Controlling the World from a Web Browser
A presentation on how to use the Raspberry Pi (and a web browser) to control the world (or just about anything in it).
9:30 am
Victoria Computer Club
85A Burnside Rd West (at Wascana), Victoria, BC (map)
July 9th Meeting
Serving The Web With A Slice Of Pi
Although small in size, the Raspberry Pi and other embedded Linux boards can be used as very capable web servers.
Instructor Don Woods will show you how to set up a Web server on a Raspberry Pi and get around the little snags to be able to access your Pi from outside your local network.
The entire tutorial is available here:
http://piserver.vicpimakers.ca/
Note: This will be our last Meetup before the summer holiday season. We will reconvene in early September. Have a good summer, y’all!
June 25th Meeting
Low-cost High-quality PiFi Audio
Presented by Stuart Hertzog
Tired of iTunes? Time for PiTunes! — HiFi audio from your Pi.
You don’t need a PC or laptop to enjoy listening to hifi audio from your personal collection or Internet streaming. And you won’t have to endure the convoluted iTunes interface.
A low-cost Digital Audio Converter (DAC) or DAC and Amplifier such as offered by HiFiBerry or IQAudio will turn any Raspberry Pi2 or 3 into a low-cost and energy-efficient MPD audio server controlled from a Web browser or an iOS/Android app.
Join us as instructor Stuart Hertzog explains how to set up a DAC on your Pi and demonstrates the free and open-source Linux audio software PiMusicBox, Volumio, RuneAudio, and MoOde Audio.
Discover PiFi audio and a world of listening pleasure!
Check out the links for this presentation:
June 11th Meeting
Pi Weather Station Part 1: Temperature and Humidity
Instructor Deid Reimer will demonstrate how to:
- Measure temperature and humidity with the Pi
- upload the information for display to a web server and
- display the information in text and graphical form.
May 14th Meeting
Using the GPIO Pins on the Pi – Part 2
By Deid Reimer
This meeting we’ll pick up on the Pi GPIO pins (Part 2), looking at input, using switches (push buttons). You’ll learn how to not only have your Pi illuminate lights or close relays, but also to take input via GPIO. Using the input and output GPIO capabilities of the Pi, one can create a home automation system, or even replace your “Nest” thermostat with the Pi.
Bring your Pi and get hands on help after the presentation.
April 9 Meeting
VNC on the Raspberry Pi
by Craig Miller
In this meeting we’ll learn:
- What is VNC
- Why would you want to use VNC?
- Basic Networking
- VNC Server, VNC Client
- Other remote GUI methods, X-Windows
- Demo
Bring your Pi if you have one so you can set it up for VNC access as the presentation progresses.
Outline
- What is VNC?
- Why would you want to use VNC?
- Basic Networking
- VNC Server, VNC Client
- Other remote GUI methods
Read the Presentation
March 26 Meeting
Python Tutorial Part Six: Functions and More
By Simon Bluck
Table of Contents
This session adds to what was learnt from Session 2: Syntax and Constructs, and goes on to cover some further language constructs. The sessions now broadly follow the standard tutorial, but in a very condensed way. You are very much advised to refer to the tutorial for a fuller coverage of the language; and indeed, to the full language reference for complete coverage. Some of the examples shown here are taken from the tutorial.
March 12 Meeting
Building An Arduino Obstacle Avoidance Robot
by Eileen Amirault (with a little help from Cody Gregory)
Last March Break, I read a book that changed my life. I immediately ran out and purchased an Arduino. A Raspberry Pi was not far behind. After a few months of experimenting, and watching YouTube videos of kids building Obstacle Avoidance Robots (OAR), we thought it looked like a good first project. We call it Bobby OAR. An OAR is an autonomous robot that rolls around and avoids obstacles by using sensor input. Then, based on programming, finds an alternate path forward, avoiding obstacles along the way. We had most of the components from various kits, so only a chassis and wheels needed to be ordered. Or was there something else?
February 27 Meeting
Python Tutorial Part Five: Composition and Structure
In the second session of his well-received Python Tutorial series, instructor Simon Bluck will help deepen our understanding of the Python programming language.
This course material for this session is now online on this site, as follows:
Table of Contents
February 13 Meeting
A Live Flight Data Feeder
Presented by Gordo
One of the many cool things you can do with your Raspberry Pi is to add a special $30 DVT-T USB dongle and install some software to turn your Pi into a live flight data feeder for FlightRadar24.com and FlightAware.com.
The recommended one is an ADS-B USB Dongle (R820T), which includes a small indoor antenna, but I purchased an equivalent one from Amazon at a very reasonable cost.
Among the benefits of this project are gaining free premium memberships with both sites; the ability to monitor flights overhead in real-time; and learing a bit about how to install third-party software via the command line.
In this presentation, I will give an overview of the hardare and software required and perform a quick walk-through installing the FlightRadar24.com feeder. If time permits, I will also demonstrate installing the FlightAware.com feeder.
Since these feeder stations are location-dependent, you will have to perform your own install at the place from which you’ll set up your Pi feeder and antenna.
Place: Victoria Computer Club, 85A Burnside Rd West (at Wascana), Victoria
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.