A developer's guide to the Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an area of rapid growth and opportunity. Technical innovations in networks, sensors and applications, coupled with the advent of ‘smart machines’ have resulted in a huge diversity of devices generating all kinds of structured and unstructured data that needs to be processed somewhere. Collecting and understanding that data, combining it with other sources of information and putting it to good use can be achieved by using connectivity, analytical and cognitive services now available on the cloud, allowing development and deployment of solutions to be achieved faster and more efficiently than ever before. This course is an entry level introduction to developing and deploying solutions for the Internet of Things. It will focus on capturing data from a trusted device and sending the data to a cloud platform where it can be exploited by the many services available. You will explore all the steps required to create a basic IoT solution using a popular device, the Raspberry Pi, and a trial version of the cloud-based IBM Watson IoT Platform. What you will learn: Quickly create applications that leverage connectivity and analytics as part of an integrated IoT platform. Use Node-RED, an open-source visual application development environment, on both the device and the cloud. Create a basic IoT solution by leveraging pre-built blocks of code that abstracts and speeds the development process. Access lower level APIs to manipulate and extrapolate the data. Explore options to ensure your solution makes best use of the captured data. What technology is required to complete the course? The programming assignments require you to have a Raspberry Pi device – any model of Raspberry Pi with a 40 pin header. It is preferred that you also use an associated SenseHAT extension board for the Raspberry Pi. If a SenseHAT is not available, we have provided a simulator that can mimic the board’s functionality; this allows you to complete all of the hands-on assignments. Finally, you will be given a complimentary trial for the IBM Watson IoT Platform on Bluemix, which lets you explore all the resources and capabilities of a cloud-based IoT solution environment. In addition you need: * Internet connectivity for downloading software, connecting to the platform, developing and deploying your IoT solution. * To set an OS for your Rasberry Pi : - Micro SD Card: 8GB is recommended but 4GB will do. The card will hold the OS and programs that will live in your Raspberry Pi as part of the IoT solution (Note that the learner kit comes with a preconfigured SD card) - Micro SD card adapter or USB Micro SD card adapter for connecting the SD card to your computer and downloading the Raspbian Jessie operating system to the card. - A Windows, Apple, or Linux computer for setting up the Micro SD card, connecting to the platform * To work on your Raspberry Pi - HDMI monitor or TV to work as the display for the Raspberry Pi (DVI monitor will also work) - HDMI cable to connect the Raspberry Pi to the monitor (DVI to HDMI cable if using a DVI monitor) - A way to connect to the internet; either an Ethernet cable for connecting to the Router, or a USB WIFI dongle if you have wireless connectivity. Note that the Raspberry Pi 3 includes built-in wireless - A USB Keyboard and mouse. - 5V micro USB power supply for your Raspberri Pi (This may be a phone charger for example) * A credit card to use on IBM Bluemix if you are planning to take longer than 30 days to complete the course, or if you have an existing trial account that that is about to expire and you need longer time on the platform to complete the course What prerequisite skills are required ? This is an entry level course, but does assume you have basic programming skills. The assignments set use both Python and JavaScript programming languages, so some basic skill in these languages is required. No previous experience with IBM Bluemix or the IBM Watson IoT Platform is required. What additional resources do I need for this course? All required resources are provided within the course materials; additional learning material and recipes that can extend your IoT application development experience can be found at: http://www.ibm.com/internet-of-things/iot-development.html