Preface
Suppose you are interested in learning new approaches to developing portable electronic controllers to operate electromechanical loads such as a DC motor or introducing new prototyping techniques for interactive product development using littleBits or SNAP circuits as augmentation tools. In that case, the M5Stack Electronic Blueprints book is for you. This book provides coverage of the design, development, and prototyping workflow process of building interactive electronic controllers and IoT device applications. You will learn how to create a physical M5Stack Core controller device based on the ESP32 microcontroller using discrete electronic components, Arduino C/C++, and UIFlow Blockly code (no-code) programming languages.
The ESP32 subsystem is the heart of the M5Stack Core controller. Here, internal circuits, such as a 3W audio amplifier, LED bars, USB-C ports, push button switches, a thin film transistor (TFT) touch screen, and general-purpose input-output (GPIO) ports, are managed by the ESP32 subsystem. You will learn about the structure of the ESP32 subsystem architecture in this book. The ESP32 microcontroller has an internal Bluetooth chipset and Wi-Fi support circuitry. You will learn how to create IoT controllers and scanners using the M5Stack internal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipsets. Finally, human computing interaction (HCI)-based techniques for creating effective and aesthetically appealing user interfaces for product engagement will be presented in this book.
Who this book is for
The M5Stack Electronic Blueprints book topics will assist you in exploring electronic controllers, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi-based IoT device development, and Arduino interfacing techniques using an ESP32 microcontroller-based platform. The M5Stack Core allows ease in developing new concepts for prototyping automation controls, wearables, interactive electronic controllers, and investigating wireless product technologies.
Therefore, the audience for this book includes the following:
- STEM, engineering, and technical educators
- Practicing engineers
- Electronics, automation, production, and industrial maintenance technicians
- Makers
- STEM and career and technical learners
- Electronic circuit hobbyists
- Inventors and academic researchers
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Exploring the M5Stack Core, explains the inner workings of the M5Stack Core, ESP32 microcontroller subsystem architecture, and internal supporting hardware electronics.
Chapter 2, Exploring M5Stack Units, explores M5Stack units for control and detection. The units are small electronic circuits such as the IR remote, environment sensor, RGB LED, motion sensor, and angle sensor. The M5Stack units are vital components for developing wearable electronics. You will use the M5Stack UIFlow Blockly code and the Arduino IDE C/C++ code to investigate the function of the extendable electronic devices.
Chapter 3, Lights, Sound, and Motion with the M5Stack, explores small wearable devices, including an electronic flashlight, an emergency flasher, a tone generator, an interactive emoji, and a haptic controller. The M5Stack has several electronic devices such as a microphone, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), RGB LED bars, a vibration motor, and a speaker.
Chapter 4, It’s a SNAP! Snap Circuits and the M5Stack Core, covers SNAP circuits, which are electronic parts mounted on colored plastic shapes. Each shape has snap elements that allow the construction of electronic circuits. You will learn how to enhance the SNAP circuits user experience with an M5Stack Core controller by providing interfacing controls to operate the snap-based electronic devices.
Chapter 5, Solderless Breadboarding with M5Stack, provides wiring instructions for using a solderless breadboard and discrete electronic components. Touchscreen controllers and electronic sensors will be created using the M5Stack Core controller and the UIFlow Blockly code programming language. You will build hardware devices such as an electronic flasher, littleBits LED flasher, and DC motor controller in this chapter.
Chapter 6, M5Stack and Arduino, explains how to use electronic interface circuit techniques for wiring the M5Stack Core 2 controller to an Arduino Uno. You will investigate using electronic interfacing circuits and portable touchscreen controls for operating and monitoring Arduino Uno electronic devices, such as a touch-control inverting switch, a touch-control digital counter, and a touchscreen LED dimmer controller.
Chapter 7, Working with the M5Stack and Bluetooth, looks at the embedded Bluetooth chipset that is part of the ESP32 microcontroller. You will build a wireless controller using the embedded Bluetooth chipset. You will explore a wireless transmitter and receiver to operate RGB LEDs, small DC motors, and sound/tone generators using the M5Stack Core Bluetooth chipset. You will learn how to work wireless devices using a smartphone or tablet and a mobile Bluetooth UART utility services app.
Chapter 8, Working with M5Stack and Wi-Fi, explains the Wi-Fi support circuitry integrated within the ESP32 microcontroller’s system architecture. You will conduct Wi-Fi experiments to scan and detect wireless network nodes in this chapter. You will explore visual detection indicators and audible alarms. This chapter will introduce you to the use of the Arduino IDE and an API to program Wi-Fi-enabled detection devices.
To get the most out of this book
The basic skill set the reader is assumed to have includes the following knowledge characteristics:
- A desire to learn about the ESP32 microcontroller
- The ability to identify basic electrical and electronic component symbols such as resistors, capacitors, tactile push button switches, wires, LEDs, and transistors on circuit schematic diagrams
- Basic knowledge of the Arduino electronics prototyping platform
- Basic knowledge of the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- The ability to modify Application Programming Interface (API) code
- The ability to read electronic circuit schematic diagrams
- The ability to wire electronic circuits using a solderless breadboard
To gain new skills in interfacing circuits, wearables, and embedded controller development, you should have a background in reading electronic circuit schematic diagrams. You should also be comfortable with using solderless breadboards. Finally, you should be able to identify electronic components such as transistors, resistors, and electrical male and female pin header connectors.
|
Software/hardware covered in the book |
Operating system requirements |
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UIFlow Blockly code |
Windows, macOS, or Linux |
|
Arduino IDE | |
|
ECMAScript 11 |
After installing the UIFlow Blockly code software, a reset of the development system is required to complete the installation process. Having knowledge and experience of using a digital multimeter will aid you in troubleshooting interfacing circuits and wiring concerns with the projects presented in this book.
If you are using the digital version of this book, we advise you to type the code yourself or access the code from the book’s GitHub repository (a link is available in the next section). Doing so will help you avoid any potential errors related to the copying and pasting of code.
Download the example code files
You can download the example code files for this book from GitHub at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/M5Stack-Electronic-Blueprints. If there’s an update to the code, it will be updated in the GitHub repository.
We also have other code bundles from our rich catalog of books and videos available at https://github.com/PacktPublishing/. Check them out!
Download the color images
We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots and diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://packt.link/873X7.
Conventions used
There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.
Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: “The name of the app is M5GO.py.”
Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: “Select System info from the Administration panel.”
Tips or important notes
Appear like this.
Get in touch
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