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Appendix

This appendix contains the consolidated shopping list for all components required for building all the projects in this book. We will also cover three optional component connector systems that you may find helpful in developing your own sensor networks.

Consolidated Shopping Lists

The tables in this section cover the projects from Chapters 2 and 4–10 (Table A-1). Also contained is the optional shopping list for the projects in Chapter 10 (Table A-2). The lists have been sorted by item name for easier reference .

Table A-1

Consolidated Component Shopping List

Item	Vendors	Est. Cost USD	Qty Needed
0.10mF capacitor	Most online and retail stores	Varies	3
10K Ohm resistor	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
12-bit ADC module	www.adafruit.com/products/1083	$9.95	1
150 Ohm Resistor	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
4.7K Ohm resistor	Most online and retail stores	Varies	2
5V Power Supply (3A, 3B, 3B+)	www.pishop.us/product/wall-adapter-power-supply-micro-usb-2-4a-5-25v/	$9.95	1
5V Power Supply (4B)	www.raspberrypi.org/products/type-c-power-supply/	$8.00	1
9V Battery Holder (optional)	www.adafruit.com/products/67	$2.95–3.95	1 for each node
9V Battery Holder (optional)	www.sparkfun.com/products/10512	$2.95–3.95	1 for each node
Arduino Ethernet Shield	www.sparkfun.com/products/9026	$24.95	1
Arduino Ethernet Shield 2	www.sparkfun.com/products/11166	$24.95 and up	1
Arduino Uno (any that supports shields)	Various	$25.00 and up	1
Arduino Uno or Mega 2560	Various	$25.00 and up	1 for each node
Arduino Uno, Leonardo (any that supports shields)	Various	$25.00 and up	1
Arduino WiFi Shield	www.sparkfun.com/products/13287	$16.95	1
Arduino XBee shield	www.sparkfun.com/products/10854	$24.95	1
BMP280 breakout board	www.adafruit.com/product/2651	$9.95–14.95	1
BMP280 breakout board	www.sparkfun.com/products/15440	$9.95–14.95	1
BMP280 Grove Sensor (optional)	www.seeedstudio.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=bmp280	$8.95	1
BMP280 Sensor	www.adafruit.com/products/2651	$9.95	1
Breadboard (not mini)	www.adafruit.com/product/64	$5.95	1 for each node
Breadboard (not mini)	www.sparkfun.com/products/9567
Breadboard jumper wires	www.adafruit.com/product/758	$3.95	1
Breadboard jumper wires	www.sparkfun.com/products/8431	$3.95	1
Breadboard power supply	www.sparkfun.com/products/10804	$14.95	1
Breakaway male headers (optional)	www.adafruit.com/products/392	$4.95	1
Cobbler+	www.adafruit.com/products/914	$7.95	1
Data Logging shield for Arduino	www.adafruit.com/products/1141	$19.95	1
DHT22	www.adafruit.com/products/385	$9.95	1
DHT22	www.sparkfun.com/products/10167	$9.95	1
DS1307 Real-Time Clock breakout board	www.adafruit.com/product/3296	$7.50	1 for each node
DS18B20 Digital Temperature Sensor	www.adafruit.com/product/374	$3.95	1
Grove to Female Jumper (optional)	www.seeedstudio.com/Grove-4-pin-Female-Jumper-to-Grove-4-pin-Conversion-Cable-5-PCs-per-PAck.html	$3.90	1
HDMI or DVI monitor	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
HDMI or HDMI to DVI cable	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
I2C EEPROM	www.sparkfun.com/products/525	$1.95	1
LED	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
microSD Shield	www.sparkfun.com/products/9802	$14.95	1
Mini-HDMI cable	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
Pushbutton (breadboard mount)	www.sparkfun.com/products/97	$0.35	1
Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, or 4B	Most online and retail stores	$35.00 and up	1
Raspberry Pi Cobbler+ (you can also use the T-Cobbler+)	www.adafruit.com/products/2028	$7.95	1
	www.adafruit.com/products/2029
Raspberry Pi Model 3B+ or 4B 2GB or 4GB	Most online stores	$35.00 and up	2
Raspberry Pi Model 4B 2GB or 4GB RAM	sparkfun.com, adafruit.com, thepithut.com	$50.00 and up	1
Real-Time Clock module	www.sparkfun.com/products/99	$14.95	1 for each node
SD Card, 2GB or more	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
SD card, 16GB or more	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
Soldering iron and solder (optional)	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
SparkFun XBee shield	www.sparkfun.com/products/10854	$24.95	1
Stackable header kit	www.sparkfun.com/products/11417	$1.50–1.95	1
Surplus hard drive	Any USB hard drive (surplus or purchased)	Varies	1
TMP36 sensor	www.adafruit.com/products/165	$1.50	1 for each sensor node
TMP36 sensor	www.sparkfun.com/products/10988	$1.50	1 for each sensor node
USB keyboard	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
USB power supply	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
USB power supply	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
USB Type A to micro-USB male	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
USB XBee Adapter	www.adafruit.com/product/247	$29.95	1 for each node
USB-C power supply	Most online and retail stores	Varies	1
USB-to-mini USB cable for use with the XBee Explorer USB	www.sparkfun.com/products/11301	$3.95	1
Wall adapter 9V (optional)	www.sparkfun.com/products/ 15314	$5.95	1 for each node∗∗
Wall power supply (6V–12V)	www.sparkfun.com/products/15314	$5.95	1
XBee Explorer Dongle	www.sparkfun.com/products/ 11697	$24.95	1 for each node
XBee Explorer Regulated	www.sparkfun.com/products/11373	$9.95	2
XBee Explorer USB	www.sparkfun.com/products/ 11812	$29.95	1 for each node
XBee Explorer Regulated with headers	www.sparkfun.com/products/11373	$10.95	1 for each sensor node + 1 for the Raspberry Pi
XBee shield	www.sparkfun.com/products/12847	$24.95	1
XBee-ZB (ZB) series 2, 2.5, or 3	www.adafruit.com	$25.00–48.00	2–4 (1 for each node)
XBee-ZB (ZB) series 2, 2.5, or 3	www.sparkfun.com	$25.00–48.00	2–4 (1 for each node)

