Andrew K. Dennis
About the Author
Andrew K. Dennis is an R&D software developer at Prometheus Research. Prometheus Research is a leading provider of integrated data management for research and is the home of HTSQL, an open source navigational query language for RDMS.
Andrew has a Diploma in Computing, a BS in Software Engineering, and is currently studying for a second BS in Creative Computing in his spare time.
He has over 10 years experience working in the software industry in the UK, Canada, and the USA. This experience includes e-learning courseware development, custom CMS and LMS development, SCORM consultancy, web development in a variety of languages, open source application development, blogging about the integration of web technologies with electronics for home automation, and punching lots of Cat5 cables.
His interests include web development, e-learning, 3D printing, Linux, the Raspberry Pi and Arduino, open source projects, home automation and the use of web technology in this sphere, amateur electronics, home networking, and software engineering.
Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my wife Megen for supporting me throughout this project and putting up with the piles of electronics and computer hardware dotted around the house. My parents, for their support with my interest in technology while growing up and over the subsequent years.
The Cooking Hacks team, for their great new Raspberry Pi to Arduino Bridge shield and the various contributors over on the Cooking Hacks forum for their insights.
The people at Prometheus Research, for making this a great and interesting place to work. Partyka Chevrolet, for giving me some experience on the hardware side of networking.
I would also like to thank Joel Goveya and Ameya Sawant at Packt Publishing for their guidance throughout this process, and Stefan Sjogelid for his technical insights and reviews.
About the Reviewer
Stefan grew up in the 1980s with the C64 and the Amiga home computers. The ambitious goal of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, bringing fun programming back to today's youth, resonated strongly with Stefan who immediately ordered his Raspberry Pi on the launch day itself. After much tinkering and learning a great deal about the unique properties of the Pi, he launched the "PiLFS" (http://www.intestinate.com/pilfs) website, which teaches readers how to build their own GNU/Linux distribution and applications that are particularly useful on the Raspberry Pi.
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Preface
The world of home automation is an exciting field that has exploded over the past few years with many new technologies in both the commercial and open source worlds. This book provides a gateway for those interested in learning more about the topic and building their own projects.
With the introduction of the Raspberry Pi computer in 2012, a small and powerful tool is now available to the home automation enthusiast, programmer, and electronic hobbyist that allows them to augment their home with sensors and software.
Combining the Raspberry Pi with the power of the open source Arduino platform, this book will walk you through several projects for building electronic sensors and introduce you to software that will record this data for later use.
What this book covers
, An Introduction to the Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and Home Automation , introduces you to the technologies used in this book and provides a background to the world of home automation.
, Getting Started Part 1 Setting up Your Raspberry Pi , teaches you about the Raspberry Pi and how to set it up, ready to use on your projects.
, Getting Started Part 2 Setting up Your Raspberry Pi to Arduino Bridge Shield , provides you with a guide to setting up your Raspberry Pi to Arduino bridge shield and downloading the necessary libraries.
, Our First Project A Basic Thermometer , helps you to build a thermometer and introduces you to a variety of electronic components.
, From Thermometer to Thermostat Building upon Our First Project , expands upon our Thermometer project, turning it into a working thermostat that can switch relays on and off.