Hardware Options

Introduction

The virtual world example consists of 2 distinct parts

• The sensor part and its readout which is implemented on a micro-controller. The most common systems are Arduino or Raspberry Pi where the Raspberry Pi is the more powerful and more costly device (~ 70 US$ with case, power supply, SD card, bread board, cabling included) featuring a full blown Linux operating system. Programming can be done in Python with the interpreter running on the RPI.
  The Arduino is substantially cheaper (in the 10 US$ range) but also less powerful and without its own operating system. The code for this device must be cross compiled and is usually written in a C++ type language.
• The virtual world which is created in VPython

For the tutorial we will use the participant's PC as a display terminal to the system. Since in the Raspberry case all the system software (Python and VPython) can be pre-installed and only an ssh client is needed on the participant PC, this is our preferred solution. In the Raspberry Pi case the sensor readout as well as the virtual world is implemented on the micro-controller.

When using an Arduino the Arduino software development kit (SDK) as well as Python and VPython would be needed on the PC and communication between Arduino and PC would be done through a simple serial interface. In this case only the sensor readout is done on the micro-controller and the virtual world is implemented on the PC.

-- TWiki Admin User - 2018-01-21

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