Practical Python Programming for IoT

Create innovative IoT projects using Python and Raspberry Pi with this hands-on guide packed with fun experiments, real-world applications, and everything you need to bring smart ideas to life

Key Features

• Learn the fundamentals of electronics and how to integrate them with a Raspberry Pi
• Bring your projects to life through real-world scenarios, from motion detection to smart lighting
• Exercises designed to suit hobbyists, engineers, and educators alike

Book Description

The age of connected devices is here, be it fitness bands or smart homes. It's now more important than ever to understand how hardware components interact with the internet to collect and analyze user data. The Internet of Things (IoT), combined with the popular open source language Python, can be used to build powerful and intelligent IoT systems with intuitive interfaces.

This book consists of three parts, with the first focusing on the "Internet" component of IoT. You'll get to grips with end-to-end IoT app development to control an LED over the internet, before learning how to build RESTful APIs, WebSocket APIs, and MQTT services in Python. The second part delves into the fundamentals behind electronics and GPIO interfacing. As you progress to the last part, you'll focus on the "Things" aspect of IoT, where you will learn how to connect and control a range of electronic sensors and actuators using Python. You'll also explore a variety of topics, such as motor control, ultrasonic sensors, and temperature measurement. Finally, you'll get up to speed with advanced IoT programming techniques in Python, integrate with IoT visualization and automation platforms, and build a comprehensive IoT project.

By the end of this book, you'll be well-versed with IoT development and have the knowledge you need to build sophisticated IoT systems using Python.

What you will learn

• Understand electronic interfacing with Raspberry Pi from scratch
• Gain knowledge of building sensor and actuator electronic circuits
• Structure your code in Python using Async IO, pub/sub models, and more
• Automate real-world IoT projects using sensor and actuator integration
• Integrate electronics with ThingSpeak and IFTTT to enable automation
• Build and use RESTful APIs, WebSockets, and MQTT with sensors and actuators
• Set up a Raspberry Pi and Python development environment for IoT projects

Who this book is for

Whether you're a developer, IoT professional, or a Python enthusiast curious about hardware, this book is for you. It's also helpful for software engineers with little to no experience in electronics who want to start building real-world IoT and home automation projects. Makers, educators, and tinkerers will find it a practical and approachable guide. With clear explanations and hands-on projects, it makes bringing your code to life enjoyable and achievable.

Table of Contents

1. Setting Up your Development Environment
2. Getting Started with Python and IoT
3. Networking with RESTful APIs and Web Sockets using Flask
4. Networking with MQTT, Python, and the Mosquitto MQTT Broker
5. Connecting Your Raspberry Pi to the Physical World
6. Electronics 101 for the Software Engineer
7. Turning Things On and Off
8. Lights, Indicators, and Displaying Information
9. Measuring Temperature, Humidity, and Light Levels
10. Movement with Servos, Motors, and Steppers
11. Measuring Distance and Detecting Movement
12. Advanced IoT Programming Concepts
13. IoT Visualisation and Automation Platforms
14. Tying It All Together - An IoT Christmas Tree

Gary Smart is a senior software engineer and an IoT and integration expert. The commencement of Gary's IT career coincided with the birth of the World Wide Web and has grown in line with the internet and emerging technologies ever since, including the rise of mobile phones and tablets, embedded technologies, SaaS and business migration to the cloud, and in recent years, the IoT revolution. Gary's practical experience includes both technical and management positions and experience in both small and large organizations, including Hewlett-Packard, Deakin University, and Pacific Hydro-Tango, boutique consulting firms, and innovative internet and IoT start-ups.