Table A-2

Optional Component Shopping List

Item	Vendors	Est. Cost USD
Enclosure	www.sparkfun.com/products/11366	$8.95
LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield	www.sparkfun.com/products/14997	$79.95
Perma-Proto Boards	www.adafruit.com/category/466	$2.50 and up
Raspberry Pi Alamode	www.seeedstudio.com/Alamode-Arduino-Compatible-Raspberry-Pi-Plate-p-1285.html	$35.00
Seeed Studio Stalker Board	http://wiki.seeedstudio.com/Seeeduino_Stalker_V3.1/	$39.00
Seeed Studio Stalker Wireless Sensor Kit	http://wiki.seeedstudio.com/Seeeduino_Stalker_V3-Waterproof_Solar_Kit/	$59.50
XBee Grove Development Board	www.digikey.com/products/en?mpart=76000956&v=602	$25.00

Alternative Connection Systems

If you’ve been working with microcontrollers and discrete components for some time, chances are you’re an expert at wiring components to a breadboard and connecting them together. However, if working with electronics is new to you or you find wiring things together tedious, you’ve probably wondered if there is a better way. It turns out there are better ways!

As we saw in Chapter 5, there are connection systems designed to allow you to connect sensors and other components together using one set of wiring and connectors that connect to a platform-specific host board (shield, hat). These systems typically support a specific communication protocol such as I2C, SPI, and so on. Even so, manufacturers offer the components as modules that “speak” the same protocol. For example, you can get sensors and displays that can be connected together. These connection systems cost a little more, but the cost is easily offset by ease of use and keyed connectors that prevent cross or simply incorrect hookups.

In the following sections, we will see a short overview of three of the most popular connection systems you may want to consider using in your own projects. The examples are presented without detailed explanations for the reader to explore. That is, they represent a small glimpse into what is possible.

Grove

We first introduce the Grove system from Seeed Studio in Chapter 5. Grove is open source that utilizes a four-wire keyed connector that makes assembling electronic components easy and fast while also simplifying the learning process. The Grove system consists of a host board (shield/hat) with each module having a single, dedicated connector using one of several protocols. Connections are made in a star pattern where each component requiring a connection on the host or multiplex boards. Each Grove module addresses a single function such as a sensor, button, or display. With over 200 modules available, you are sure to find the modules you need for your project.

Since we have already discussed a sample Raspberry Pi Grove project in Chapter 5, Listing A-1 shows another example of a Grove project using the Arduino. In this case, we use a Grove Arduino base shield, DHT11 sensor, and a 16x2 LCD to display the data. All of the code is taken from the excellent example sketches .

/**

Beginning Sensor Networks Second Edition

Sensor Networks Example Grove Temperature Node

This project demonstrates how to use a Grove DHT11 sensor and

LCD display. It shows how easy it is to use the Grove family

of sensors as an alternative to hard wiring.

