Synopses & Reviews
Building electronic projects that interact with the physical world is good fun. But when devices that you've built start to talk to each other, things really start to get interesting. Through a series of simple projects, you'll learn how to get your creations to communicate with one another by forming networks of smart devices that carry on conversations with you and your environment. Whether you need to plug some sensors in your home to the Internet or create a device that can interact wirelessly with other creations, Making Things Talk explains exactly what you need.
This book is perfect for people with little technical training but a lot of interest. Maybe you're a science teacher who wants to show students how to monitor weather conditions at several locations at once, or a sculptor who wants to stage a room of choreographed mechanical sculptures. Making Things Talk demonstrates that once you figure out how objects communicate -- whether they're microcontroller-powered devices, email programs, or networked databases -- you can get them to interact.
Each chapter in contains instructions on how to build working projects that help you do just that. You will:
- Make your pet's bed send you email
- Make your own seesaw game controller that communicates over the Internet
- Learn how to use ZigBee and Bluetooth radios to transmit sensor data wirelessly
- Set up communication between microcontrollers, personal computers, and web servers using three easy-to-program, open source environments: Arduino/Wiring, Processing, and PHP.
- Write programs to send data across the Internet based on physical activity in your home, office, or backyard
- And much more
With a little electronics know-how, basic (not necessarily in BASIC) programming skills, a couple of inexpensive microcontroller kits and some network modules to make them communicate using Ethernet, ZigBee, and Bluetooth, you can get started on these projects right away. With
Making Things Talk, the possibilities are practically endless.
Synopsis
Building electronic projects that interact with the physical world is good fun. But when devices that you've built start to talk to each other, things really start to get interesting. Through a series of simple projects, you'll learn how to get your creations to communicate with one another by forming networks of smart devices that carry on conversations with you and your environment. Whether you need to plug some sensors in your home to the Internet or create a device that can interact wirelessly with other creations,
Making Things Talk explains exactly what you need.
This book is perfect for people with little technical training but a lot of interest. Maybe you're a science teacher who wants to show students how to monitor weather conditions at several locations at once, or a sculptor who wants to stage a room of choreographed mechanical sculptures. Making Things Talk demonstrates that once you figure out how objects communicate (whether they're microcontroller-powered devices, email programs, or networked databases) you can get them to interact.
Each chapter in contains instructions on how to build working projects that help you do just that. You will:
- Make your pet's bed send you email
- Make your own seesaw game controller that communicates over the Internet
- Learn how to use ZigBee and Bluetooth radios to transmit sensor data wirelessly
- Set up communication between microcontrollers, personal computers, and web servers using three easy-to-program, open source environments: Arduino/Wiring, Processing, and PHP
- Write programs to send data across the Internet based on physical activity in your home, office, or backyard
- And much more!
With a little electronic know-how, a couple of inexpensive microcontroller kits and some network modules to make them communicate using Ethernet, ZigBee, and Bluetooth, you can get started on these projects right away. With
Making Things Talk, the possibilities are practically endless.
Synopsis
Get ready to create distributed sensor systems and intelligent interactive devices using the ZigBee wireless networking protocol and Series 2 XBee radios. By the time you're halfway through this fast-paced, hands-on guide, you'll have built a series of useful projects, including a complete ZigBee wireless network that delivers remotely sensed data.
Radio networking is creating revolutions in volcano monitoring, performance art, clean energy, and consumer electronics. As you follow the examples in each chapter, you'll learn how to tackle inspiring projects of your own. This practical guide is ideal for inventors, hackers, crafters, students, hobbyists, and scientists.
- Investigate an assortment of practical and intriguing project ideas
- Prep your ZigBee toolbox with an extensive shopping list of parts and programs
- Create a simple, working ZigBee network with XBee radios in less than two hours -- for under $100
- Use the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform to build a series of increasingly complex projects
- Get familiar with XBee's API mode for creating sensor networks
- Build fully scalable sensing and actuation systems with inexpensive components
- Learn about power management, source routing, and other XBee technical nuances
- Make gateways that connect with neighboring networks, including the Internet
Synopsis
This book contains a series of projects that teaches readers what they need to know to get their creations talking to each other, connecting to the Web, and forming networks of smart devices.
About the Author
Tom Igoe teaches courses in physical computing and networking, exploring ways to allow digital technologies to sense and respond to a wider range of human physical expression. Coming from a background in theatre, his work centers on physical interaction related to live performance and public space. Along with Dan O'Sullivan, he co-authored the book "Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers," which has been adopted by numerous digital art and design programs around the world. Projects include a series of networked banquet table centerpieces and musical instruments; an email clock; and a series of interactive dioramas, created in collaboration with M.R. Petit. He has consulted for The American Museum of the Moving Image, EAR Studio, Diller + Scofidio Architects, Eos Orchestra, and others. He hopes someday to work with monkeys, as well.
Table of Contents
Preface; How This Book Is Organized; About the Title; About the Examples; Conventions Used in This Book; Using Code Examples; Safari® Books Online; How to Contact Us; Acknowledgments; Chapter 1: Getting Ready; 1.1 Buying an XBee Radio; 1.2 Buying an Adapter; 1.3 Choosing a Terminal Program; 1.4 Summary; Chapter 2: Up and Running; 2.1 Radio Basics; 2.2 Introduction to ZigBee; 2.3 XBee Firmware Updates; 2.4 Configuring XBee; 2.5 Basic ZigBee Chat; 2.6 Success!; Chapter 3: Build a Better Doorbell; 3.1 ZigBee and Arduino; 3.2 Doorbell Projects; Chapter 4: Ins and Outs; 4.1 The Story of Data; 4.2 I/O Concepts; 4.3 Romantic Lighting Sensor; Chapter 5: API and a Sensor Network; 5.1 Whats an API?; 5.2 Protocols; 5.3 XBee API Protocol; 5.4 API Frame Types; 5.5 Simple Sensor Network; 5.6 Yay!; Chapter 6: Sleeping, Then Changing the World; 6.1 Sleep Mode; 6.2 Simple Sensor with Sleep Project; 6.3 Direct Actuation; 6.4 Direct Actuation Example; 6.5 Summary; Chapter 7: Over the Borders; 7.1 Gateways; 7.2 ConnectPorts; 7.3 Remote Management; 7.4 XBee Internet Gateway (XIG); 7.5 Twitter Reader; 7.6 Moving Forward; Chapter 8: More to Love; 8.1 Advanced ZigBee; 8.2 Serial Flow Control; 8.3 Sharing Data; 8.4 Simple Sensor Network with Pachube; 8.5 The Future of ZigBee; 8.6 Next Steps for You; Resource Guide; Arduino Resources; Processing Resources; Python Resources; ZigBee Resources Online; Recommended Books; Sidewalk Telescopes; Troubleshooting; Reference Tables; Colophon;