About the Authors
Sean McManus is an expert technology and business author. His other books include Mission Python, Coder Academy, Cool Scratch Projects in Easy Steps, Scratch Programming in Easy Steps, and Web Design in Easy Steps. His novel for adults, Earworm, goes undercover in the music industry, exposing a conspiracy to replace bands with computer-generated music. His tutorials and articles have appeared in magazines including The MagPi, Internet Magazine, Internet Works, Business 2.0, Making Music, and Personal Computer World. He has been a Code Club volunteer, helping children at a local school to learn computer programming. Visit his website at www.sean.co.uk for bonus content from his books.
Mike Cook has been making electronic things since he was at school. A former lecturer in physics at Manchester Metropolitan University, he wrote more than 300 computing and electronics articles in the pages of computer magazines for 20 years starting in the 1980s. Leaving the University after 21 years when the physics department closed down, he got a series of proper jobs where he designed digital TV set-top boxes and access control systems. His other books include Raspberry Pi Projects, Raspberry Pi Projects for Dummies, and Arduino Music and Audio Projects. He also works with Drake Music Labs North, a charity for disabled musicians, developing accessible music equipment.
Now retired and freelancing, he spends his days surrounded by wires, patrolling the forums as Grumpy Mike.
Dedication
To my wife, Karen, with thanks for all her support throughout this project and always. And to Leo, our wonderful son. —Sean
To my wife, Wendy, who always acts delighted whenever I show her yet another blinking LED. And also to the late Leicester Taylor, World War II radar researcher and inspirational supervisor of my post-graduate research at the University of Salford. —Mike
Author’s Acknowledgments
Thank you to my co-author, Mike, for bringing his electronics expertise and fantastic project ideas. Thank you to Craig Smith for commissioning us to write the first edition of this book; and to Katie Mohr, our acquisitions editor on the second and third editions. Thanks also to Linda Morris for her editing support on the first two editions; and to Paul Levesque, our project editor, and Becky Whitney, our copy editor on this third edition. Our technical editors Jason E Geistweidt (3rd edition), Ryan Walmsley (2nd edition), and Paul Hallett (1st edition) cast a careful eye over the text and code and made much appreciated suggestions. Olivier Engler, who translated the first edition into French, provided helpful feedback too. Thanks also to Lorna Mein and Natasha Lee in marketing, and to the … For Dummies team for making it all happen.
Many people helped with research or permissions requests, including Karen McManus, Sam Aaron, Eben Upton, Liz Upton, Leo McHugh, Mark Turner, Peter Sayer, John Hartnup, Bill Kendrick, Simon Cox, Jon Williamson, Paul Beech, Peter de Rivaz, Michał Męciński, Ruairi Glynn, Stephen Revill, Lawrence James, Bram Stolk, Adam Kemeny, Will Jessop, and David Bryan. We wouldn’t have a book to write if it weren’t for the wonderful work of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, the manufacturers who took a gamble on it, and the many thousands of people who have contributed to the Raspberry Pi’s software. —Sean
I would like to thank Sean McManus for inviting me to contribute to this book and the staff at Wiley for making the process of producing this book as painless as possible. —Mike
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
Acquisitions Editor: Katie Mohr
Project Editor: Paul Levesque
Copy Editor: Becky Whitney
Technical Editor: Jason Geistweidt
Editorial Assistant: Owen Kaelble
Senior Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Production Editor: Magesh Elangovan
Cover Image: © Courtesy of Raspberry Pi Foundation