Microsoft was at Web Summit and on our booth we had IoT Labs running every day, for which you could register in advance. They were a HUGE success - registrations sold out in less than 4 hours! So we set out to deliver new labs in Portugal. Well, here they are!
Goal: Allow you to try out Internet of Things (IoT) with Microsoft and Raspberry Pi 3!
Watch this video to get inspired!
Take a look at this starting page, and then head to the Labs. And remember: Share your progress with our official hashtags: #ptiotlabs #MicrosoftPortugal
- Table of Contents
- Agenda
- Requirements
- Teams
- Azure Pass
- Labs
- Azure and IoT (Recommended Reading)
- Portuguese Community
- Conclusion & Next Steps
The IoT Labs use Windows 10 IoT, typically running on a Raspberry Pi 2 or 3, although other boards are also capable of running Windows 10 IoT. If you will be going through any of these labs you need to first prepare your development environment.
Here is the planned agenda!
| 9:00 | Welcome & Registration |
| 9:30 | Microsoft IoT in 30 mins… |
| 10:00 | Lab Hacking (Starts) |
| 12:00 | Microsoft Cloud in 30 mins… |
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 13:30 | Lab Hacking (Cont.) |
| 17:30 | Lab Ends |
| 17:40 | Welcome & Registration |
After a quick introduction on the Internet of Things, the IoT Labs will focus on the two key areas in IoT where Microsoft plays a role: IoT services in Azure and devices. We’ll cover IoT devices and get an overview of the popular development boards like Arduino, Netduino, Raspberry Pi … Besides using the traditional operating systems and development languages (Linux, C, Python …) for these boards, we’ll also explore the benefits that Windows 10 IoT can bring. Before Lunch, we'll also cover the cloud services side. We’ll explore the typical IoT architecture and use Azure services such as Event Hubs/IoT Hub and Stream Analytics.
The hack begins! You'll have several labs to choose. We recommend you to go through the Labs. This are completely documented lab you can follow to get started.
Afterwards, why not implement you own idea? Creativity is encouraged!
As a requirement, we ask you to bring you laptop! If you have a macOS, you won't be able to run the Windows 10 IoT Labs, but all the remainder it will run OK. Or you can just run a virtualized Windows on top of your mac!
For all the requirements, here is a list:
- Windows 10 (build 10240) or better
- Visual Studio 2015 – Community edition is sufficient, Enterprise and Professional works.
- Visual Studio Code
Note: While you setup Visual Studio, ensure you do Custom install and select the checkbox ‘Universal Windows App Development Tools –> Tools for Windows SDK’.
In case you have previously setup Visual Studio 2015/2017 and Universal Windows Apps templates are missing, you would either need to start the Visual Studio Setup again –> Modify, then select the Universal Windows App Dev. Tools. Or try installing the missing SDK here. Windows IoT Core Project Templates. You can download them from here. Alternatively, the templates can be found by searching for Windows IoT Core Project Templates in the Visual Studio Gallery or directly from Visual Studio in the Extension and Updates dialog (Tools > Extensions and Updates > Online). Make sure you’ve enabled developer mode in Windows 10 by following these instructions. That’s it!
We have a total of 15 IoT Kits and plenty of sensors. We ask everyone to make teams of a maximum of three, so you can enjoy the Labs and everyone participate.
In this labs you will use Microsoft Azure as the cloud backend for your IoT solution. For that we will use Azure Passes. The Azure Pass allow you to access and use Microsoft Azure without any feature limitation. You can redeem promo codes via the redemption site, www.microsoftazurepass.com, which entitles you to activate the Azure account. Passes are limited to 1-month, $100, whichever comes first. Unlike the Azure Access program. Azure passes do not require your credit card information. Azure passes are typically used for customer PoC’s, field and partner training events, marketing campaigns, and other events.
Redeem you Microsoft Azure Pass here
If you have an MSDN Subscription you may be eligible for free credits to Microsoft Azure every month. Check your MSDN account page for details.
| Duration | Lab | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 60 min | Prep Work and Getting Started | This is a step-by-step guide to preparing your computer for all the labs. |
| 30 min | Setting Up Your Raspberry Pi 3 | The Raspberry Pi 3 is a low cost credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. |
| 1 hour, 30 min | Lab 1 - Windows 10 IoT - Connected Nightlight | This Internet of Things (IoT) Lab begins by showing you how to use Windows 10 IoT Core to connect sensors and devices. You will then be shown how to connect a device to the Cloud. Next you will be shown how to leverage Microsoft Azure services to collect data and control devices. |
| 1 hour, 20 min | Lab 2 - IoT with Linux and Node.js | In this lab, you begin by learning the basics of working with Raspberry Pi 3 that's running Raspbian. You then learn how to seamlessly connect your devices to the cloud by using Azure IoT Hub. |
| 60 min | Lab 3 - Using Node-RED with Microsoft Azure IoT | In this lab, you begin by learning what is Node-RED, and the basics of using it with a Raspberry Pi 3 that's running Raspbian. One of the major goals is to connect your device to the cloud by using a Node-RED node that allows you to connect with Azure IoT Hub. |
The maker community is growing everyday! From startups, freelancers to hobbbyists all Makers intend to discuss new ideas, how to prototype, share projects, select partners and suppliers, plan projects and event get funding. Here we leave you a way to participate in this community:
- Facebook IoT Portugal Group - Facebook group for IoT related topics in Portugal.
- IoT Summit - Portuguese community event for startups, freelancers and hobbyists.
- Arduino Portugal - Portuguese Makers community around Arduino.
In this IoT Labs, you learned about general IoT practices with Windows 10 IoT, Linux and several development languages like C# and JavaScript.
As you already understood, IoT can be fun and always takes you into prototyping. There are several projects shared by the community that can help implement you project. We'd like to leave a set of resource you may find useful.
- Hackster.io - Hackster is a community dedicated to learning hardware
- Maker Faire - Maker Faire is the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth—a family-friendly festival of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement
- Make: - Maker Media is a global platform for connecting Makers
- ConnectTheDots.io - An open source project created by Microsoft to help you get tiny devices connected to Microsoft Azure IoT and to implement great IoT solutions taking advantage of Microsoft Azure advanced analytic services such as Azure Stream Analytics and Azure Machine Learning
- Fritzing - Fritzing is an open-source hardware initiative that makes electronics accessible as a creative material for anyone
- Instructables - The seeds of Instructables germinated at the MIT Media Lab as the future founders of Squid Labs built places to share their projects, connect with others, and make an impact on the world
- DIYhacking - DIY Hacking (Do It Yourself!) is a non-profit Indian organization working to promote the Maker culture
And remember, when running your personal project, please share with Microsoft Portugal. We'll provide you guidance and help you and your project to get to the next level!
Enjoy the Labs!