#include "DHT.h"

#include "rgb_lcd.h"

const int colorR = 255;

const int colorG = 0;

const int colorB = 0;

#define DHTPIN A2

#define DHTTYPE DHT11

DHT dht(DHTPIN, DHTTYPE);

rgb_lcd lcd;

void setup()

{

Serial.begin(115200);

while(!Serial);

Serial.println("Welcome to the Grove DHT11 example!");

Wire.begin();

dht.begin();

// set up the LCD's number of columns and rows:

lcd.begin(16, 2);

lcd.setRGB(colorR, colorG, colorB);

}

void loop()

{

float temp_hum_val[2] = {0};

if(!dht.readTempAndHumidity(temp_hum_val)){

lcd.clear();

lcd.setCursor(0, 0);

lcd.print("Humidity: ");

lcd.print(temp_hum_val[0]);

lcd.print("%");

lcd.setCursor(0, 1);

lcd.print("Temp: ");

lcd.print(temp_hum_val[1]);

lcd.print("C");

}

else{

Serial.println("Failed to get temperature and humidity value.");

}

delay(1000);

}

Listing A-1

Grove Arduino Example Sketch

To run this sketch, you must install the following libraries using the library manager :

Grove Temperature and Humidity Sensor—DHT11
Grove LCD RGB Backlight—16x2 LCD

Figure A-1 shows the hardware for the project including an Arduino Uno, Grove Arduino Base Shield, DHT11 humidity/temperature sensor, and a 2x16 LCD module.

../images/313992_2_En_BookBackmatter_Fig1_HTML.jpg — Figure A-1
Grove Arduino example hardware

See www.seeedstudio.com/category/Grove-c-1003.html for more information about the Grove family of products.

Qwiic

SparkFun's Qwiic connect system uses a smaller four-pin cable with JST connectors to quickly interface host and development boards with sensors, LCDs, and more. In fact, SparkFun has introduced many of its development boards with Qwiic connectors to make experiments and projects easier.

With the Qwiic system, there is no soldering and modules just plug together. No searching for the “right” connector; just plug it in and go. You can’t cross-connect since the connectors are polarized and keyed to plug in only on way. Better still, unlike the Grove system, Qwiic modules have two connectors permitting you to daisy-chain modules together, thereby saving space on the host board.

Qwiic host boards connect the I2C bus (GND, 3.3V, SDA, and SCL) on your Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Photon, and so on to a series of SparkFun Qwiic connectors . Some host boards have circuitry to convert the 5V given to the 3.3V required by I2C boards in the Qwiic system.

One nice feature of the Arduino host shield also is the ability to mount Qwiic boards on top using two through holes that line up with the modules. This permits you to securely stack the modules on top. Nice.

The list of sensors along with supported host platforms and accessories for the Qwiic system from SparkFun is quite impressive. You are sure to find all manner of ideas just by browsing the catalog. In fact, if you own multiple microcontroller boards like I do, you’ll be extra pleased to know you need only change the host board and you can reuse your Qwiic modules across your fleet of microcontroller boards.

To show how easy the Qwiic system is to use, Listing A-2 shows an example of a Qwiic project using the Arduino. In this case, we use a Qwiic Arduino shield, environmental sensor, and a tiny OLED to display the data. All of the code is taken from the excellent example sketches .

/**

Beginning Sensor Networks Second Edition

Sensor Networks Example Qwiic Temperature Node

This project demonstrates how to use a Qwiic BME280 sensor and

OLED display. It shows how easy it is to use the Qwiic family

of sensors as an alternative to hard wiring.

#include <Wire.h>

#include <SFE_MicroOLED.h>

#include "SparkFunBME280.h"

// MicroOLED Definition

#define PIN_RESET 9

#define DC_JUMPER 1

// MicroOLED Object Declaration

MicroOLED oled(PIN_RESET, DC_JUMPER);

// BME280 Sensor

BME280 mySensor;

void setup() {

Serial.begin(115200);

while(!Serial);

Serial.println("Reading basic values from BME280 and display on OLED.");

Wire.begin();

if (mySensor.beginI2C() == false) {

Serial.println("The sensor did not respond. Please check wiring.");

while(1); //Freeze

}

oled.begin(); // Initialize the OLED

oled.clear(ALL); // Clear the display's internal memory

oled.display(); // Display what's in the buffer (splashscreen)

delay(1000); // Delay 1000 ms

oled.clear(PAGE); // Clear the buffer.

}

void loop() {

float temp_c = 0.0;

float temp_f = 0.0;

delay(1000);

temp_c = mySensor.readTempC();

temp_f = mySensor.readTempF();

oled.clear(PAGE);

oled.setCursor(0, 0);

oled.setFontType(1);

oled.print(temp_c);

oled.print("C");

oled.setCursor(0, 16);

oled.print(temp_f);

oled.print("F");

oled.display();

}

Listing A-2

Qwiic Arduino Example Sketch

To run this sketch, you must install the following libraries using the library manager :

SparkFun Micro OLED Breakout—OLED
SparkFun BME280—BME280
SparkFun CCS811 Arduino Library—CCS811 (optional)

Figure A-2 shows the hardware for the project including an Arduino Uno, Qwiic Arduino shield, BME280 environment sensor, and an OLED module.

