Electronics Cookbook: Practical Electronic Recipes with Arduino and Raspberry Pi

Preface

Traditional wisdom requires people using electronics to have at least an EE degree before they can do anything useful, but in this book the whole subject of electronics is given the highly respected O’Reilly Cookbook treatment and is broken down into recipes. These recipes make it possible for the reader to access the book at random, following the recipe that solves their problem and learning as much or as little about the theory as they are comfortable with.

While it is impossible to cover in one volume everything in a complex and wide-ranging subject like electronics, I have tried to select recipes that seem to come up most frequently when I talk to other makers, hobbyists, and inventors.

Who Should Read This Book

If you are into electronics or want to get into electronics, then this is the book that will help you get more from your hobby. The book is full of built-and-tested recipes that you can trust to do just what you need them to do, no matter what your level of expertise.

If you are new to electronics then this book will serve as a guide to get you started; if you are an experienced electronics maker, it will act as a useful reference.

A Word on Electronics Today

Boards like the Arduino and Raspberry Pi have lured whole new generations of makers, hobbyists, and inventors into the world of electronics. Components and tools are now low cost and within the reach of more people than at any time in history. Hackspaces and Fab Labs have electronic workstations where you can use tools to realize your projects.

The free availability of information including detailed designs means that you can learn from and adapt other people’s work for your own specific needs.

Many people who start with electronics as a hobby progress to formal education in electronic engineering, or just jump straight to product design as an inventor and entrepreneur. After all, if you have access to a computer and a few tools and components, you can build a working prototype of your great invention and then find someone to manufacture it for you, all financed with the help of crowdfunding. The barrier of entry to the electronics business is at an all-time low.