Decimal Arithmetic with BCD
Although decimal hardware is rare, there are lots of reason to want to work in decimal in software. For example, binary often doesn't give results that are the same as a human would get doing manual arithmetic. For example, if an expression results in 0.1 in decimal this isn't exactly representable in fixed point binary. However, for integer arithmetic binary gives the same result as decimal arithmetic. A better reason for needing decimal is that this is what many sensors deliver to your interface.
IoT With Amazon Web Services on edX
Amazon has extended its partnership with edX to provide an intermediate level, self-paced, free course that provides skills in building and deploying IoT solutions for commercial or consumer applications. The 4-week course consists of video-based lectures, demonstrations and hands-on lab exercises, run in your own AWS account, that will allow you to build, deploy and manage your own IoT solution.
Framebuffer Text Using PSF 1 Fonts
How to display text on a framebuffer? Easy once you know about PSF1 fonts. In this article the details of how to read and use a PSF1 font file is explained and a complete C program to display text on the framebuffer is given.
IoT News
This is currently a Kickstarter but after only a few days it is close to its goal. If you want a small add-on board with a camera that will apply AI algorithms for your Pi, Arduino or MicroBit then this looks like a good choice.
Sensor
The Raspberry Pi 4 is now available, and for the same base price of $35, but the specifications are much improved. It provides the performance of a desktop machine that you can afford to throw at almost any IoT problem.
Raspberry Pi
It has to be admitted that we missed the reintroduction of the Pi's PoE hat. It was withdrawn due to an interesting design problem but now its back and it raises the question - how do you power your Pi?
Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi has an obvious use as a security camera but with this case a Pi Zero W does the job very well indeed.
Projects
If you want a data only SIM for the IoT there are lots of choices but why not consider the Arduino SIM - by Arduino for Arduino, surely they have to get it right?
Arduino
How many times have you been temped to build your own custom display only give up because doing one digit was difficult and doing more would be crazy. Now you can try your hand a a seven segment display where each segment is admittedly difficult!
Projects
Voice is certainly going to be an important interface in the future but that future has already started and Amazon's Alexa has the lion's share of the market. As well a being an increasingly important platform for delivering informational and entertainment service, Alexa has a big role to play in the IoT and so its good to see a simple way to get started building an Alexa Skill,
Home Automation
Arduino Education now has an exam designed for Enthusiasts. Arduino Fundamentals is an online exam comprising 36 questions that have to be answered in 75 minutes. It is first exam in the Arduino Certification Program (ACP) and currently is on offer only in the US, spreading to more countries during the year. Exams for Educators and Professional will also be offered in future.
Arduino
QEMU short for Quick Emulator is an open-source emulator that has now been extended to emulate a complete micro:bit running exactly the same software as on the real device.
microbit
The Raspberry Pi is about to make an appearance on envelopes all over the UK as part of a set of stamps celebrating British Engineering.but you can't lick them - they come sticky backed.
Raspberry Pi
IoT Books
Free to read - just click on the cover.
Note: this is work in progress.
