Cloud Studio and Humai join forces to launch IoT course

With the purpose of spreading the various domains covered by the Internet of Things (IoT) and its close relationship with other areas of knowledge, such as embedded systems and programming in modern languages like MicroPython, a strategic alliance was forged between Cloud Studio and Humai. This resulted in the creation of a virtual, intensive course with a solid theoretical foundation, combined with the assembly of electronic circuits and real-world IoT exercises that meet the demands of the current market.

The proposal also included the option to acquire a complete kit with all the necessary electronic components for the course development. Among these, the Raspberry Pi Pico W development board stood out, the latest release from the Raspberry Pi company, specifically designed for integration with the Internet of Things.

Hands-on learning with Raspberry Pi Pico W and MicroPython

The Raspberry Pi Pico W not only opens doors to many beginners in the world of electronics due to its user-friendly, intuitive, and cost-effective development platform but is also highly useful for those wishing to undertake professional projects. Programming on this board is carried out using MicroPython, a simple and efficient implementation of the popular Python programming language optimized for microcontrollers.

In the first part of the course, students explored the fundamental features of the Raspberry Pi Pico W, learned to install the MicroPython firmware on the board, and used the Thonny development environment, essential for programming. They also took a tour of basic electronic components necessary for any project.

Next, they began writing their first programs, using the General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins available on the board. Concepts related to binary digital signals were addressed, and how they are applied to control input devices such as buttons and switches, as well as output devices such as LEDs and buzzers.

Similarly, they studied the concept of analog signals and their utility in capturing real-world data, such as temperature, pressure, humidity, among others. The process of converting these analog signals to digital using an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) was analyzed.

Furthermore, a detailed overview of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) signals was provided, and some of their key applications, such as regulating the brightness of an LED or controlling the speed of a motor, were explored.

Advanced IoT concepts: Communication protocols and connectivity

Once students solidified these concepts and made their initial connections with the help of a breadboard, they progressed to the interconnection of the Raspberry Pi Pico W with more complex devices used in IoT, such as screens and signal converters, among others. To do this, they learned the widely recognized serial communication protocols today: I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), and UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter). They also engaged in a practical exercise involving the measurement of an external variable, such as temperature, and displaying its corresponding value on a liquid crystal display.

However, a monitoring project cannot be considered complete without the ability to not only read a value but also store it. Therefore, in the fifth class, students acquired skills related to the creation, writing, and reading of text files. This allowed them to save data on the board, preserving it even when disconnected from the power source. Additionally, they explored various alternatives for powering the board, to make it independent of a computer connection and consider other options, such as the use of lithium batteries.

In this advanced stage of the course, a fundamental and highly relevant aspect of the Raspberry Pi Pico W was addressed: its wireless connectivity capability, allowing it to integrate into the fascinating world of the Internet of Things. This detailed explanation covered the IoT world, its fields of application, understanding what IoT devices are, and the various protocols currently implemented, with a marked emphasis on MQTT and LoRaWAN.

Alongside this, the method of transmitting data generated by a sensor to an IoT platform like Cloud Studio was explored. Students saw the ability to access charts with historical and current values of the platform’s variable, praising its intuitive and comprehensive interface, as well as the multitude of solutions it offers.

Final Integrative project: Real-world IoT Implementation

As a conclusion to the course and to strengthen the acquired knowledge while encouraging students to undertake their projects, a final integrative project was conducted. It combined all the tools learned during the course to address a specific IoT problem: monitoring two environmental variables, such as temperature and atmospheric pressure, displaying the corresponding values on a screen, issuing an alert signal when a specific value is reached, and creating a dashboard in Cloud Studio to record all the information.

The results were more than satisfactory from the students, surpassing the initial objectives. This success in implementing Cloud Studio generated a high level of enthusiasm among the students, expressing their interest and desire to continue using this platform in future projects.