raspberry pi plus arduino equals something something

 Forgive this dumb Amazon thing. It’s part of an experiment … but STEM toys are pretty cool.

When I was a kid, I loved to put together electronic project kits. I’d get these things from Radio Shack (RIP Radio Shack) and build radios, super basic games, synthesizers, and other fun things. I liked that stuff so much, when I was curating my Quarterly boxes last year (does anyone want me to do that again?), I put a Little Bits starter kit into one of them.

I have spent so much time in the creative part of my brain, I wanted to get out of that part of my brain for a little bit (it’s full of bees) and do some other kind of making/creating, so I got myself a Raspberry Pi, and an Arduino starter kit. I’ve read a bit in Make and I have a bunch of cool books and junk from Humble Bundles that I can’t put onto my Kindle because they’re over 50mb and for some reason the current software on my Kindle won’t let it mount on my desktop as a device.

Um. Anyway.

using ssh to get into another computer on the LAN. Ah, memories!

I spent some time last weekend reacquainting myself with the Linux command line, learning nano (my heart will always belong to vim, but I’m trying new things), and building a super basic home server, samba server, and trying (and failing) to get a media server that I don’t need (Plex FTW) up and running.

I have just realized that there are a lot of parentheticals in this post. I’m acknowledging that right now, just so it isn’t weird if you’re like “wow that’s a lot of parentheticals and it’s kind of strange that you aren’t acknowledging it.”

Playing with the Pi has been a lot of fun. It’s quite powerful, especially for its size, and there’s something super satisfying about investing less than $90 to have a full on computer with a ton of storage (thank you, inexpensive 64GB USB drive) that is portable.

I haven’t gotten into the Arduino, yet, because whenever I open the box and see all the wires and electronics, I panic and close it.

Which brings me to the point of this dumb post: for all you nerds out there who have built stuff or made neat projects with one or both of these things: what do you recommend? I’m pretty competent and I can follow directions pretty well. I’d really dig it if you guys filled up my comments with links to tutorials, examples of your own projects, and other recommendations for cool things that I can make with this stuff. I also have a magnificent 3D printer that I can use to make cases, gears, and that sort of thing too, if a murderkillbot is a thing to be built.

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116 thoughts on “raspberry pi plus arduino equals something something”

  1. Turns our there are still a few Radio Shacks around and at least one still carries electronics supplies. I miscalculated and needed some resistors and really, really, really didn’t want to wait for them to arrive from Adafruit, so I pulled up the Google and lo-and-behold, it said there was a Radio Shack nearby. So off I went, and they actually still had a (admittedly small, but quite well stocked) section of electronics parts, including plenty of resistors.

    Suggestion 1. Somewhat surprisingly, I found that just hooking up an LED and writing code to control it was very satisfying. Even if the rest of your Makering is all software, I’d recommend at least one LED.

    Suggestion 2. If you do go into motors and gears I STRONGLY recommend you use one of Adafruit’s motor hats. While I did manage to drive a motor directly from the Raspberry Pi, it was much, much easier to do using the motor hat. Specifically this one: https://www.adafruit.com/products/2348

    And a link to the very horrible web site for my project: http://bleyddyn.github.io/MaLPi/ (sorry)

  4. The hello_world of Arduino projects is making something blink. With a Pi in the mix, I would suggest taking that one step further and making a passive display that measures something. I made a light that comes on when the bus is near my stop:

    https://www.flickr.com/photos/sbma44/9060665561/in/photolist-mpLRTK-jsZpww-nqxWrj-dc9yez-dbQy7Y-fqQPrj-eNEhcK-JN9JpB-CjqAh6

    For this I used a solid state relay (about $10 on Amazon) and some Python scripts on the Pi (for a simple on/off setup, the Arduino is not necessary; I just used the Pi GPIOs).

    But it would be irresponsible of me to suggest that your first project involve mains power. So why not have a look at the Neopixel products sold by Adafruit? These feature individually-addressable RGB LEDs that can be controlled via a simple Arduino library. The pattern I have frequently used is a Pi running scripts to check something on the web, then sending the desired LED state over a USB serial connection to an Arduino, which interprets it and sets the LEDs accordingly. I’m particularly fond of the Neopixel rings, but there are a variety of different form factors available.

