp32-dacMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeOne of the lesser known features of the ESP32 is that it has two Digital to Analog Converters, or DAC’s, as part of its architecture. Today we will see how to use them.The ESP32 DACs are not audio-quality by any means (use I2S for that) but still very useful for producing DC voltages and complex waveforms. We’ll see how they work and how they can be used in three different modes.We’ll do several experiments using a multimeter, an oscilloscope, and an audio amplifier. If you have the test equipment, you can follow along; everything we are doing today will work on just about any ESP32 module.After we see how to program the DAC, we'll have a bit of fun with it!First, we will create some “Oscilloscope Art.” Calling this "art" is a bit of a stretch; it’s an ellipse rotating on the scope screen, but you can use it as the basis of something much more artistic!Then we will get creative and build a musical instrument that you can also eat for dessert! We’ll use the DAC and touch switch features of the ESP32 to make music with some apples and oranges! Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:50 - ESP32 DAC05:59 - Hookup and DC Voltages10:14 - Waveform Hookup and Sine Wave (Basic)13:20 - Waveform using a Table15:46 - Cosine Wave using a Library19:59 - Oscilloscope Art25:09 - Musical Fruit32:09 - Conclusion33:43 - Bonus - Mozart!Hope you enjoy the video! For those who are willing to stick it out until the end, there is a second musical serenade at the conclusion of the video.
Mecanum Wheel Robot Car & ESP-NOW Remote DroneBot Workshop 2022-12-04 | Build a Mecanum Wheel Robot and control it with a remote joystick and display using a couple of ESP32 boards.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/mecanumMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeLilygo TTGO Display info on Volos Projects - youtube.com/@VolosProjectsToday, we will be working with Mecanum Wheels. These unique wheels allow a vehicle to be propelled in any direction. Our design will use the ESP32 and will be complemented by an ESP32-based remote control that features a Joystick, a TFT color display, and a rechargeable battery. The car even has some large NeoPixel LEDs, so you can see what direction the Mecanum wheels are moving, so it’s both an educational and fun “toy.” And the design can be expanded to include other components and sensors.The remote control is based on a Lilygo TTGO T-Display module. This ESP32 module has an integrated TFT display, as well as a couple of switches and a connector for a LiPo battery (which can be recharged from the module).The car and remote communicate via ESP-NOW protocol. This arrangement allows information to be sent in both directions, so we can display some critical parameters from the car on the display of the remote control. The design is very easy to upgrade, so you can add more sensors to your car or more functions to the remote.Of course, before we build the robot, we will need to learn a bit about Mecanum Wheels. So we’ll start by doing a few experiments to see how to code for them.Then we will move on to the NeoPixels, bright, colorful addressable RGB LEDs. The design uses five of them, yet as these are addressable LEDs, they only consume one GPIO pin on the ESP32.Moving on to the remote, we will learn about the features of the Lilygo TTGO T-Display. After that, wiring it up is a simple thing.Here is the table of contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:29 - Mecanum Wheels06:17 - Testing Mecanum Wheels25:15 - Neopixels36:21 - Robot Construction43:19 - Controller Construction53:15 - Get MAC Address55:47 - Robot Sketch1:07:34 - Controller Sketch1:20:27 - Robot Demo1:24:13 - ConclusionIf you want to know more about ESP-NOW, you should check out the video I did on it - youtu.be/bEKjCDDUPaUAnd for more info regarding the TTGO T-Display, you should definitely check out Volos Projects - youtube.com/@VolosProjectsHope that you enjoy the video!Bill
Driving DC Motors with Microcontrollers DroneBot Workshop 2022-10-16 | How to use 7 different motor driver modules with an Arduino or any microcontroller. Hookup, code & demonstrations with motors big and small.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/dc-motor-driversMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday we will be working with lots of motor drivers and lots of motors!You’ll see how there are actually three methods used among all of these drivers for controlling speed and direction. Because of this, it’s pretty easy to swap drivers and use a sketch for small motors to be used with much larger ones (or vice-versa).I’ll be driving everything with a simple Arduino Uno today, but you could use any microcontroller to work with these motor drivers.The code for all these motors is pretty simple, I’ll show it to you, and I’ll also introduce you to a few libraries that make coding for these motor drivers a breeze. We’ll also check out a motor driver library from Cytron that is a hidden gem, as it can be used with ANY of these drivers!Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:17 - DC Motor Driver Basics08:05 - L298N Dual H-Bridge16:13 - TB6612FNG Dual H-Bridge25:24 - DRV8871 Single H-Bridge31:08 - MX1508 Dual H-Bridge38:54 - DBH-12 Dual H-Bridge46:27 - IBT-2 Single H-Bridge51:17 - MD25HV Single H-Bridge & Controller1:02:27 - ConclusionHope you enjoy this, remember that the article on the DroneBot Workshop website has all the code I used today.
