Raspberry Pi Hardware Projects, Volume 2

Turn a Raspberry Pi into a Workshop of Ideas ⚙️

Raspberry Pi Hardware Projects, Volume 2 is for makers who want their Pi to do more than sit on a desk. Mike Cook and Andrew Robinson guide you through three buildable projects that mix electronics, wiring, and Python code with a playful, experimental attitude. The book was published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. in 2014 and is written for readers who learn best by making something real.

The projects start with tangible hardware and grow into systems that sense, respond, and create. Along the way, the authors encourage you to treat each build as a starting point rather than a finished recipe.

Three Projects That Move, Draw, and Swing

Chapter 1 tackles computer-controlled slot car racing. You hack a slot car racer, test your modifications, build player input with joystick buttons, and bring the game under Raspberry Pi control.

Chapter 2 introduces the Facebook-enabled Roto-Sketch. Rotary encoders become drawing controls, letting you create elaborate designs and post them to Flickr and on to Facebook. The chapter covers encoder types, reading encoder output, the final Roto-Sketch program, and symmetrical pattern creation.

Chapter 3 builds the Pendulum Pi, a harmonograph that produces intricate patterns. An Arduino assists the Pi with real-time data gathering, and the chapter walks through assembly, smooth swinging, Arduino programming, Pi programming, and using the finished Pendulum Pi.

Support for First Steps and First Code 💡

Two appendices make the book approachable for newcomers. Appendix A is a beginner’s guide to getting your Raspberry Pi up and running, covering the operating system, SD cards, displays, networking, booting, and common troubleshooting problems. Appendix B is an introductory software project called the Insult Generator, which introduces Python through running a first program, saving files, generating insults, using conditionals, creating functions, and working with loops.

Learn by Building, Then Make It Your Own

The projects are designed to be followed step by step, with results that arrive quickly. More importantly, each chapter ends with ideas and background information that point toward extensions. The real reward comes when you adapt a slot car controller, a drawing machine, or a harmonograph to match your own ideas.

If you enjoy the crossover between code and physical computing, this volume offers a clear path from setup to satisfying builds. It is a natural fit for Raspberry Pi owners, electronics hobbyists, students, and makers who want to become producers of technology rather than only consumers of it.

Inside the Book

• Computer-controlled slot car racing with custom player input
• Facebook-enabled Roto-Sketch using rotary encoders
• Pendulum Pi harmonograph with Arduino-assisted data gathering
• Raspberry Pi setup, display, network, and troubleshooting guide
• Python starter project: the Insult Generator
• Project extension ideas at the end of each chapter

Digital Delights Edition

This digital edition brings the full project guide to your screen, ready for reference while you wire, code, and test. Keep it nearby as you work through the builds and make each project your own.