    Have fun!

    1. I second the recommendation of neopixel rings! They are too cool to play with and like Tom said the libraries make it easy to use. Just download the arduino IDE so you can write the code and upload it. There are LOTS of example scripts you can modify for your own purpose.

  5. I suggest skipping the Arduino and starting directly with ESP8266. It’s similiar to Arduino and it comes with wifi… 😉

    2. ESP8266 is also arduino these days 🙂 Guess you meant UNO but I would strongly recommend starting with UNO with basics and go online with ESP8266 or other boards later

  6. I’ve played with both. We have an RPi running as a garage door opener (through a relay, which just pulses the open and close lines on the door controller). It’s super trivial to do something like that and hook it up to apache to have your own web-controlled-something.

    But you should open the Arduino box. Use the leds from the starter kit and just create something which blinks some leds. It’s just mesmerising to watch your own leds blink. It is surprisingly simple to do. Cut out a cardboard Christmas tree, glue some leds on it, write a couple of lines of code. The whole Arduino was designed to cater to creative minds with almost zero knowledge of electronics or coding. As a proper geek, you’ll do just fine.

  8. I agree with starting with ESP8266. It’s an awesome piece of hardware. I’d recommend trying out one of our kits at https://store.losant.com. If you have plants the moisture kit is pretty cool.

    The awesome thing is that any kit that is purchased on our store we will donate another to a STEM program for underrepresented kids. We’re currently working with the Cincinnati Museum Center Girls STEM program. It’s really cool They’re going to be building kits to monitor the exhibits in the museum. I’m really proud of what we’re going with this program.

    1. Stop with the PC under represented nonsense. Every single group can be taken as under represented by some criterion. Who determines if a group is under represented? When does a group that was formerly “under represented” become over represented because they no longer offer the same opportunities to others who are not of the particular ethnic or other group? How about just making everything available to all and stop with the racial preferences, reverse discrimination programs?

  9. Most Arduino kits come with demo starter projects. Look at those to find one that interests you, perhaps take just the required components/wires out of the box needed, then come back the following morning and start on it.
    Was always the opposite, getting a electronics kit for christmas I’d start with trying to use all the stuff in the box.
    Have fun.

  10. Been pondering this myself. Smart winter coat. Heater, lights, wifi cracking, enviromental sensors… you know, the basics.

  12. I think the most important part in making, tinkering and whatevering is to have and identify a problem and try to solve it. Even if i fail to solve it completly, i learn things that i can use in my next projects. It is normal to me to have unfinished projects, i can pick them up later when i’ve learned something new at a different project.

  13. Get yourself a couple of USB controllers and a separate memory card. Then load RetroPie (https://retropie.org.uk/). You can get all the retro NES, SNES, Atari 2600, Gameboy… games that you want. Seems like you’d be into that. And all you need to do to return to your other projects is swap in a different card.

  14. I know you’re not really making beer anymore, but I built the first version of a BrewPi with an RPi and an Arduino. It’s a web-enabled, programmable fermentation chamber. It also required some breakout boards that don’t seem to be on sale anymore, but maybe the plans for those are on the website and you can get someone you know to print a one-off for you. The website focuses on the new version, which adds in a bunch of brew day functions and changes up the hardware, but you might be able to find documentation about the old version with some digging. http://brewpi.com

  15. Hey Wil I used an arduino board to control a thermal unit. That was scrapped. It’s decent but not the most reliable or durable hardware. If you have an alternate might be worth looking in to. My brother used one for his sprinkler controls based on ground moisture content and it worked. Good luck and yes you should build a killbot!

  16. How about some exercise to go with your gaming? Been working on a project we’re calling Holoseat which does just that. You can check out http://www.holoseat.com for the more general info and dev.holoseat.com if you’d like to help out the project or build your own. Whole setup is open hardware and software using some fairly basic hardware and sensors to allow an under desk bike or elliptical to be used for forward/backward movement in gaming by mimicking keyboard input. Working on additional enhancements which we’ve talked about on the site. My co-creator on this has lost over 40 lbs. I’ve lost a few as well, but more importantly I’ve been getting a lot more exercise. Great with FPS games and MMOs.