Measuring Air Quality with ESP32 & Arduino DroneBot Workshop 2022-09-23 | Use an ESP32 or Arduino to measure the quality of the air you breathe! Today, we'll work with several air quality sensors.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/air-qualityMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribePollution is a problem that affects everyone, no matter where they live. Even if you reside in a rural area, you are still subject to many types of pollution, both outdoors and inside your home.Today we will look at several air quality sensors that you can use with a microcontroller. We’ll test them out using both an ESP323 and an Arduino, and we’ll also compare the readings to a commercial air quality meter to see if there is any correlation between readings.We’ll be taking a look at the following sensors:- MQ Gas Sensors (various models).- PMS5003 PM2.5 Particulate Matter Sensor.- BME280 Temperature, Humidity & Air Pressure Sensor.- BME680 Temperature, Humidity & Gas Sensor.- AHT20 Precision Temperature & Humidity Sensor.- CCS811 Air Quality Sensor.- SGP30 Air Quality Sensor.- SGP40 Air Quality Sensor.We’ll see how they work and what parameters they can measure, and we’ll hook them up and run a demo.Then we’ll put a bunch of sensors together on an ESP32 to make an environmental monitoring platform.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:38 - Air Quality03:36 - Look at sensors05:12 - Sensor Calibration Issues06:46 - MQ Sensors Intro12:25 - MQ Sensors Library & Code16:42 - MQ Sensors ESP32 Considerations21:00 - PM2.5 Sensors27:55 - Temperature & Humidity Sensors Intro31:25 - BME280 Demo33:28 - BME680 Demo35:49 - AHT20 Demo37:33 - Air Quality Sensors Intro39:40 - CCS811 Demo43:09 - SGP30 Demo45:38 - SGP40 Demo47:36 - ESP32 Multi-Sensor58:45 - ConclusionOn a personal note, this project actually alerted me to several areas in my home that I need to improve the air circulation in. Hopefully, you will find it equally useful!Bill
Pi Pico W with the Arduino IDE | Using WiFi DroneBot Workshop 2022-08-07 | Use the new Pico W with the Arduino IDE instead of microPython!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/picow-arduinoMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeOn June 30, 2022, Raspberry Pi announced the latest iteration of it’s RP2040-based Pico microcontroller. The Pico W has the same pinout and form factor as the original Pico and has WiFi capabilities.Raspberry Pi also released a new UF2 file and several samples using microPython with the new WiFi chip. However, although they did release a C++ SDK, there was no update to the Arduino IDE for the new microcontroller.But you CAN use the Pico W with the Arduino IDE by using a new boards manager file that covers virtually every RP2040-based board. And today, I’ll show you how to install that for the classic Arduino IDE 1.8 and the newer IDE 2.0.After installing the new boards manager, we’ll give it a test. Then we’ll see how we can use the new WiFi features to control LEDs and servo motors with a web-based interface.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction03:25 - Raspberry Pi Pico W08:05 - Bluetooth issues?10:55 - Pico W vs. ESP3213:35 - Installing the Boards Manager18:22 - Blink test20:48 - WiFi Network Scan23:10 - Using the WiFi Library28:07 - Using Web Data30:56 - Pico W LED Control37:43 - Pico W Servo Control47:28 - ConclusionThe Arduino IDE is a popular interface for programming microcontrollers, and now we can use it with the Pico W.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Dual Boot Workstation - Windows 11 & Ubuntu 22.04 DroneBot Workshop 2022-07-20 | Step-by-step instructions for building a dual-boot workstation with Ubuntu Linux 22.04 & Microsoft Windows 11Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/dual-bootMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe workstation in my office that I use to develop code is on its last legs, so I’ve decided to put together a new one. This time, instead of just Linux, I’m building a dual-boot computer that will run both Ubuntu Linux 22.04 and Microsoft Windows 11.I’m starting from scratch, with a “bare-bones” Intel NUC 11 that I’ve configured with two SSDs and memory, however, you can also use these instructions to modify an existing Windows 11 device. I’m installing both Windows and Linux onto the same SSD, but you can also use independent drives for each operating system if you prefer. And, if you wish, you could use a different distribution of Linux.Dual-boot machines are not perfect, you can also elect to use virtual machines or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), I’ll go over those options in the video.Once I get the two operating systems installed, I’ll also create a shared drive that is visible to both Linux and Windows. Then I’ll demonstrate how you can configure your Arduino IDE to use the same shared location for storing sketches and libraries.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:43 - Dual-Boot Workstation08:12 - Dual-Boot Alternatives09:47 - Obtain Ubuntu & Windows13:40 - Bootable USB Utilities15:42 - Windows Licensing19:58 - BIOS Settings21:58 - Install Windows 1126:20 - Prepare Windows for Linux32:44 - Install Ubuntu 22.0437:07 - Bootloader Choices39:23 - Using Both Operating Systems49:24 - ConclusionHopefully you will find the video and the associated article useful if you’re putting together a dual-boot system of your own.
Linear DC Power Supplies - Designing & Building Custom DC Power Supplies DroneBot Workshop 2022-06-29 | Two videos in one! Learn about Linear Power Supplies and then build one for your workbench.Article with parts list: dronebotworkshop.com/linear-dc-powerMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeLearn how linear power supplies work, and then build one of your own. If you want to go directly to the second part, you’ll find it at 32:45.In the first part, we will learn how linear power supplies differ from switching power supplies. We’ll take a look at the main components of a linear power supply and see how they are specified.Then we’ll break out the solderless breadboard and hook up a positive, negative, and variable voltage regulator circuit, using a low-current transformer for safety.Then we move on to part 2, building a small linear power supply that would look great on your workbench.I’ll show you how I selected the components, how I hooked them up, and how I constructed and labeled the chassis. Then you’ll see how I laid out the components with safety first in mind.And, of course, we’ll check out the resulting product, a variable DC power supply that can supply 2 - 20 VDC at up to 2.5 amps.Here is the Table of Contents for today's (very long) video:00:00 - Introduction02:57 - Linear vs Switching Power Supplies07:18 - Power Supply Components15:41 - Rectifier Demonstration19:34 - Voltage Regulators - Fixed Positive25:12 - Voltage Regulators - Fixed Negative29:15 - Voltage Regulators - Variable Positive32:45 - Part 2 - Build a Linear Power Supply33:56 - Parts & Prototyping44:00 - Power Supply Hookup49:01 - Cutting a Metal Chassis52:30 - Layout and Design Considerations58:09 - Labelling the Chassis1:03:34 - Wiring & Assembly1:07:40 - Final Product1:10:06 - ConclusionAlthough they are not as popular as switching supplies, linear power supplies do offer advantages in several situations. Learning to design and build them is an essential skill for any electronics experimenter.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
