Hardware Hacking

by Andy “Bob The Builder” BrockhurstFor the Yahoo! Developers Networkand SkillsMatter

Picture “Hardware Hacking”

by nicholasjon- flickr

Talk topics (in no particular order)

Introduction What is hardware hacking How to get started

Microprocessors Sensors & Switches (Hardware I/O)

The world is your mollusc Basic Circuit Theory

How to get those sensors to work

If anything should go wrong

Blame this next guy

Photo “Hacking”

What is hardware hacking Hacking

An elegant solution to a difficult problem Using a technology for something it was

not originally intended.

Types of hardware hacking Just hacking hardware Circuit Bending Reverse Engineering Toy Hacking SteamPunk Craft Hacking/“Making”

Photo: “WRT54G & NSLU2”

by lime*monkey- flickr

Picture “Circuit Bending”

by jamie_hladky- flickr

Circuit Bending Pete Edwards Musician/Hacker http://casperelectronics.com

Picture “Reverse Engineering”

by Micah Dowty- flickr

Picture “Toy Hacking”

by Vanderlin - flickr

Picture “Making”

Photo: “Steampunk”

by Balakov- flickr

Picture “Reverse Engineering”

by Neal Connor- flickr

Getting Started Arduino

Entry level microprocessor OpenSource Hardware & Software 14 digital Inputs/Outputs (6 PWM Out*) 6 analogue Inputs IDE with loads of example code Aimed at artists/hobbyists with limited

programming experience

*We’ll come to this shortly

Arduino (Atmega 328) 16bit Microprocessor, Embedded C 32k Flash, 2k SRAM, 1k EEPROM 16Mhz

Arduinos are not the only fruit Atmel Tiny (ATtiny) PIC AVR (PICAXE) Range of ARM processors FPGA

Arduino OpenSource Hardware

Schematics freely available Lots of “Flavours”; Diecimila, Duemilanove,

Mega, Mini, Nano, Lilypad Lots of boards for specific tasks;

Motor/servos, Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, Autopilots, CNC (*32 makers)

Sheilds to extend functionality; Bluetooth, wifi, radio, ethernet, GPS, relays, LCD, touchscreen…

Arduino Initiatives Software

Processing IDE is based on Processing and Wiring

Fritzing Prototyping and circuit layout

EduWear Introducing programming and electronics

to children

Hardware Hacking

Let’s build some stuff!

by Bekathwia - flickr

Arduino (very) Basic I/O - Parts Setup a circuit

Arduino Breadboard LED Resistor Switch Wire

Arduino (very) Basic I/O - Layout

Arduino (very) Basic I/O - Code Define an input and an output Read the input and set the outputvoid setup() { pinMode(2, INPUT); pinMode(13, OUTPUT);}

void loop() { int switchValue = digitalRead(2); digitalWrite(13, switchValue); }

Take it a bit further Substitute the LED for a physical

interaction device Servo Bit more wire

Adding a servo

Update the code#include <Servo.h>

Servo myServo;int steps[] = {0,60,120,180};int currentPos = 0;

void setup() { pinMode(2, INPUT); myServo.attach(13); myServo.write(steps[0]);}

void loop() { if (HIGH == digitalRead(2)) { currentPos = (3 == currentPos) ? 0 : currentPos + 1; myServo.write(steps[currentPos]); delay(500); }}

Taking it further Substitute the switch for a physical

interaction device Piezo Electric transducer Can be used to sense “Knocks”

Wire in the piezo

More code updates#include <Servo.h>

Servo myServo;int steps[] = {0,60,120,180};int currentPos = 0;const int KNOCKTHRESHOLD = 100;

void setup() { myServo.attach(13); myServo.write(steps[0]);}

void loop() { if (KNOCKTHRESHOLD <= analogRead(0)) { currentPos = (3 == currentPos) ? 0 : currentPos + 1; myServo.write(steps[currentPos]); delay(500); }}

Tour of the software Arduino IDE Fritzing

Photo “Inspiration”

by pieter [iamdoom / bwrah bwrah]- flickr

Getting Inspiration MakeZine

http://blog.makezine.com/ Instructables

http://www.instructables.com/ Circuit-Projects

http://www.circuit-projects.com/ Tinker.it

http://www.tinker.it/

Where to get stuff Specialist Arduino Retailers (UK)

http://www.earthshinedesign.co.uk/ http://www.oomlout.co.uk/

Other Hardware suppliers (UK) http://www.active-robots.co.uk/ http://www.techbotics.co.uk/ http://www.technobots.co.uk/ http://www.ebay.co.uk/

Finding fellow hackers London Hacker Space

http://london.hackspace.org.uk/ irc://irc.freenode.net/london-hack-space

London DorkBot http://dorkbotlondon.org/

Thank you for listening

Where I can be found:http://kingkludge.net/http://twitter.com/b3cft

(or in the pub)