April Module Madness: Pi's Pandas, Beagles, Arduinos and...

The Raspberry Pi Primer Part 1: Introduction and Required Hardware By Kyle Olive, EEWeb Contributing Author Recently, interest in hobby electronics has grown dramatically. With platforms like the Arduino gaining popularity and achieving wide success in various retail markets, it’s no wonder that these kinds of hobby electronics have become more prevalent. While the Arduino is designed around a microcontroller like the Atmel AVR and allows hobbyists to acquire and build various shields and add-ons for more functionality however, the Raspberry Pi (though a similar piece of hobbyist electronics) takes a different approach. MORE Part 2: Raspbian “Wheezy” Setup Guide If you’re reading this article you’ve got your hands on a Raspberry Pi, and you’ve got all the hardware you’ll need to get yourself up and running. Unfortunately, until you’ve set up an operating system, you’re not going to get a whole lot of use out of it! This article will outline two different popular operating systems for Raspberry Pi’s, Arch Linux ARM andRaspbian “Wheezy,” as well as go through a set-up guide for Raspbian. So, does it even make a difference as to which operating system you choose? In short, it depends. Depending on your skills and on your knowledge of Linux operating systems, the choice of operating system may not be an important one. MORE Buy Vs. Build Part 1: Advantages of a Modular Design Using modules alleviates many of the challenges facing engineers and project managers when designing complex applications. Some of the obstacles and costs associated with designing complex computing platforms--certification, design and development time and production costs--can be overcome by using an off-the-shelf embedded module. The article examines the challenges and details how and where savings can be realized by opting for buying a module instead of building a system from the ground up. By examining costs throughout the design cycle, the reader can discover for themselves whether saving money, minimizing risks and bringing a product to market faster are often at odds with reality. MORE The New BeagleBone Black The BeagleBone Black is the newest member of the BeagleBoard family. It is a lower-cost, ($45 MSRP) high-expansion focused BeagleBoard using a low cost TI Sitara™ AM3358 ARM® Cortex™- A8 processor, and can connect with the Internet and run software such as Angstrom and Ubuntu. BeagleBone Black is a community-supported development platform for developers and hobbyists. Boot Linux in under 10 seconds and get started on development in less than 5 with just a single USB cable. MORE The New Pandaboard ES by Circuitco Pandaboard ES is an OMAP4460 platform (Dual-core ARM® Cortex ™-A9 MPCore™ with SMP at up to 1.2 GHz each), designed to provide access to as many of the powerful features of the OMAP4460 Multimedia Processor as possible, while maintaining a low cost. This will allow the user to develop software to utilize the features of the powerful OMAP4460 processor. MORE Microview Shrinks Arduino Into A Teeny, Weenie OLED Module Do you want a teeny, tiny, little Arduino board with OLED display? You bet you do! Microview is a new “chip-sized” Arduino on Kickstarter that costs $45. What can it do? All kinds of stuff! You basically get a microcontroller and a lot of inputs and you can drive the display via software, allowing you to build projects with various sensors, motors, and I/O devices. MORE How to Use ARM Cortex™-A9 Modules for Applications with Multiple Displays Through the use of several display interfaces, the TQMa6x module from TQ with i.MX6 by Freescale provides the very highest degree of flexibility for applications in which several user displays with different display forms are required. Linux Software developed with Pengutronix is available for applications with touch displays. A particular characteristic of the embedded module TQMa6x concerns its CPU-internal graphic controller. This controller supports displays with resolutions of up to Full HD. MORE Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. Don’t miss these events this Summer: Maker Faire Bay Area San Mateo Fairgrounds May 17 & 18, 2014 BUY Tickets Today! Maker Faire Kansas City June 28th and 29th, 2014 , Union Station Maker Faire Detroit July 26th and 27th, 2014 ,The Henry Ford World Maker Faire New York Sep. 20 & 21, 2014 Call for Makers Opens June 2014 OpenROV is a DIY community centered around underwater robots for exploration & adventure. We're a group of amateur and professional ROV builders and operators from over 50 countries who have a passion for exploring the deep. Join the group if you've got design ideas, adventure ideas, or just want to join the fun! No prior experience necessary. MORE