GC9A01 Round LCD with ESP32 & Arduino DroneBot Workshop 2022-06-05 | Learn to use the GC9A01 circular LCD module with an Arduino Uno and an ESP32.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/gc9a01More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeWe have worked with LCD modules many times before here in the DroneBot Workshop, but this one is a bit different - it’s round!Round LCD modules like this one are excellent choices for instrumentation and metering projects. They can also be used for special effects in robotics and animatronics, as we will see when we use two of the displays to build some animated eyeballs.We will start, of course, by looking at the specifications of this display. It is an SPI bus device, and the Waveshare model I’m using can operate on both 5-volts and 3.3-volts. Note that there is another model of this display, also using the GC9A01 driver, that only operates on 3.3-volts (and also has some very confusing pin markings).Next, we will use the display with an Arduino Uno. We will start by using the Waveshare sample code, but after that, we will switch to another library that is much better documented.After that, we will use the display with an ESP32, which has better performance than the Arduino Uno as it’s much faster and has more internal memory.Finally, we will build a set of animated eyeballs using the ESP32 and two of the GC9A01 modules.Lot’s to learn, and there is even a bonus “riddle” in the video for science fiction fans - of course, I give you the answer in the end!Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:13 - GC9A01 IPS Display05:11 - GC9A01 with Arduino18:12 - GC9A01 with ESP3233:12 - GC9A01 Animated Eyes43:08 - ConclusionHope you enjoy it, and I really hope you pick up a few of these displays and build something cool with them!And, for those of you who solved the “riddle”, congratulations - and for the rest of you, DON’T PANIC! (that was a clue, BTW).Bill
ESP32 Sound - Working with I2S DroneBot Workshop 2022-05-22 | Build an Internet Radio, an MP3 Player, and display microphone waveforms with an ESP32 and some I2S peripherals. Learn to use the I2S sound protocol with the ESP32.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/esp32-i2sMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeYou might have seen the term “I2S” on the spec sheet for the ESP32 and may have just assumed that it was a form of I2C. Well, you would be mistaken - I2S is a protocol for manipulation of digital audio, and today we will be using it with the ESP32.After a short primer on I2S and digital audio fundamentals, we will use an I2S microphone module with an ESP32. We’ll display the microphone output as a waveform on the Arduino IDE Serial Plotter.After that, we will grab a library from GitHub, and we’ll use it to build an MP3 player with an I2S amplifier module. We’ll then use the same library and the ESP32 WiFi to create an Internet Radio.Finally, we will convert our simple Internet Radio into a stereo device, with a volume control.Here is what is in today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:27 - I2S & Digital Audio Intro08:25 - I2S Peripherals10:18 - Using an I2S Microphone18:37 - I2S MP3 Player28:31 - Simple I2S Internet Radio33:41 - Stereo Internet Radio43:56 - ConclusionRemember, if you need any of the code used here, you'll find it on the DroneBot Workshop website at https://dronebotworkshop.com\esp32-i2s.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Understanding Arduino Interrupts | Hardware, Pin Change & Timer Interrupts DroneBot Workshop 2022-05-10 | Learn to use Hardware, Pin Change and Timer Interrupts with the Arduino Uno.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/interruptsMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday we are working with a fundamental programming concept, the use of Interrupts.Now, this certainly isn't the first time we have worked with interrupts, we have used Hardware Interrupts in several previous videos. But we have never taken a deep dive into the subject, and as it is a very important concept, I feel it's time that we did!Plus, Hardware Interrupts are just one of three types of interrupts supported by the Arduino. So we also should take a look at Pin Change and Timer Interrupts as well.We are working with an Arduino Uno today, but the concepts we are discussing are applicable to just about any microcontroller.Interrupts can help you make more responsive user interfaces, perform timed operations, or just write better and more efficient code.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:51 - No Interrupt Demo07:02 - Hardware Interrupts19:51 - Pin Change Interrupts37:22 - Timer Interrupts46:21 - ConclusionHopefully the video and its associated article will prove to be a good resource as you work to improve your code with interrupts. Bill
ESP32-CAM MicroSD Card - Saving images with the ESP32-Cam DroneBot Workshop 2022-04-17 | Learn to use the MicroSD card on the ESP32-CAM to store photos. We’ll also build a motion-sensitive and time-lapse camera.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/esp32-cam-microsdMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe ESP32-CAM is an amazing little module, especially when you consider how inexpensive it is. With all the power of the 32-bit ESP32 combined with a 2MP camera, this board has a lot of practical applications.It also has a MicroSD card slot, and today we will learn how to use this to store images on a MicroSD card.We’ll examine how the ESP32 works with both the camera and the MicroSD card, and then we’ll build a simple camera. After that, we’ll turn our camera into a motion-sensitive camera, and then we’ll write some code to build a time-lapse camera.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:26 - ESP32-CAM MicroSD Card07:22 - Using the Camera and MicroSD Card12:09 - Simple Camera22:16 - Motion-Sensitive Camera27:29 - Time-Lapse Camera33:07 - ConclusionI hope you enjoy the video!Bill
LED Displays with Arduino - 7-Segment & Dot-Matrix DroneBot Workshop 2022-04-10 | Use both 7-segment and dot-matrix LED displays with an Arduino.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/led-displaysMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeYes I know they have been around for over half a century, but LED displays are still a great choice for a number of applications. They are inexpensive and have great visibility and durability.Today we will be working with both 7-segment and dot-matrix LED displays, in single and multiple modules. I’ll show you a number of different configurations of LED displays and how to wire them up and code for them.I’ll be using an Arduino Uno for all the experiments, however, the information is equally applicable to just about any microcontroller.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:34 - LED Displays07:37 - Single 7-Segment Display15:37 - Multiple 7-Segment Displays24:27 - MAX7219 8-Character 7-Segment Display32:41 - Dot-Matrix Display Module42:57 - ConclusionIf you need the code I used in the examples, just check out the article on the DroneBot Workshop website at dronebotworkshop.com/led-displaysHope this video lights up your life!:)Bill
