Let’s talk hardware
Computer hardware is basically the physical part of a computer.
From circuits to all other components.
Circuits are hardware although there are also software circuits.
Basic applications include; household appliances to high tension wires and projects e.g rockets and spaceships.
This leads to a different question,
what is IoT?
The Internet of things describes the network of physical objects — IoT gives devices ability to send data over the internet.
To perform any technology, a network of physical objects have to be embedded with sensors, software and other technologies.
And this is applicable in consumer, commercial and industrial use. A good example is smart boards in an ICT class/school.
IoT are a part of the larger concept of home automation from lighting, heating, air conditioning, media, security e.t.c
Basically it’s the daily life of anyone using any electronic device.
Medical and healthcare, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture also come in handy.
IoT might be broad but the goal it achieves is more important than the process.
The big question is, where do we start?
Arduino IoT is one of the most used to teach hardware. It’s an open source designed to help create great things with ease.
It’s as simple as connecting a basic circuit.
Arduino acts as the brain of the system and processing data from the sensor. C++ language and the Arduino IDE are used to write and upload programs to Arduino compatible boards.
The key benefits of learning Arduino are:
• You can build awesome projects
• Arduino is a Fantastic Introduction to Programming
• You can learn electronics easily
• It’s a cheap hobby to start
• Arduino might suit you better than a Raspberry Pi
Who should learn Arduino?
From kids to developers, Arduino is friendly and you don’t have to be a particularly tech-savvy individual to use the Arduino.
Kids are naturally drawn to hands-on activities.
Getting their hands on anything they can, try to take it apart and find out why things are they way they are.
Kids can also be impatient and want (almost) immediate results. Robots can do just that.
They can excite kids in a way “Hello World” can’t compete with, and kids can learn the power of cause and effect through robots and immediate results.
Because Arduinos are super fast at prototyping and amazingly powerful, kids are able to hook up LED lights in matter of minute and control their behaviour.
So why not try hardware and sharpen you’re engineering and programming skills?