Easy GPIO Hardware & Software

Right, been a little busy with the Magpi recently, but I have been taking some time out to get some serious hardware playing done.

This includes....an alpha-numeric 16x2 LCD display running off two GPIO pins....hopefully useful for debugging.

Hopefully can get some more of the GPIO guides updated in the wiki, and perhaps some stuff to go in the MagPi at some point.

Wondering where you are up to on this as I am in process of formulating some projects for educational use (other half teaches computing at school).

Do you need hardware assistance ?

Personally I am waiting for announced improved kernels (hard floating point and 3.2) to see if we can get SPI and I2C in kernel. Then hopefully a more standardised SPI/Serial/I2C/GPIO libraries for C++ and modules ofr Python.

A more standardised approach is the only LONG term prospect for educational use, as getting schools to work out which kernel and recompile will LIMIT the numbers willing to do it.

Right, been a little busy with the Magpi recently, but I have been taking some time out to get some serious hardware playing done.

This includes....an alpha-numeric 16x2 LCD display running off two GPIO pins....hopefully useful for debugging.

Hopefully can get some more of the GPIO guides updated in the wiki, and perhaps some stuff to go in the MagPi at some point.

Wondering where you are up to on this as I am in process of formulating some projects for educational use (other half teaches computing at school).

Do you need hardware assistance ?

Personally I am waiting for announced improved kernels (hard floating point and 3.2) to see if we can get SPI and I2C in kernel. Then hopefully a more standardised SPI/Serial/I2C/GPIO libraries for C++ and modules ofr Python.

A more standardised approach is the only LONG term prospect for educational use, as getting schools to work out which kernel and recompile will LIMIT the numbers willing to do it.

All assistance will be welcome, the guides in the wiki are intended to be open for general improvements etc.

My original aim was to learn and share what I could, to hopefully encourage people try using the gpio. This tends to be an area where there isn't a lot of clear information for beginners, so it was intended to cover basic circuits (wih focus on low cost - bare-bones projects) which demonstrate simple control through the gpio. Thankfully a lot of the basics are being covered in the "In Control" articles in the MagPi.

I totally agree about the need for a standard approach, particularly when it comes to the use of protocols, and potentially standard circuits (the alpha-numeric display mentioned above or a i2c real time clock (also on my to-do list) etc). Unfortunately, as a learner to linux, that is something I will happily hand over to those more knowing.

There are already a number of interfaces being developed by various persons, hopefully they will see sense in talking to each other and working to common aims. They also need to ensure they document, explain and even promote what they are doing a little (i.e. contact the MagPi/put details in the wiki) etc, so that people even know what is being done.

I hope to add some example code for the examples in the wiki EGHS soon, as well as do some more of the planned circuits (plus a lot of others which I've got in mind).

Right, been a little busy with the Magpi recently, but I have been taking some time out to get some serious hardware playing done.

This includes....an alpha-numeric 16x2 LCD display running off two GPIO pins....hopefully useful for debugging.

Hopefully can get some more of the GPIO guides updated in the wiki, and perhaps some stuff to go in the MagPi at some point.

Wondering where you are up to on this as I am in process of formulating some projects for educational use (other half teaches computing at school).

Do you need hardware assistance ?

Personally I am waiting for announced improved kernels (hard floating point and 3.2) to see if we can get SPI and I2C in kernel. Then hopefully a more standardised SPI/Serial/I2C/GPIO libraries for C++ and modules ofr Python.

A more standardised approach is the only LONG term prospect for educational use, as getting schools to work out which kernel and recompile will LIMIT the numbers willing to do it.

All assistance will be welcome, the guides in the wiki are intended to be open for general improvements etc.

My original aim was to learn and share what I could, to hopefully encourage people try using the gpio. This tends to be an area where there isn't a lot of clear information for beginners, so it was intended to cover basic circuits (wih focus on low cost - bare-bones projects) which demonstrate simple control through the gpio. Thankfully a lot of the basics are being covered in the "In Control" articles in the MagPi.

I totally agree about the need for a standard approach, particularly when it comes to the use of protocols, and potentially standard circuits (the alpha-numeric display mentioned above or a i2c real time clock (also on my to-do list) etc). Unfortunately, as a learner to linux, that is something I will happily hand over to those more knowing.

There are already a number of interfaces being developed by various persons, hopefully they will see sense in talking to each other and working to common aims. They also need to ensure they document, explain and even promote what they are doing a little (i.e. contact the MagPi/put details in the wiki) etc, so that people even know what is being done.

I hope to add some example code for the examples in the wiki EGHS soon, as well as do some more of the planned circuits (plus a lot of others which I've got in mind).

I have a few circuits more than what I have seen so far in mind and low cost.
To be made available as kits or made up.

I have done I2C SPI and serial interfacing with micros for years so can probably help with introductions, hardware scope shots timing diagrams and the like. Having found bugs in various peoples silicon and software over the years on these interfaces.

Go for it, the more information available for beginners the better.

There is a whole section for ready made expansion boards too if of any use.
http://elinux.org/RPi_Expansion_Boards

But I am quite happy for any help with the Easy GPIO guides too, since it takes a fair bit of time to try out and write up all the bits.

The magpi will also welcome some well written articles too if anyone wishes to write them about specific hardware projects etc.

Personally I am waiting for announced improved kernels (hard floating point and 3.2) to see if we can get SPI and I2C in kernel. Then hopefully a more standardised SPI/Serial/I2C/GPIO libraries for C++ and modules ofr Python.

It's not yet the "standard" RPi kernel (rumours are that it might be at some point), but have you looked at http://www.bootc.net/projects/raspberry-pi-kernel/

Rumours are, that it's already part of "standard" RPi kernel:
https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/commit/10b378044e66b94d83f97ca19045aa0d06291d7b

LOL, missed that

What effect will that have on using the gpio, is it the same but already built in? Does it include i2c/spi etc?

See http://elinux.org/Rpi_Low-level_periphe ... .28GPIO.29
http://elinux.org/RPi_BCM2835_GPIOs
http://elinux.org/Rpi_Low-level_periphe ... er_support

In summary: Certain pins can be switched out of GPIO mode and into SPI or I2C mode. If I've understood what you were asking?