ESP-NOW - Peer to Peer ESP32 Network DroneBot Workshop 2022-04-03 | Set up a private peer-to-peer network without WiFi using ESP-NOW! I’ll show you how to use this powerful protocol with several ESP32 boards.Article with code samples: dronebotworkshop.com/esp-nowMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeESP-NOW is a protocol that allows you to use ESP32 and ESP8866 boards to create a private peer to peer network. Use two boards, or use ten. Transmit in one direction (half-duplex) or bidirectionally (full-duplex). With or without encryption.This magic all comes courtesy of the 2.4GHz radio transceiver that powers the ESP board's WiFi and Bluetooth features. We can also use this radio to set up a network to send small (250 bytes) packets of data between ESP boards.No WiFi or Router is required. Mix and match boards as much as you want.I’ll be showing you how ESP-NOW works, and we’ll perform a few simple experiments with a bunch of ESP32 boards. We’ll end by building a remote temperature sensor system, then expanding it to use multiple sensors.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video!00:00 - Introduction01:59 - ESP-NOW06:56 - Getting MAC Address09:59 - Getting Started with ESP-NOW19:05 - ESP-NOW Broadcast Mode28:26 - Remote Temperature Sensing35:57 - Multiple Temperature Sensors40:58 - ConclusionI’ve only scratched the surface of what we can do with ESP-NOW in this video, so I'll probably be incorporating it into another project soon.Hope you find it interesting!Bill
Pico Prototyping - Building a Pico Uno DroneBot Workshop 2022-03-27 | Use a Raspberry Pi Pico instead of an Arduino Uno! Build a “Pico Uno” for Pico power with Uno ease of use.Article with hookup diagrams: dronebotworkshop.com/pico-unoMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe Raspberry Pi Pico is a low-cost microcontroller that can run circles around an Arduino Uno. Yet when it comes time to test out a new sensor or library, I inevitably grab a Uno board!The main reason I rely upon a 12-year-old piece of technology over the newest wonder from Raspberry Pi is simple - the Uno is easy to use. It has female sockets to accept jumper wires, it has a reset key and a power LED, and it can be powered using USB or an external supply.But it’s really easy to add all of those features to the Pico, so today we are going to do exactly that. In fact, I’ll show you three ways of building a “Pico Uno”:1 - Super Simple - Female DuPont connectors, put together in less than 5 minutes.2 - Pico Uno with Reset - A board with Reset and Power LED.3 - Pico Uno with External Power - All of the above, plus a 2.1mm jack for external power.To build the last one, we will also have to learn exactly how we use a Pico with external power.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:55 - Pico vs Uno08:44 - Prototyping Boards11:45 - Simple Proto Boards13:59 - Pico Uno with Reset19:49 - Powering the Pico24:36 - Pico Uno with External Power33:49 - ConclusionHope you enjoy it, and I hope it shows you how easy it is to prototype with a Raspberry Pi Pico.Bill
WiFiManager with ESP32 - Stop Hard-coding WiFi Credentials! DroneBot Workshop 2022-03-20 | Stop hard-coding your WiFi connection information in your ESP32 Sketches - use WiFi Manager instead!Article with code samples: dronebotworkshop.com/wifimanagerMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe ESP32 is an amazing microcontroller. It’s a powerful 32-bit processor with multiple I/O ports. 12-bit A/D converters and a variety of interfaces. But the one thing that makes it stand out above the crowd is its built-in WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities.When we experiment with the ESP32 WiFi we generally just hard-code our WiFi login information directly in our sketches. Some people use an external file, but it is just another way to accomplish the same thing.In both cases, our code is compiled and loaded onto our ESP32, so the ESP32 is locked into using that WiFi SSID and password. If you want to change these parameters to use your device on another WiFi network, then you need to change your code and recompile.This isn’t a great arrangement, especially if you want to move your creation to another network, share it with a friend or even create a commercial product.Enter WiFiManager. This great library lets you avoid hard-coding your WiFi parameters. Instead, you use a web-based interface to configure your SSID and password, so you can use your ESP32 project anywhere. You can also add additional parameters of your own, making WiFiManager an ideal solution for both private and commercial designs.Today I’ll show you how to use WiFiManager with the ESP32 (it can also be used with the ESP8266).Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction03:09 - WiFiManager11:45 - WiFiManager Installation13:29 - Using WiFiManager18:05 - WiFiManager On-Demand23:59 - Modifying Sketches to use WiFiManager30:07 - Adding Custom Parameters36:42 - JSON & SPIFFS39:40 - Saving Parameter Data53:04 - ConclusionYou’ll find WiFiManager is easy to use, and that you can quickly adapt your existing sketches to eliminate the hard-coded SSID and password. Give it a try and let me know what you think.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
Using the 555 Timer DroneBot Workshop 2022-03-13 | Learn how to use the classic 555 timer and build some simple projects with it.Article with hookup diagrams: dronebotworkshop.com/555-timerMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday we are looking at one of the most famous and useful integrated circuits ever produced - the 555 timer IC. Although this tiny device is over 50 years old it is still in use today, and for many applications, it is a better choice than using a microcontroller.I’ll explain how the 555 works and how to use it in its three different modes - Astable, Monostable, and Bistable.We’ll then build some simple, but useful, projects using the 555 timer, including a light chaser and a DC motor controller. They are easy to build and, unlike a microcontroller, don’t require any programming.In fact, there are a lot of situations where the 555 is a better choice than a microcontroller, especially when you consider how inexpensive and easy to use it is.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:40 - 555 Timer Operation10:28 - Astable Mode15:09 - Monostable Mode19:14 - Bistable Mode23:12 - Light Chaser28:15 - Latching Switch30:39 - DC Motor Controller34:36 - Touch Switch37:20 - Servo Motor Tester40:03 - ConclusionIf you’ve already used a 555 then you’re probably aware just how versatile it is. If you’ve never used one, then hopefully this video and article will inspire you to build a few projects with it. Hope you enjoy it!
