Talk due to be given on 1st Dec at skillsmatter in London on Hardware Hacking. An introduction on hardware hacking, what it is, how to get started. A live tutorial on the Arduino programming and examples.

1. Hardware Hacking
by Andy “Bob The Builder” Brockhurst
For the Yahoo! Developers Network
and SkillsMatter

2.  Picture “Hardware Hacking”
by nicholasjon- flickr

3. Talk topics (in no particular order)
 Introduction
 What is hardware hacking
 How to get started
 Microprocessors
 Sensors & Switches (Hardware I/O)
 The world is your mollusc
 Basic Circuit Theory
 How to get those sensors to work

4. If anything should go wrong
Blame this next guy

6.  Photo “Hacking”

7. What is hardware hacking
 Hacking
 An elegant solution to a difficult problem
 Using a technology for something it was
not originally intended.

8. Types of hardware hacking
 Just hacking hardware
 Circuit Bending
 Reverse Engineering
 Toy Hacking
 SteamPunk
 Craft Hacking/“Making”

9.  Photo: “WRT54G & NSLU2”
by lime*monkey- flickr

10.  Picture “Circuit Bending”
by jamie_hladky- flickr

11. Circuit Bending
 Pete Edwards
 Musician/Hacker
 http://casperelectronics.com

12.  Picture “Reverse Engineering”
by Micah Dowty- flickr

13.  Picture “Toy Hacking”
by Vanderlin - flickr

14.  Picture “Making”

15.  Photo: “Steampunk”
by Balakov- flickr

16.  Picture “Reverse Engineering”
by Neal Connor- flickr

17. Getting Started
 Arduino
 Entry level microprocessor
 OpenSource Hardware & Software
 14 digital Inputs/Outputs (6 PWM Out*)
 6 analogue Inputs
 IDE with loads of example code
 Aimed at artists/hobbyists with limited
programming experience
*We’ll come to this shortly

18. Arduino (Atmega 328)
 16bit Microprocessor, Embedded C
 32k Flash, 2k SRAM, 1k EEPROM
 16Mhz

19. Arduinos are not the only fruit
 Atmel Tiny (ATtiny)
 PIC AVR (PICAXE)
 Range of ARM processors
 FPGA

20. Arduino
 OpenSource Hardware
 Schematics freely available
 Lots of “Flavours”; Diecimila, Duemilanove,
Mega, Mini, Nano, Lilypad
 Lots of boards for specific tasks;
Motor/servos, Autonomous Vehicles,
Robotics, Autopilots, CNC (*32 makers)
 Sheilds to extend functionality; Bluetooth,
wifi, radio, ethernet, GPS, relays, LCD,
touchscreen…

21. Arduino Initiatives
 Software
 Processing
 IDE is based on Processing and Wiring
 Fritzing
 Prototyping and circuit layout
 EduWear
 Introducing programming and electronics
to children

22. Hardware Hacking
Let’s build some stuff!

23. by Bekathwia - flickr

24. Arduino (very) Basic I/O - Parts
 Setup a circuit
 Arduino
 Breadboard
 LED
 Resistor
 Switch
 Wire

25. Arduino (very) Basic I/O - Layout

26. Arduino (very) Basic I/O - Code
 Define an input and an output
 Read the input and set the output
void setup() {
pinMode(2, INPUT);
pinMode(13, OUTPUT);
}
void loop() {
int switchValue = digitalRead(2);
digitalWrite(13, switchValue);
}

27. Take it a bit further
 Substitute the LED for a physical
interaction device
 Servo
 Bit more wire

28. Adding a servo

29. Update the code
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myServo;
int steps[] = {0,60,120,180};
int currentPos = 0;
void setup() {
pinMode(2, INPUT);
myServo.attach(13);
myServo.write(steps[0]);
}
void loop() {
if (HIGH == digitalRead(2)) {
currentPos = (3 == currentPos) ? 0 : currentPos + 1;
myServo.write(steps[currentPos]);
delay(500);
}
}

30. Taking it further
 Substitute the switch for a physical
interaction device
 Piezo Electric transducer
 Can be used to sense “Knocks”

31. Wire in the piezo

32. More code updates
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myServo;
int steps[] = {0,60,120,180};
int currentPos = 0;
const int KNOCKTHRESHOLD = 100;
void setup() {
myServo.attach(13);
myServo.write(steps[0]);
}
void loop() {
if (KNOCKTHRESHOLD <= analogRead(0)) {
currentPos = (3 == currentPos) ? 0 : currentPos + 1;
myServo.write(steps[currentPos]);
delay(500);
}
}

33. Tour of the software
 Arduino IDE
 Fritzing

34. by pieter [iamdoom / bwrah bwrah]- flickr
 Photo “Inspiration”

35. Getting Inspiration
 MakeZine
 http://blog.makezine.com/
 Instructables
 http://www.instructables.com/
 Circuit-Projects
 http://www.circuit-projects.com/
 Tinker.it
 http://www.tinker.it/

36. Where to get stuff
 Specialist Arduino Retailers (UK)
 http://www.earthshinedesign.co.uk/
 http://www.oomlout.co.uk/
 Other Hardware suppliers (UK)
 http://www.active-robots.co.uk/
 http://www.techbotics.co.uk/
 http://www.technobots.co.uk/
 http://www.ebay.co.uk/

37. Finding fellow hackers
 London Hacker Space
 http://london.hackspace.org.uk/
 irc://irc.freenode.net/london-hack-space
 London DorkBot
 http://dorkbotlondon.org/

38. Thank you for listening
Where I can be found:
http://kingkludge.net/
http://twitter.com/b3cft
(or in the pub)