../images/313992_2_En_BookBackmatter_Fig2_HTML.jpg — Figure A-2
Qwiic Arduino example hardware

There are two things I like about the Qwiic system: (1) the wide variety of platforms supported and (2) the ability to incorporate I2C devices that aren’t in the SparkFun catalog. Figure A-3 shows an excerpt of the Qwiic host boards available including a nifty, tiny Raspberry Pi board.

../images/313992_2_En_BookBackmatter_Fig3_HTML.jpg — Figure A-3
Qwiic host boards (courtesy of SparkFun)

While you can add devices to the Grove system, SparkFun makes it easier with the SparkFun Qwiic Adapter , a tiny board that has the I2C pins broken out in breadboard-friendly pins along with the customary two connectors. This permits you to create your own Qwiic modules from older I2C devices. Very cool. Figure A-4 shows the SparkFun Qwiic Adapter from SparkFun.

../images/313992_2_En_BookBackmatter_Fig4_HTML.jpg — Figure A-4
SparkFun Qwiic Adapter (courtesy of SparkFun)

Finally, SparkFun offers a number of Qwiic starter kits for most platforms. These kits are often cheaper than buying the components separately and come ready to use in example projects.

See www.sparkfun.com/qwiic?_ga=2.26742462.2046856991.1585058029-656283068.1580489631 for more information about the Qwiic family of products.

STEMMA QT

The STEMMA/QT system is another modular connection system from Adafruit. It supports both three- and four-pin JST connectors. Like Grove and Qwiic, it is Adafruit’s way of making it easy to plug and play various sensors and devices without a lot of wiring.

While it isn’t an original idea, Adafruit wanted to create something that could work within an ecosystem of other plug-and-play systems originally intended to be compatible with Grove, but when Qwiic was introduced, Adafruit added a smaller connector so it could work with both systems. However, there are a few exceptions.

STEMMA four-pin cables are cross-compatible with Grove modules, and Adafruit provides an optional cable for connecting Grove modules. STEMMA uses the same voltage as Grove—power is 3–5VDC and data is 3–5VDC with level shifting/regulators on devices. However, Qwiic only has level shifting and voltage regulation on the controller, not on the modules. Thus, while you can use STEMMA modules with any Qwiic controller, you can use Qwiic devices on a STEMMA controller only if you set the voltage jumper from 5V to 3V.

While these differences are subtle, you can acquire any of the STEMMA devices and modules and mix them with your Grove and Qwiic systems. Just be careful about how you connect them and how the devices are powered.

For more information about STEMMA and especially compatibility with other systems, see https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-adafruit-stemma-qt/what-is-stemma .

Summary

There is a great sense of accomplishment when wiring up your projects and seeing them record sensor data. However, for some the task of wiring various components together can be tedious and sometimes error prone. Fortunately, the nice folks at Seeed Studio, SparkFun, and Adafruit feel your pain and have delivered excellent easy connect solutions.

While either system will work well, choosing one over another may come down to which system has the modules you need most. For example, the Qwiic system from SparkFun has an impressive and growing list of modules to choose from. However, it only supports the I2C protocol. If you need to use modules requiring other protocols, the Grove system may be a slightly better choice. Regardless of which you choose, these optional connector systems will make your projects assemble faster with fewer errors, and that’s always a good thing.

Index

Accessories

catalog entry

Pibow Coupé

Pi Tin

Adafruit_BMP280 library

Adafruit RTC module

add_occupant() method

Aggregate nodes

Alamode

Arduino-compatible board

commands

features

Firmata library

limitations

RTC module

ALTER USER command

Analog sensors

Analog temperature sensor (TMP36)

Analog-to-digital converter (ADC)

Arduino

analog and digital pins

clone boards

components

data aggregate node

SeeRemote-storage data aggregator

Due

Fio

hosting sensors

IDE

learning resources

Leonardo board

Mega 2560

Micro

MKR series

MySQL client

SeeClient

Nano

online retailers

open source software environment

Pro Mini

retail stores

serial port

sketch

storage

SeeLocal storage

Uno board

Arduino Leonardo

Arduino/Raspberry Pi

connectivity

cost

expandability

functionality

security

Arduino Uno

Arithmetic operators

AT address

Atmospheric monitoring vs. environment

Audio sensors

Automatic drive mounting

Barcode readers

Barometric pressure sensor node

hardware

I2C bus

software setup

testing hardware

testing sensor

Basic sensor node

Baud rate

Biometric sensors

Bluetooth low energy (BLE)

BMP280 sensor module

Boot image installation

choosing image

install Raspbian

NOOBS

SD card

Linux

Mac OS X

Windows

busio module

Cabling

callback method

Capacitive sensors

CHANGE MASTER command

Classes/objects

Class instance variable

Client

hardware

library manager

sensor database

software

test execution

writing code

client.available() method

client.println() method

client.print() method

Cloud server

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