Water Your Garden with IoT - Soil Moisture Sensors DroneBot Workshop 2022-03-06 | Learn to use Soil Moisture Sensors with microcontrollers and build a Soil Moisture Meter and an automated watering system that uses the Arduino IoT Cloud!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/soil-moistureMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThere are many methods of measuring the moisture content of soil, but the two types that are most commonly used by hobbyists are resistive and capacitive sensors. I’ll show you how to use and calibrate both of these types of sensors, both with analog and I2C interfaces.After we get our sensors calibrated, we’ll use them to build a soil moisture meter using a Raspberry Pi Pico and an OLED display.We’ll then focus our attention on the main project in this video, an automated watering system that uses an Arduino Nano 33 IoT and works on the Arduino IoT Cloud. This will allow you to maintain your solid at a specific moisture level and monitor it from anywhere on the Internet, with both a desktop and mobile interface.Here is the Table of Contents for this video:00:00 - Introduction01:55 - Soil Moisture Sensors07:06 - Moisture Sensor Calibration14:49 - I2C Moisture Sensors20:52 - Build a Soil Moisture Meter29:30 - IoT Plant Watering System52:33 - ConclusionI’ll also explain why I’m the last person on planet Earth that you’ll want to get gardening advice from!I hope you enjoy the video.Bill
10 Raspberry Pi Projects (All models, including Pico) DroneBot Workshop 2022-02-28 | 10 Raspberry Pi projects, including 3 for the Pico. Let’s celebrate the Raspberry Pi’s 10th birthday!#raspberrypi #raspberrypitutorialsMain article: dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10Plus 10 more articles, one for each project! See below for links.More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe Raspberry Pi is 10 years old, and today we will celebrate by building ten Raspberry Pi projects. The Raspberry Pi Model B was released to the world on February 29th, 2012 - yes, it was a leap-year baby! Since then over 40 million of these little boards have been sold and used in projects by makers, experimenters, hobbyists, and students. There is even a Raspberry Pi in the International Space Station!In this very long video, I’ll give you a bit of the history of the Raspberry Pi, and then we’ll jump into building 10 different projects, using everything from the Model Zero to the Raspberry Pi 4. Three of these projects will use the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. You’re sure to find a project (or two, or three) that is just right for you.Here is what we’ll cover in today's special video:00:00 - Introduction01:29 - Raspberry Pi History08:56 - Installing the OS11:39 - 10 Projects13:45 - Project 1 - Music Everywhere with Balena Sound26:58 - Project 2 - Extend USB with VirtualHere34:39 - Project 3 - Pico Simon Game50:34 - Project 4 - Compose Music with Sonic Pi56:48 - Project 5 - Time Lapse Camera1:07:37 - Project 6 - Raspberry Pi Dual-Boot1:15:23 - Project 7 - Pico Oscilloscope1:25:11 - Project 8 - Pi Standby Switch1:33:16 - Project 9 - NeoPixels with Pico PIO1:42:28 - Project 10 - Pi Network Boot1:50:25 - ConclusionYou’ll also find a bunch of articles on the dronebotworkshop.com website, one for each project. So if you need any code or download links, you’ll be able to grab them there. They all link to one another, but here are direct links for you:1 - Balena Sound - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-balena-sound2 - VirtualHere - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-virtualhere3 - Pico Simon Game - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-pico-simon4 - Sonic-Pi - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-sonic-pi5 - Time Lapse Camera - https://dronebotworkshop.com-pi-10/timelapse6 - Dual Boot - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-dual-boot7 - Pico Oscilloscope - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-pico-scope8 - Standby Switch - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-standby-switch9 - NeoPixels with Pico PIO - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-pico-pio10 - Network Boot - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-10-network-bootI hope you enjoy this special edition of the DroneBot Workshop. Now go and grab a slice of Raspberry Pi and celebrate this momentous occasion!
Safely Using LiPo Batteries DroneBot Workshop 2022-02-13 | Today we will learn to SAFELY charge, discharge, balance, store, and dispose of LiPo batteries. We’ll also learn how to put out a LiPo fire, just in case!Article with more info: dronebotworkshop.com/lipo-safetyMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeLiPo, or Lithium-ion Polymer batteries, have the highest energy-to-weight ratio of any rechargeable battery, and they are used extensively in radio-controlled aircraft and land vehicles. They are also used in mobile phones, some electric vehicles, and, of course, robotics.When handled properly, LiPo batteries are a perfectly safe power source that can last for up to 500 charge and discharge cycles. But if neglected or misused, their lifetimes can be drastically reduced, and worse, they can even catch fire!Today we will learn how LiPo batteries work, and how to read their specifications. We’ll also see how to charge, discharge, and balance LiPo batteries to ensure that they live a long and happy life. We’ll see some methods of safely storing them, and disposing of them when they have finally worn out.Not only that, but we will also see how to prevent a LiPo fire, and how to extinguish one if you are unlucky enough to have one.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:37 - All about LiPo Batteries08:23 - LiPo Batteries & Accessories14:55 - LiPo Charging23:34 - LiPo Discharging & Balancing27:28 - LiPo Storage36:21 - LiPo Fire Extinguishing39:51 - LiPo Disposal42:59 - ConclusionAs always, you’ll find more information in the accompanying article on the DroneBot Workshop website.It’s a powerful episode today! Hope you enjoy it.Bill
e Paper with Arduino and Raspberry Pi DroneBot Workshop 2022-02-07 | Let’s see how to use e-Paper displays with both Arduino and Raspberry Pi. I’ll also show you a “no-code” method of building an e-Paper information panel with PaperPi.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/epaperMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribee-Paper displays are quite different from the types of displays we are used to working with. Unlike other displays, e-paper doesn’t emit light, it reflects it. It also has the unique property of retaining the last thing written to it, even when powered down.These ultra low-current devices are perfect for portable projects, or those that require a display that can be read in a brightly lit environment.We will be using a very common and inexpensive display from Waveshare that can operate as both an SPI device for microcontrollers and as a Raspberry Pi HAT. I’ll show you how to use it with both an Arduino and a Raspberry Pi.After running a couple of demos, we will see how to write Python code to customize our e-Paper display.And we will also look at a relatively new product called PaperPi. This application lets you create cool e-Paper display panels without writing any code, instead, it uses “plugins” to configure the display to your liking. You can build a clock, weather display or even a music player.Here is the Table of Contents for today's video.:00:00 - Introduction02:24 - How e-Paper Displays work05:54 - Waveshare 2.7-inch e-Paper HAT07:42 - e-Paper with Arduino demo15:36 - e-paper with Raspberry Pi demo19:14 - Coding e-Paper displays with Python27:02 - PaperPi36:16 - ConclusionNow, I’ll be the first to admit that e-paper is not perfect. The displays are somewhat expensive (although the one I used was pretty cheap) and they aren’t suitable for video or full-color. But for some applications, they are just perfect.