  17. As has been mentioned, Arduino starter kits come with starter projects that can help familiarize you with the hardware and how software is developed for it. Me, I need a project of my own to get into something like that – in my case it was a “smart” light for a camping trip. Night-vision-sparing amber LED on at dusk and off in the morning, a button that could summon brighter light from a white LED – but that would gradually ramp up and back down so as not to dazzle dark-adapted eyes. All kinds of sub-projects in that – interfacing with an RTC module so it knows what time it is, realizing that I need to account for button presses during the time the LEDs are ramping up or down, etc.

    One thing I’ll warn you about – I don;’t know about the model you have, but I mostly mess around with Arduino Nano clones, and most USB battery packs will shut down because not enough current is being drawn. If you try to power an Arduino project from a USB battery pack and it keeps shutting off – that’s likely why.

  18. I’ve found Adafruit to have consistently good tutorials. You can find good stuff on Instructables too, but there is a lot more variation in quality.

  19. By far the most useful thing I’ve done with a Pi is set up a VPN server. As a learning experience, I put together a shell script to automate most of the installation at
    https://github.com/StarshipEngineer/OpenVPN-Setup

    It might need a little updating for the most recent versions of Raspbian, I think setting a static IP address is different since I did this. (Haven’t had time to maintain it for a while)

    I recently followed this tutorial for setting up a personal Calibre ebook server on the Pi and am a huge fan! It’s great to have a centralized (and private) location for all of my books, regardless of where I bought them.
    http://volkanpaksoy.com/archive/2015/03/07/portable-online-library-with-calibre-and-raspberry-pi/

    Another cool thing: a personal Git server. I use this instead of OneDrive now for editing and syncing some writing projects across devices.
    http://www.instructables.com/id/GitPi-A-Private-Git-Server-on-Raspberry-Pi/

    Currently and lastly, I’m setting up a NAS with Samba sharing for suggestions 2+3 using this tutorial:
    https://pimylifeup.com/raspberry-pi-nas/

  20. Don’t forsake Vim!! I spent a few months learning it a while back for the PI and I love it… the swiss army knife of editors!! I even use it on a PC…how sick is that?

  23. Arduino’s are really nothing more than a Mr Coffee controller on steroids. No keyboard, monitor, ssh, required. Just a simple IDE, a USB cable and some sensors for inputs, devices for any output. The Arduino is not really for iOT kinds of stuff, easily any way, the ESP8266 is far better for that usage. You want something nerdy, use a dc-dc buck converter, ESP8266, some WS2812’s (NeoPixels), a 3D printer and make a controllable MineCraft cube night light…http://www.wabbitwanch.net/blog/?p=1422

  24. Awesome!!! I’d start with a smart light – that’s one of the most satisfying beginner projects, and Thingiverse has a bunch of awesome 3D-printable lampshades (http://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=lamp&sa=). You can start with a couple of LEDs and the “blink” sketch, then level up to NeoPixel programmable lights.
    There are some super cool synths out there; here’s one of my faves, if you’re still into that: https://www.hackster.io/artphrases/ardunori-rc-arduino-based-tenori-on-remote-controller-3d4b87
    And on the electronics tutorial side, I’ve been building a series of quick videos paired with in-depth tutorials, to help software-comfortable peeps like you get started: https://www.hackster.io/hackster-101/projects

    I’d love to see what you build – keep us posted ^_^

  28. We have a maker program at work. With an Arduino and a few other parts we created a variety of maze solving robots. The majority of people that joined the club had no experience. It was a lot of fun figuring out untrasonic sensors, how to configure an H-Bridge to run the motors at certain sleeps, and using an accelerometer/compass to calculate direction. Lots of different approaches.

    Pick something that introduces a module and dig into it. The community plus github is really amazing.

