Raspberry Pi Pico Simplified now available !!

For an index to all my stories click this text

My latest book is now world-wide available !!!

I presume you have heard about the Raspberry Pi Pico by now. And maybe you have read the stories about this new micro-controller on this web-log. Well I am proud to say that my book about this controller is now world-wide available.

The difference between this book and my book on the ESP32 is that this book focusses on Micro-Python. Micro-Python is a derivative of Python and is much more easier to understand than C++  that is used by the ESP-series.

So if you are reluctant of starting with Arduino or ESP micro's  because of the C++ language this is your chance to start building projects with a much easier to comprehend language.

The Raspberry Pi Pico is really inviting to build projects with, because of its many IO ports, fast processor, large memory and excellent price-tag of just a few dollar/euro.
Next to that the Pico is widely available and most sensors work flawlessly. So you should be up and running in a few hours.

The book is an introduction to working with the Raspberry Pi Pico and starts from the beginning with installing the necessary, free and easy to install, software. It then explains the Micro-Python language and discusses the pin-layout. Then the book starts explaining many sensors.
It starts easy with buttons and leds and gradually expands to more advanced sensors for distance measuring, temperature measuring, movement detection etc. etc.

Each chapter shows illustrated build instructions on a breadboard and shows the code needed to get the sensors working. Next to that there is a small excercise at the end of each chapter so you can practice the things explained in the book. Chapter 34 presents more as 30 ideas for projects you can realise using the information presented in this book.

Here is the index so you get an idea about the setup:

1. For who is this book
2. Introduction
3. Getting started
4. Installing libaries
5. Pico's pins layout
6. Pico and breadboard
7. Introduction to using a breadboard
8. Power
9. Basic programming knowlegde
10. Buttons
11. Led
12. Fading leds with PWM
13. Dallas DS18B20 Digital Thermometer
14. Using an LDR for measuring light intensity
15. Potmeter
16. Servo Motor
17. More power
18. Using mains power with a relay
19. Touch sensor
20. Controlling a motor
21. Making sound with a buzzer
22. Neopixels
23. H-Bridge for advanced motor control
24. Movement detection with a PIR
25. Motion detection with the RCWL-0156 Radar
26. Measuring distance
27. Tilt sensor
28. Vibration detection
29. Display your data
30. Programming part 2
31. Rotary encoder
32. Oled display
33. Reset button
34. Ideas
35. Where to het the parts
36. Where to find information
37. Get moving

Raspberry Pi Pico Simplified is available through Lulu:
https://www.lulu.com/en/en/shop/luc-volders/raspberry-pi-pico-simplified/paperback/product-znrgmy.html?page=1&pageSize=4

or worldwide through Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pico-Simplified-Luc-Volders/dp/1329449533/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=raspberry+pi+pico+simplified&qid=1629483987&sr=8-3

In the Netherlands you can get it through Bol: https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/raspberry-pi-pico-simplified/9300000044152202/#product_specifications

Much reading pleasure !!!

Till next time.

Luc Volders

Solar oven: not everything I do is about electronics.

For an index to all my stories click this text.

Summer time is often for me a time to relax in the garden with a book and cold drinks. But sometimes it is also the time to experiment with other techniques then electronics. And as I was intrigued by some stories I read about solar ovens I decided to experiment abit and build one myself.

Solar oven ???

For those not familiar with the name I give a short explanation. A Solar oven is exactly what the name suggests. It is an oven that heats its inside by solar energy. No not the solar panels that create electricity but use the warmth of the sun direct.

The basics are very simple.

Use a carton box. Coat its interior with black paint. Glue aluminium foil to the inside of the lid. And cover the box with some plastic foil.
The black coating absorbs the heat inside the box and the plastic foil makes sure it can not escape. The lid with aluminium foil is used as a reflector to direct the sunlight to the box's inners.

The build.

Coating the box is simple. I used black paper which I glued to the inside. The edges were not totally covered but that's ok for my first prototype. Next I glued aluminium foil to the lid. This is common household aluminium foil. It's only purpose is to reflect the sunlight into the box for extra heat.

The problem was the plastic foil. It just did not want to stick to the sides of the box. And this is a crucial part for the solar oven. The plastic keeps the heat inside the box. It does not have to be airtight but it needs to close the box enough to prevent the major part of the heat to escape.

My 3D printer to the rescue.

On thingiverse I found a kind of bookmarker.



I already used that as .............a bookmarker. But I imagined I could use this to secure the plastic foil.

 

So I used my hot glue gun to glue the bookmarkers on both sides of the box. This was indeed sufficient to secure the plastic foil. If you want to download it for your own purposes you can find the link here: 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1428764/files

The result.

Unfortunately lately the summer weather is not very good. It's raining a lot and that keeps the sun away. However I managed to do a few tests.



I put a small dish into the solar oven and put a mashmellow in. I aimed the lid at the sun in such a way that it reflected the sunlight into the box. After about an hour the dish was hot. Real hot as in burning your fingers hot. The marshmellow had melted. Not in like it got fluid but it melted so much that it was totally soft and sticky.

And guess what ?? It worked with chocolate too. The chocolate just melted nicely, and I could dip some cookies in.

It's also good for defrosting food. And guess what it is environmental friendly cause it does not use any energy when it is build.

Next step

Next step is to put some electronics in. Nothing fancy. Just an ESP with a dallas DS18B20 to measure the temperature inside.
And I need to make some kind of hinge that holds the lid at such an angle that it reflects the sun best. I now used plants for that, but that was just improvising.

A lot of ideas to experiment with. And fun to play with. I just let the sun do its job while I was sitting with a good book and cold drinks.

Have fun
Till next time

Luc Volders