Raspberry Pi Autofocus Camera & libcamera DroneBot Workshop 2022-02-01 | Today we’ll be looking at an autofocus camera for the Raspberry Pi. We’ll also learn to use libcamera to take pictures, videos and to stream video.Article with commands & “Cheat Sheet” - dronebotworkshop.com/pi-autofocusMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday we’ll take a look at a Raspberry Pi camera module that has a feature that we haven’t seen before - autofocus. We’ll also learn how to use libcamera, the new camera stack that replaces raspistill and raspivid on the latest version of the Raspberry Pi OS (Bullseye).The Arducam Autofocus Camera is a Raspberry Pi camera module that has a lot of impressive features, especially when you consider that it costs the same as the Raspberry Pi Camera Version 2. It has a 16MP sensor, which is the same resolution as the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera, and it even comes with a case that includes a tripod mount.And, as the name implies, it also has an autofocus feature - although it does have its limitations, as you’ll see in the video.We will be using this camera to demonstrate libcamera, the new camera stack included with the latest version of the Raspberry Pi OS. libcamera (the lowercase spelling is intentional) can be used from the command line or called from your Python programs, and it offers complete control over your Raspberry Pi camera module.We will use libcamera to take still pictures and videos. Not only that, but we’ll also use it to stream video to another workstation, where we can play it back using VLC Media Player.And, of course, we will compare the picture and video quality of the Arducam Autofocus Camera to some other Raspberry Pi Cameras. It does pretty well for a 25-dollar module!Here is what you will see in this video:00:00 - Introduction01:41 - Camera & Autofocus Methods05:33 - Look at Autofocus Camera07:10 - libcamera Introduction09:31 - Software Installation12:29 - Pictures with libcamera-still20:51 - Videos with libcamera-vid27:34 - Streaming Video with libcamera31:46 - Camera Quality Tests39:54 - ConclusionNow, to be fair, although I really liked the camera there was one big disappointment, at least for me. The camera does not, at least yet, do continuous autofocus. Instead, it performs autofocus when it is first started. However, I will show you a way that you can force it to do an autofocus operation again using the keyboard.But otherwise, I think this is a great camera, and at such a low cost it’s definitely worth checking out.Hope you enjoy the video!
Arduino IDE 2.0 - Testing Release Candidate 3 DroneBot Workshop 2022-01-23 | Let’s examine the new Arduino IDE 2.0 (Release Candidate 3) and see what’s new, what works, and what still needs work!Article with more information: dronebotworkshop.com/arduino-ide-2More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe Arduino IDE 2.0 is the newest iteration of the popular Arduino IDE. As with its predecessor, it allows you to write sketches for microcontrollers made by Arduino and can be extended using the Boards Manager to use other manufacturers’ microcontrollers as well.This new IDE features a sleek new design with a choice of Dark or Light modes, an improved Serial Plotter, and an integrated real-time debugger. It also adds features like code completion, and it integrates with the Arduino IoT Cloud to allow you to edit both your local and cloud-based sketches in one place.The product has been in development for a couple of years now, and it finally made it to the Release Candidate version at the end of 2021. I’m examining Release candidate 3, which was released on January 11, 2022.As with all release candidates, there are still a few bugs to be ironed out, and I’ll show you a couple of them in this video, along with some workarounds. If you’re viewing this in the future, then some of these bugs will likely be fixed.Here is what we will be covering in today’s video:00:00 - Introduction01:30 - Arduino IDE Evolution04:14 - Installing the IDE08:40 - Basic IDE Features11:38 - Preferences & Settings14:35 - Run Blink on Uno16:18 - Serial Monitor20:07 - Serial Plotter23:36 - Arduino IoT Cloud25:22 - Boards Manager Intro26:54 - Arduino Nano AVR29:25 - Arduino Nano 33 IoT30:38 - ESP3233:20 - Seeeduino XIAO36:32 - Raspberry Pi Pico39:14 - Library Manager42:53 - Summary - final thoughts46:32 - ConclusionAs the new Arduino IDE 2.0 uses the same Sketchbook folder as the holder IDE, you’ll have access to all of your existing sketches and libraries when you install it. For that reason, I would recommend that you give it a try, you can always revert to the older IDE if you don’t like it. I hope you enjoy the video, and if you want to discuss your experiences with the new Arduino IDE 2.0 the best place to do that is on the DroneBot Workshop forums, where you’ll find a dedicated discussion area for this new product from Arduino.
