If you do not have a Raspberry Pi 3, you can purchase one from a local electronics store or you can order one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-Desktop-Starter-White/dp/B01CI58722.
Make sure you order a kit that has a power cord, microSD card, and casing (optional).
Most of the hobby-kit stores that sell the Raspberry Pi 3 kit sell the microSD card with Raspbian OS preloaded.
If you are new to Raspberry Pi 3, here are a few things to get you started.
Raspberry Pi 3 is a single-board computer, designed and developed by The Raspberry Pi Foundation. Raspberry Pi 3 is the third generation Raspberry Pi.
In this book, we are going to use Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. Some of the specifications of Raspberry Pi 3 Model B are as follows:
|
Feature |
Specification |
|
Generation |
3 |
|
Release date |
February 16 |
|
Architecture |
ARMv8-A (64/32-bit) |
|
System on a Chip |
Broadcom BCM2837 |
|
CPU |
1.2 GHz 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 |
|
Memory (SDRAM) |
1 GB (shared with GPU) |
|
USB 2.0 ports |
Four (via the on-board 5-port USB hub) |
|
On-board network |
10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet, 802.11n wireless, Bluetooth 4.1 |
|
Low-level peripherals |
17 x GPIO plus the same specific functions and HAT ID bus |
|
Power ratings |
300 mA (1.5 W) average when idle, 1.34 A (6.7 W) maximum under stress (with monitor, keyboard, mouse, and Wi-Fi connected) |
|
Power source |
5 V via Micro-USB or GPIO header |
For us to continue forward smoothly, make sure Raspberry Pi 3 is set up, and is connected to the internet either over Wi-Fi or Ethernet.
If you are new to setting up Raspberry Pi 3, refer to the Beginner's Guide to Installing Node.js on a Raspberry Pi: http://thisdavej.com/beginners-guide-to-installing-node-js-on-a-raspberry-pi/. We will, cover the Node.js part, until then you can start the Pi and configure the Wi-Fi.
Once the OS has been installed, boot up the Raspberry Pi 3 and log into it. At this point in time, it will be connected to the Internet over your own access point or Ethernet, and you should be able to browse the internet without issues.
In the first example, we are going to connect Raspberry Pi 3 to the ThingSpeak platform, and interface with the DHT11 temperature and humidity sensor connected to the Raspberry Pi 3.
For this example, we will use Node.js as the programming language.