Interfacing with the Raspberry Pi (Coursera)

Interfacing with the Raspberry Pi (Coursera)

The Raspberry Pi uses a variety of input/output devices based on protocols such as HDMI, USB, and Ethernet to communicate with the outside world. In this class you will learn how to use these protocols with other external devices (sensors, motors, GPS, orientation, LCD screens etc.) to get your IoT device to interact with the real world.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see Coursera's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Most physical devices use analog signals; however computer hardware is digital so in this class you will learn how these signals are converted back-and-forth and how this must be considered as you program your device. The basic design of a sensor-actuator system will also be covered. You will also learn how to build more sophisticated hardware systems using Raspberry Pi expansion boards to create fun and exciting IoT devices.
Course 5 of 6 in the An Introduction to Programming the Internet of Things (IOT) Specialization

Syllabus

WEEK 1
This module presents the use of the Raspberry Pi to connect to the Internet, from a user perspective. The first way to use the Raspberry Pi as a networked device is to use it as a general-purpose computer rather than as a programmed IoT device. Using networking with a Raspberry Pi in this way is similar to using the network from any Linux machine, and we present its use in this module. We also present the standard Internet protocols that must be understood in order to develop network programs.

WEEK 2
This module introduces the networking socket interface that is used to transfer data across the network programmatically. An essential aspect of the Internet of Things is for your IoT device to send and receive data on the Internet, and the socket interface is key to enabling that. We describe how to use socket in Python to act as both a client and a server.

WEEK 3
This module focuses on how to have your Raspberry Pi interact with online services through the use of public APIs and SDKs. Many interesting and useful services are available in the cloud and this module describes how to write code that accesses those services. We define what an Application Programming Interface (API) is and what a Software Development Kit (SDK) is. We present some API examples and we show the use of the Twitter API in detail using the Twython package.

WEEK 4
In this module we show how to use the Raspberry Pi to interface with more complicated sensors and actuators. We explore the use of the Raspberry Pi camera module and the use of a servo. The Raspberry Pi camera module is used through the picamera library, which we describe. Servos are controlled by generating pulse width modulated signals and varying their pulse width using library functions.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Introduction to Open Source Application Development (Coursera) Coursera
Illinois Tech

Introduction to Open Source Application Development (Coursera)

This course introduces basic concepts of systems programming using a modern open source language. You will learn to apply basic programming concepts toward solving problems, writing pseudocode, working with and effectively using basic data types, abstract data types, control structures, code modularization and arrays. You will learn to detect errors, work with variables and loops, and discover how functions, methods, and operators work with different data types. You will also be introduced to the object paradigm including classes, inheritance, and polymorphism.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to Data Networks and the Internet - Bachelor's (Coursera) Coursera
Illinois Tech

Introduction to Data Networks and the Internet - Bachelor's (Coursera)

This course covers current and evolving data network technologies, protocols, network components, and the networks that use them, focusing on communication to and from the Internet and Local area networks. Course content includes Internet architecture, organization, and protocols including Ethernet, 802.11, routing, switching, OSI and TCP models, DNS, SNMP, DHCP, and more.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Laboratório de Programação Orientada a Objetos - Parte 2 (Coursera) Coursera
Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil

Laboratório de Programação Orientada a Objetos - Parte 2 (Coursera)

Esta é a segunda parte do curso avançado de Programação Orientada a Objetos oferecido pelo Departamento de Ciência da Computação do IME-USP. O curso é voltado para profissionais ou estudantes interessados em Desenvolvimento de Software Avançado e que já dominam uma linguagem de programação e já conhecem os fundamentos básicos da orientação a objetos.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Accounting Data Analytics with Python (Coursera) Coursera
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Accounting Data Analytics with Python (Coursera)

This course focuses on developing Python skills for assembling business data. It will cover some of the same material from Introduction to Accounting Data Analytics and Visualization, but in a more general purpose programming environment (Jupyter Notebook for Python), rather than in Excel and the Visual Basic Editor. These concepts are taught within the context of one or more accounting data domains (e.g., financial statement data from EDGAR, stock data, loan data, point-of-sale data).

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Learn JavaScript (Coursera) Coursera
Scrimba

Learn JavaScript (Coursera)

This is perhaps the most interactive JavaScript course ever recorded. It contains 140+ coding challenges, meaning that you will finally build that ever-so-important JavaScript muscle memory. You will solve the challenges directly in the browser thanks to Scrimba's interactive video technology, so there's not setup needed. Say goodbye to "tutorial hell" and get ready to start feeling your JavaScript superpowers grow exponentially.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Basic Modeling for Discrete Optimization (Coursera) Coursera
University of Melbourne,The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Basic Modeling for Discrete Optimization (Coursera)

Optimization is a common form of decision making, and is ubiquitous in our society. Its applications range from solving Sudoku puzzles to arranging seating in a wedding banquet. The same technology can schedule planes and their crews, coordinate the production of steel, and organize the transportation of iron ore from the mines to the ports. Good decisions in manpower and material resources management also allow corporations to improve profit by millions of dollars.

Aug 17th 2026
4 Weeks
Selenium WebDriver with Python (Coursera) Coursera
Whizlabs

Selenium WebDriver with Python (Coursera)

“Selenium WebDriver with Python” is a foundational course that aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Selenium and its components. It also helps in understanding how Selenium WebDriver Operates. This course begins by demonstrating an environment setup for Selenium WebDriver with Python. A brief description of locating Web elements and web Interactions is provided in this course. This course covers an overview of testing frameworks with Selenium WebDriver. Some advanced topics such as Handling Popup, Alerts, Multiple Browser Tabs, Mouse and Keyboard interactions are also highlighted in this course.

Aug 17th 2026
3 Weeks
Estructuras de datos de Python (Coursera) Coursera
University of Michigan

Estructuras de datos de Python (Coursera)

Este curso presentará las estructuras de datos básicas del lenguaje de programación Python. Veremos los conceptos básicos de la programación de procedimientos y exploraremos cómo podemos usar las estructuras de datos integrados de Python, como listas, diccionarios y tuplas, para realizar análisis de datos cada vez más complejos. Este curso abarcará los capítulos 6 a 10 del libro de texto “Python para todos”. Este curso cubre Python 3.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks