6. Hardware Control

Every Python value in the primer lived in memory: a number named x, a string returned by a function, a list manipulated by a loop. Hardware control replaces in-memory work with physical effects – a voltage on a pin, a pulse train on a wire, a byte clocked into another chip over a bus.

The machine module is the bridge. Its classes (Pin, ADC, PWM, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, WDT) each map a piece of the camera’s silicon to Python: configure an instance, call its methods, see real effects on the board’s pins.

Foundations

• 6.1. Microcontrollers
• 6.2. Timing
• 6.3. Virtual timers
• 6.4. Pins and peripherals

GPIO output

• 6.5. The LED class
• 6.6. Electronics basics
• 6.7. GPIO output
• 6.8. Level shifting

GPIO input

• 6.9. Switches and pull resistors
• 6.10. GPIO input
• 6.11. Debouncing

Analog signals

• 6.12. Reading analog with the ADC
• 6.13. Generating analog with PWM and an RC filter

PWM applications

• 6.14. LED dimming with PWM
• 6.15. DC motor control
• 6.16. Servo control

Pulse-timed I/O

• 6.17. Bit streams and pulse measurement

UART

• 6.18. UART basics
• 6.19. UART in code
• 6.20. Serial protocols, framing, and CRCs

SPI

• 6.21. SPI basics
• 6.22. SPI in code

I2C

• 6.23. I2C basics
• 6.24. I2C in code

CAN bus

• 6.25. CAN bus basics
• 6.26. CAN bus in code

Production patterns

• 6.27. Watchdog timer
• 6.28. Real-time clock
• 6.29. Low-power and sleep modes

Wrap up

• 6.30. Wrap up