MyoWare Muscle Sensor - Electromyography (EMG) & Robot Arm (failed attempt)! DroneBot Workshop 2021-12-18 | Electromyography (EMG) and robot arm experiments with the MyoWare muscle sensor!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/myowareMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday I'll be playing with a rather unique sensor, the Myoware Muscle Sensor. This unit is part of a kit that is put together by SparkFun, and it allows you to experiment with basic electromyography, or EMG technology.This isn't an attempt to construct a medical-grade instrument, or to perform any sort of medical diagnostics. Instead, I'll show you how you can do some fun experiments with the MyoWare sensor and its shields.We'll also see how we can SAFELY hook up the MyoWare sensor to an Arduino using a USB isolator from Adafruit. This eliminates the possibility of any contact with ADC ground through the attached computer. I'll also show you other SAFE, battery-powered ways to use the MyoWare sensor with a microcontroller, without the isolator.And I'll make a (FAILED) attempt to control a MeArm robotic arm using two MyoWare sensors. While I do manage to get some control over the claw, I had a difficult time controlling the arm. But the code allows for a lot of fine-tuning, so I may one day actually succeed!Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:32 - Sensor & EMG Basics05:04 - Sparkfun MyoWare Kit07:39 - Shields & Headers09:57 - LED Shield12:54 - Cable Shield17:17 - MyoWare Safety20:08 - Adafruit USB Isolator21:19 - Arduino & MyoWare28:16 - Robot Arm (Failed) Attempt!40:58 - Conclusion42:43 - Ouch!Aside from (poorly) controlling a robot arm, these sensors have applications in gesture sensing and devices to assist with mobility. Hopefully, the video and its associated article will give you a few ideas for using the MyoWare Muscle Sensor.Bill
Build a Custom Servo Motor with a DC Motor DroneBot Workshop 2021-11-24 | Today I’ll convert a DC motor into a custom servo motor using a Seeeduino XIAO. Plus, we’ll learn about using PID controllers. This is a special project that I’m working on with Jeremy Fielding. You can check out Jeremy’s video here - youtu.be/1e5mLdjoKrcArticle with all the code: dronebotworkshop.com/custom-servo-motorMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeServo motors are used in many hobby and experimenter applications. From radio-controlled aircraft to robot dogs, these motors are used whenever you need to be able to precisely position a motor shaft.But most hobby servos are small devices, and even “large” hobby servos are not really all that large, and can only supply a limited amount of torque. Plus, larger servos generally mean a larger price tag.Another limitation for some designs is that hobby servo motors are usually limited to either 180 or 270 degrees of rotation.So why not build one ourselves? After all, internally, a servo motor is simply a DC motor with a control and feedback circuit. And you can buy, or salvage, a large DC motor for a lot less than the cost of a big servo motor.Today, I’ll show you how to convert a DC gear motor into a custom servo motor. One that can rotate exactly to suit your requirements. I’m doing this in tandem with Jeremy Fielding, a YouTuber with incredible mechanical and design skills. Jeremy is building a “self-driving go-kart”, and for his steering system he will need a big servo motor that can spin a full two turns (720 degrees).I’ve come up with a design that uses a Seeeduino XIAO and a 10-turn potentiometer. While I’m driving a fairly powerful motor driver, you can substitute a smaller, and less expensive one if you don’t require the big motor Jeremy requires in his design.Incidentally, a potentiometer isn't the only method of sensing shaft position, it's just the cheapest (and probably most common) method. The article accompanying this video has a few other sensor types that can be used, and we'll be looking at those in future videos and articles.Here is the table of contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction03:17 - Custom Servo Design06:39 - Servo Test Setup09:20 - Controller Design with Seeeduino XIAO14:17 - Input Test Code & Demo19:47 - Endpoint Test Code & Demo22:57 - PID Controllers28:58 - PID-based Servo Controller Code & Demo39:19 - ConclusionJeremy’s “self-driving go-kart” is a project that is being built in tandem with my 6-wheel rover, so you’ll be seeing more collaborations in the near future.Make sure you check out Jeremy’s video at youtu.be/1e5mLdjoKrc
Machine Vision with HuskyLens DroneBot Workshop 2021-11-08 | HuskyLens is an AI Machine Vision sensor based upon the powerful Kendryte K210 processor. Today we will take a look at this amazing device, both by itself and with an Arduino.Article with code samples: dronebotworkshop.com/huskylensMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe Kendryte K210 processor is a 64-bit RISC microcontroller which has been designed for machine vision and voice recognition applications. I’ve picked up a few sensors based upon this powerful microcontroller, and today we will look at one of them - the HuskyLens.The DFRobot HuskyLens packages the power of the K210 with a video camera, small TFT screen and a microSD card socket. This powerful, yet inexpensive, device can perform several machine visions tasks including face recognition, object classification, object detection and line following, plus many more.Today we will take a detailed look at the HuskyLens. After updating the firmware, we will put the device to the test in all of its different modes.After that, we will hook a simple Arduino Uno to the HuskyLens and observe the data we can get back from it. We will also see how we can perform more advanced functions with Arduino and HuskyLens, such as updating the text on the screen. And we will also see how to save our trained models using the microSD card.I’ll even give you a quick peek at a small robot I’m deigning around the HuskyLens!Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction02:32 - Look at HuskyLens10:03 - Firmware Update12:32 - Face Recognition demo14:15 - Object Tracking Demo15:24 - Object Recognition Demo18:09 - Line Tracking Demo19:24 - Color Recognition Demo20:48 - Tag Recognition Demo22:13 - Object Classification Demo24:50 - HuskyLens with Arduino - UART Mode31:25 - Changing Interface Type Manually32:51 - HuskyLens with Arduino - I2C Mode35:30 - Modifying HuskyLens Text39:14 - Using the microSD Card41:51 - ConclusionAs I said, I have a few sensors based upon the Kendryte K210, the HuskyLens is only one of them. I’ll be showing you more of these advanced machine learning devices in future episodes.
Waterproof Ultrasonic Distance Sensors - JSN-SR04T & A02YYUW 💧☔ DroneBot Workshop 2021-10-05 | Today we will take a look at the JSN-SR04T and A02YYUW Waterproof Ultrasonic Distance Sensors. We will see how they work outside, and we’ll even test to see if they work underwater (spoiler alert - they won’t!).Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/waterproof-ultrasonicMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeWhen we think of ultrasonic distance sensors, chances are we are thinking of the popular HC-SR04. After all, it’s simple to use, it works pretty well, and it is very inexpensive.But while the HC-SR04 is a great sensor for indoor use, it isn’t really suitable for use outdoors. It is susceptible to dirt, it’s relatively fragile and, most importantly, it isn’t waterproof. So today I’ll be examining a couple of ultrasonic distance sensors that are fully waterproof. They also are more advanced than the HC-SR04, as they are both capable of calculating the distance measurement by themselves, without the aid of a microcontroller or microcomputer.The JSN-SR04T is an interesting sensor for a number of reasons. First, it uses a single transducer, instead of a separate transmit and receive transducer. Second, the transducer is attached to the main circuit board with a 2-meter cable, allowing you to mount the waterproof sensor remote from the non-waterproof board. And third, it actually has six modes of operation.The A02YYUW looks a bit like a large, rubberized HC-SR-04 in that it has a separate receive and transmit transducer. But that’s where the resemblance ends. This is a smart sensor that outputs serial data, and it can run on 3.3 or 5 volts.We’ll hook up both sensors to an Arduino Uno and write some simple code to use them. And, as the JSN-SR04 and A02YYUW both use the same format of serial data, we can even reuse the same sketch for both sensors!Here is the table of contents for today’s video:00:00 - Introduction01:33 - How Ultrasonic Distance Sensors Work04:37 - Look at the two sensors05:50 - Using the JSN-SR04T Version 3.013:12 - JSN-SR04T Mode 0 Sketch & Demo (HC-SR04 Emulator)18:01 - JSN-SR04T Mode 1 Sketch & Demo (Serial Data)21:13 - Using the A02YYUW26:06 - Outdoor Tests28:18 - Underwater Tests30:00 - ConclusionAs always you’ll find an article accompanying this video where you can grab all the code I used, as well as pick up some more information.Hope you enjoy the video!Bill
RC Robot Car - RC Controls and Arduino DroneBot Workshop 2021-08-25 | Learn how Radio Controllers work, see how we can add an Arduino to the picture, and then build a radio-controlled robot car!Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/radio-control-arduino-carMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeToday, we will be using a Flysky FS-I6X, a very popular and inexpensive radio remote control transmitter with receiver. I’ll show you the principles of this control, which is pretty well the same as any inexpensive 2.4 GHz unit. We’ll then hook it up to a few servo motors to see how it operates on its own.But the real fun comes with attaching an Arduino to the receiver, and I’ll show you two ways of doing that.The first way is to connect each channel's output to an Arduino Uno and read the pulses generated by the receiver in response to the transmitter. It’s pretty simple, and it gets the job done.But another way of doing this is to use the iBus serial interface. This lets us use only one wire to get all the data from the receiver.We’ll then take what we have learned and build a cool little radio-controlled robot car! This little toy has two modes, normal driving mode and a “spin” mode as well.Here is the table of contents for today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:57 - How RC Controls Work06:12 - Flysky FS-I6X10:17 - Using a controller on its own13:42 - Using a controller with Arduino23:49 - Using iBus Output29:23 - Build a Radio-Controlled Car45:05 - ConclusionAs always, there is a corresponding article on the DroneBot Workshop website, where you can get all the code plus more information about using the Flysky FS-I6X with an Arduino.Hope you enjoy the video!
Arduino IoT Cloud 2021 - Getting Started with Arduino & ESP32 DroneBot Workshop 2021-08-01 | Learn to use Arduino's and ESP32 with the updated Arduino IoT Cloud.Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/arduino-iot-cloudMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeTalk on the forum about this video: forum.dronebotworkshop.com/2021/arduino-iot-cloud-2021-getting-started-with-arduino-esp32The Internet of Things (IoT) can add a lot of convenience to our lives, with a myriad of connected devices available from hundreds of manufacturers. But it’s even more versatile when you can build your own IoT devices.There are a few products that can assist you in creating your own IoT devices, like Blynk and IBM Node-Red. Today we will look at another one of these products, the Arduino IoT Cloud.The Arduino IoT Cloud has actually been around for a couple of years now, but recently it was given a “facelift”. In addition, Arduino has updated its cloud plans, there are now four tiers including a free one.One of the big improvements is that ESP32 and ESP8266 support is now included in the free plan!Today we will see how to get started with the Arduino IoT Cloud. I’ll show you how to select a plan and set up your workstation with the Arduino Create agent. Then we will build a few cloud devices using an Arduino Nano 33 IoT board, and Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect board and an ESP32 WROVER module.Here is what we are covering today:00:00 - Introduction02:18 - The Arduino IoT Cloud06:09 - Selecting a Cloud Plan09:41 - Installing the Arduino Create Agent11:21 - Building your first Thing & Dashboard25:25 - Adding a DHT22 to your Thing32:36 - Two Things with no Dashboard41:25 - Using an ESP3249:47 - ConclusionI also will show you a few “bugs” in the current implementation of the Arduino IoT Cloud, as the product is constantly being updated some of these may be resolved by the time you view this video.And although I subscribe to the “Maker” plan, the experiments we are doing today can all be done with the free plan. So it won’t cost you anything to get started.
GPS Modules with Arduino and Raspberry Pi DroneBot Workshop 2021-06-26 | Learn how satellite positions systems like GPS work, how to use GPS modules with Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and build a GPS position logger which can display results on Google Maps.Article with Code Samples: dronebotworkshop.com/using-gps-modulesMore articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.comJoin the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.comSubscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribeThe Global Positioning System, or GPS, is one of several satellite positioning systems that we can use to determine our location, altitude and the exact time - from anywhere in the world. Thanks to these systems, and the availability of low-cost receiver modules, we can easily add GPS functionality to any project.Today I’ll explain how these positioning systems work, what kind of data we can get out of them, and how we can use these popular modules with both the Arduino and Raspberry Pi. And, as a fun experiment, I’ll show you how to build a simple Arduino-based GPS logger that saves your position onto a microSD card, using a file format that can be imported into Google Maps. I took a walk in the park with it to give it a test.Here is what you’ll see in today's video:00:00 - Introduction01:25 - Satellite-Based Navigation Systems08:00 - Look at GPS Modules10:34 - Basic GPS Operation with SoftwareSerial15:28 - GPS Libraries - TinyGPS++19:55 - Beitian 880 with HMC5883 magnetometer25:48 - Adafruit Ultimate GPS with Raspberry Pi32:19 - Build a GPS Position Logger47:52 - ConclusionAs always, you’ll find a detailed article with code samples and cheat sheets on the DroneBot Workshop website. And a dedicated thread for it on the DroneBot Workshop Forum, so you can discuss it in detail.This is the first of a few GPS-related videos and articles I’ll be producing, as I have a couple of GPS projects on the go. So please subscribe so that you don't miss any of them.Thanks for watching!