  30. Jump right to the IOT using NodeRED on the Pi and instead of Arduino take a look at ESP8266-12E modules about 7 bucks each with a bunch of I/O ports and built in WiFi.
    NodeRED can handle a bunch of communicaton protocols hence commercial products like zwave.
    Add a Wemo to it and if you have an Amazon Echo you can discover the nodes and control them without having to write code in the cloud.
    NodeRED has a built in UI which is responsive, you can use the browser on your phone.

    There are many sources and google is your friend here.

    Take a crack at home automation. .

  31. Just in case you do get your Plex server up and running there is a custom build of raspberry pi OS called Rasplex. I just finished a similar setup myself. I’ve been using Plex as a media server for years, but my smart TV has gotten dumber as the years go by. I added the pi as a client to play videos on my big screen TV while still letting me hide my beast of a server in a closet. The wife gets a little funny about having a raided up file server in her living room. But there are many many raspberry pi media server distros out there (OSMC, KODI, Rasplex)

  32. I had great success with Adafruit, too. They have some great tutorials.

    My first Arduino project (other than BlinkALight) was seriously geeky. I took a regulation fencing strip (yeah, the swishy-pokey Olympic sport) and put in LEDs for all of the markings (sidelines, endlines, etc.), then used the Arduino to interface it to an electronic scoring machine so that touches, time expired, etc. were all indicated directly on the strip.

    I used Adafruit’s individually addressable RGB LEDs, an Arduino, some big DC power supplies, a lot of outdoor lighting wire (for power), some CAT5 cable (for data), and a whole lot of solder—and clear polyurethane caulking to hold the LEDs in the channels I routed into the strips.

    It was a really fun project that pushed the limits of the Arduino I was using and taught me more than I ever wanted to know about voltage drop as a function of distance (fencing strips are 14 meters long) and wire size. I also learned the importance of common grounding when using multiple power supplies.

    I don’t think that any of this probably ties in with anything you’re likely to do, but maybe it will spark an idea for you. Happy tinkering!!

  33. I tired to set up Plex at home, too, and failed miserably and felt like the biggest dummy ever!

  35. You could build a Jasper Device (Jasper is a Software similar to Alexa, Siri etc.). Just plug in a microphone and a wifi stick, if wired internet is not appropriate, and there you go: “tea, hot, chai latte 🙂 scnr 😉

    (Sorry if you find typos, my mother tongue is german).

  36. If you like wearables then a blinky sweater along the lines of something that Mabel Pines (From Gravity Falls) would be a fund little project. Making the lights is straight forward and programming the blinking part is straight forward.

  37. For getting started with Arduino for zero investment I really like circuits.io. It lets you breadboard circuits with a virtual arduino attached and see if it works. I’d started on a set of worksheets for some kids that wanted to learn – LEDs can be flashed and motors turned without touching a wire – https://circuits.io/users/707850/designs
    The ability to add meters and oscilloscopes at every point in your hardware means you can debug things more easily prior to putting it together in the real world.

  41. Check out b4x. https://www.b4x.com/ from Anywhere software. It has free dev tools for both the RasPi and Arduino. Cool thing being is that 90% of the code is cross platform. Disclaimer: I do not work for them just use there fun tools!

  42. I’ve done all sorts of standalone projects with the Pi. I have one running as a time server for my house using a GPS module (https://www.adafruit.com/products/746) from Adafruit. I have another running PiAware (http://flightaware.com/adsb/piaware/) from FlightAware for airplane tracking. Then there’s the one running WeeWX (http://www.weewx.com/) connected to my Davis Vantage Pro 2 (http://www.davisnet.com/solution/vantage-pro2/) weather station that feeds weather data to WUnderground and a couple of other sites. I have also been planing on setting up Pi MusicBox (http://www.pimusicbox.com/) to replace my old SliMP3 device, but haven’t been able to get the display on the Pi working reliably.

    To be fair, I still haven’t found a good use for an Arduino. I was going to build a blinds controller for my old office, but could never find a way to attach the stepper motor to the blinds controls that wouldn’t eventually fall off. I’ve also thought about using one for controlling the vertical blinds in my home theatre, but couldn’t find stepper motors that were quiet and had enough torque.

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