Exploring BeagleBone: Tools and Techniques for Building with Embedded Linux

Derek Molloy

Dec 2014 · John Wiley & Sons

About this ebook

In-depth instruction and practical techniques for building with the BeagleBone embedded Linux platform

Exploring BeagleBone is a hands-on guide to bringing gadgets, gizmos, and robots to life using the popular BeagleBone embedded Linux platform. Comprehensive content and deep detail provide more than just a BeagleBone instruction manual—you’ll also learn the underlying engineering techniques that will allow you to create your own projects. The book begins with a foundational primer on essential skills, and then gradually moves into communication, control, and advanced applications using C/C++, allowing you to learn at your own pace. In addition, the book’s companion website features instructional videos, source code, discussion forums, and more, to ensure that you have everything you need.

The BeagleBone’s small size, high performance, low cost, and extreme adaptability have made it a favorite development platform, and the Linux software base allows for complex yet flexible functionality. The BeagleBone has applications in smart buildings, robot control, environmental sensing, to name a few; and, expansion boards and peripherals dramatically increase the possibilities. Exploring BeagleBone provides a reader-friendly guide to the device, including a crash course in computer engineering. While following step by step, you can:

• Get up to speed on embedded Linux, electronics, and programming
• Master interfacing electronic circuits, buses and modules, with practical examples
• Explore the Internet-connected BeagleBone and the BeagleBone with a display
• Apply the BeagleBone to sensing applications, including video and sound
• Explore the BeagleBone’s Programmable Real-Time Controllers

Hands-on learning helps ensure that your new skills stay with you, allowing you to design with electronics, modules, or peripherals even beyond the BeagleBone. Insightful guidance and online peer support help you transition from beginner to expert as you master the techniques presented in Exploring BeagleBone, the practical handbook for the popular computing platform.

Ratings and reviews

Dr. Molloy knocks it out the park with this book. Not a beginners text by any means. One needs experience with Linux, c/c++, electrical engineering, and assembly language to really get the most out of the text. Rarely does one find such a well written, comprehensive, technical book.

Great book for embedded development with the BeagleBone Black and is a good read for those wanting to get started with the BBB. The author does a really good job at giving you good practical examples for motor control, digital, and analog circuits. The examples in all cases are clearly outline and do include the sample code. He covers both audio and video processing. The author covers compiling both in the system as well as cross compiling, and even walks you through setting up both environments. The author walks you through setting up and configuring the board for regular distributions of linux, as well as explaining a bit about your real time options. Furthermore he includes a chapter on the PRU's which are designed to help the CPU make deterministic deadlines for real time applications as well.

I've been following Derek's posts about the beaglebone, and did not doubt to get this book as soon as I heard about it

About the author

Dr. Derek Molloy is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electronic Engineering at Dublin City University, Ireland. Derek produces a popular YouTube series on the BeagleBone platform and a wide variety of embedded Linux topics. His videos and personal blog have introduced millions of people to the BeagleBone, embedded Linux, and digital electronics.