Raspberry Pi - How to use the GPIO

http://goo.gl/mdVSm
http://pypi.python.org/pypi/RPi.GPIO
http://lwk.mjhosting.co.uk/?p=343
Raspberry Pi
How to use the GPIO
www.raspberrypi.org

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[marconatrix]

You have a machine that is capable of high quality graphics. Why do you want to mess about making a couple of lights flash? If it's for the programming experience you could do a virtual equivalent and avoid all that fiddling with little wires and stuff that otherwise appears to have no useful purpose. It's kinda like using an electric kettle to power a steam engine ... what is the point?

[Matthew Manning]

It's all about learning. You have to start somewhere, and this is as good as anywhere. Also don't underestimate the power of physical computing, seeing something in the real world is incredibility rewarding. Also remember this video is about how to use the GPIO not how to program.

[marconatrix]

Well if you wanted to get 'physical' you could have some fun playing around with logic gates etc. but any logic you're actually using is buried deep deep down under god knows how many layers of abstraction inside mind-bogglingly complex featureless chip the size of a postage stamp. So it is all 'abstract' programming in the end. I can well remember getting a lot of enjoyment from patching together relays and timers etc., no 'magic' black-box computer required, all 'physical' and out in the open.

[Matthew Manning]

You say this as if I've not done this in my past, which i have. The problem is kids today are not interested (in general). This is an attempt to get them engage. Your idea is wrong by any means, you accept their are many ways of doing things.

[marconatrix]

The problem really is what is there today that's electronic & 'physical' enough to interest kids? Perhaps 50 years ago you could take a radio apart, identify the components, trace the circuits & to some extent at least figure out how it worked. You could even build one yourself, out of basic components, given the aptitude & inclination. Even 15 years ago you could take the lid off a PC & play around with it's basic elements. But the Pi is just a blank chip, enigmatic like the 2001 alien slab.

[Matthew Manning]

Yes but do family's really have PCs anymore? Not really it's all laptops and Tablets. Also most parents NEED their computers now and cant have their kids taking it to bits. The Pi is cheap and if a kid breaks it, they can afford to buy a new one. To be honest you don't get it, 1.3 million pi sales proves it's a good idea. If your so smart how would YOU attempt to engage children into computing in 2013?

[Matthew Manning]

Did you download the package of information? Did you watch the video at 2:51. It's explained there.

[Matthew Manning]

LOL i know it's so funny. I everyone thinks they are the first to notice too.

[marconatrix]

Oh come on, I'm falling over old PC's here, their market value now is zero, one I had someone pulled out of a skip. Schools and other institutions must have rooms full of "last year's models". No use for watching movies, but fine for messing with and learning basic skills. I'm not really qualified to answer your question re children, but I'd guess smart phones are the answer, and there's a video somewhere on line showing a project where inner city kids learned to write games for their phones ...

[marconatrix]

Well I probably asked for that, but really I'm just baffled by some aspects of the RPi. It's certainly empowering to be use a computer to interact with objects in the real world, but if this is for kids why provide an interface that you need a degree in electronic engineering to understand and use safely, why not a simple parallel port for example? Still if it works for you, interests you, that's fine. Please tell us what you've learned ...

[MrSpencerforyou]

The man has spent some time to teach something. This an educational video for illiterates like me. I dont care if you have done a PhD in programming or computing. Either appreciate his video or F off. Sorry

[marconatrix]

You don't even need the ~, usually unqualified 'cd' will take you to your home directory.