Electronic Essentials
This is the "push" or "pressure" that causes electric charge to flow, measured in Volts.
What is Voltage?
The two required functions that form the fundamental structure of every Arduino sketch.
What are setup() and loop()?
The interactive command-line prompt on a MicroPython device, short for Read-Eval-Print Loop. Not a trick...
What is the REPL?
The Bash command that prints your current location in the filesystem.
What is pwd?
The git command used to record changes from the staging area into the repository's history.
What is git commit?
This law defines the relationship V = I x R (Voltage = Current × Resistance).
What is OHM's Law?
The Arduino C++ function used to configure a GPIO pin as an INPUT or OUTPUT.
What is pinMode()?
The MicroPython module used for controlling hardware like GPIO pins, ADCs, and PWM.
What is the machine module?
The #!/bin/bash line at the top of a script, which specifies the interpreter to use.
What is the Shebang?
The HTTP method used to retrieve data from a server, like fetching info from a web API.
What is a GET request?
A signal type that has only two discrete states, such as HIGH/LOW or ON/OFF.
What is a Digital Signal?
The function used to read a continuous voltage, which the Arduino Uno converts to a value between 0 and 1023.
What is analogRead()?
The consistent naming convention for PowerShell cmdlets, like Get-Process or New-Item.
What is Verb-Noun?
The HTTP method used to submit data to a server, like sending sensor readings to Google Sheets.
What is a POST request?
This component, which has polarity, is essential for protecting an LED from drawing too much current.
What is a Resistor?
The two key built-in wireless features that differentiate the ESP32 from a standard Arduino Uno.
What are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
The standard Python library used on a PC to establish serial communication with an Arduino or ESP32.
What is pyserial or serial?
Unlike Bash which pipes text, PowerShell's pipeline (|) passes these, which have properties and methods.
What are Objects?
A lightweight publish/subscribe protocol, ideal for IoT, that uses a central "Broker" and "Topics."
What is MQTT?
A 3-pin variable resistor often wired as a voltage divider to provide an adjustable analog input. Has a wiper.
What is a Potentiometer?
This convenient pinMode setting activates an internal resistor, simplifying button wiring by ensuring the pin reads HIGH by default.
What is INPUT_PULLUP?
The MicroPython library used to make HTTP GET and POST requests from the ESP32.
What is urequests?
The PowerShell cmdlet used to discover commands, often filtered with the -Verb or -Noun parameters.
What is Get-Command?
An independent line of development in Git, created to work on a feature without affecting the main branch.
What is a branch?