Raspberry gPIo a learn.sparkfun.

com tutorial
Available online at: http://sfe.io/t424

Contents
Introduction
GPIO Pinout
Hardware Setup
Python (RPi.GPIO) API
Python (RPi.GPIO) Example
C (WiringPi) Setup
C (WiringPi) API
C (WiringPi) Example
Using an IDE!
Resources & Going Further

Introduction
Relative to its size the Raspberry Pi is a powerhorse of a computer it can drive HDMI displays,
process mouse, keyboard, and camera inputs, connect to the Internet, and run full-featured Linux
distributions. But its more than just a small computer, its a hardware prototyping tool! The Pi has bi-
directional I/O pins, which you can use to drive LEDs, spin motors, or read button presses.

This tutorial applies to the Raspberry Pi Model B, the Raspberry Pi Model B+ and the new
Raspberry Pi 2 Model B.

Page 1 of 25
 Example Pi Wedge on a model B

Driving the Raspberry Pis I/O lines requires a bit of programming. Programming in what language?
Take your pick! A quick glance at the Raspberry Pi GPIO examples shows that there are dozens of
programming-language-choices. Weve pared that list down, and ended up with two really solid,
easy tools for driving I/O: Python and C (using the WiringPi library).

If youve never driven an LED or read in a button press using the Raspberry Pi, this tutorial should
help to get you started. Whether youre a fan of the easily-readable, interpretive scripting language
Python or more of a die-hard C programmer, youll find a programming option that suits our needs.

Covered In This Tutorial

In this tutorial well show two different approaches to reading and driving the Raspberry Pis GPIO
pins: python and C. Heres a quick overview of whats covered:

GPIO Pinout An overview of the Pis GPIO header.

Python API and Examples
RPi.GPIO API An overview of the Python functions you can use to drive GPIO.
RPi.GPIO Example An example Python script that shows off both input and output
functionality.
C (and WiringPi) API and Examples
WiringPi Setup and Test How to install WiringPi and then take it for a test drive on the
command line.
WiringPi API An overview of the basic functions provided by the WiringPi library.
WiringPi Example A simple example program that shows off WiringPis input and
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 output capabilities.
Using an IDE How to download and install Geany. Our favorite IDE for programming on the
Raspberry Pi.

Each programming language has its share of pros and cons. Python is easy (especially if your a
programming novice) and doesnt require any compilation. C is faster and may be easier for those
familiar with the old standby.

What Youll Need

Heres a wishlist-full of everything we used for this tutorial.

Raspberry gPIo SparkFun Wish List

Raspberry Pi - Model B
DEV-11546
Who wants pi? The Raspberry Pi has made quite a splash since it was first announced. The credit-card sized c

SparkFun Pi Wedge
KIT-12652
This is the SparkFun Pi Wedge, a small board that connects to the Raspberry Pi's 26-pin GPIO connector, and

(2) Breadboard - Self-Adhesive (White)

PRT-12002
This is your tried and true white solderless breadboard. It has 2 power buses, 10 columns, and 30 rows - a tota

Jumper Wires Standard 7" M/M - 30 AWG (30 Pack)

PRT-11026
If you need to knock up a quick prototype there's nothing like having a pile of jumper wires to speed things up,

Momentary Pushbutton Switch - 12mm Square

COM-09190
This is a standard 12mm square momentary button. What we really like is the large button head and good tact

Resistor 330 Ohm 1/6 Watt PTH - 20 pack

COM-11507
1/6 Watt, +/- 5% tolerance PTH resistors. Commonly used in breadboards and perf boards, these 330Ohm res

Some further notes on that bill of materials:

LED - Basic Red 5mm
COM-09590
Your LEDs
Raspberry Pi should
- those blinky things. Ahave an SD
must have for power with Raspbian
card indication, pin status,installed on sensors,
opto-electronic it. Check
andout our How
fun blink
to Install Raspbian tutorial for help with that.
Were also assuming you have the necessary mouse, keyboard and display hooked up to
View Raspberry gPIo on SparkFun.com
your Pi.
Your Pi will need an Internet connection to download WiringPi. You can use either Ethernet
or WiFi (check out our Raspberry Pi WiFi tutorial for help with that.
The Pi Wedge isnt quite required, but it does make life a lot easier. If you want to skip the
breakout, you can instead use Male-to-Female jumpers to connect from Pi to breadboard.
Of course, feel free to swap in your preferred button and LEDs.

Page 3 of 25
Suggested Reading

This tutorial will assume you have Raspbian installed on your Raspberry Pi. Raspbian is the most
popular, well-supported Linux distribution available for the Pi. If you dont have Raspbian set up,
check out our Setting Up Raspbian tutorial before continuing down this rabbit hole.

Other, more general purpose tutorials you might be interested in reading include:

Pulse-Width Modulation You can use PWM to dim LEDs or send signals to servo motors.
The RPi has a single PWM-capable pin.
Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) To test the output capabilities of the Pi, well be driving a lot of
LEDs.
Switch Basics And to test inputs to the Pi, well be using buttons and switches.
Pull-Up Resistors The Pi has internal pull-up (and pull-down) resistors. These are very
handy when youre interfacing buttons with the little computer.

Suggested Viewing

Check out our Raspberry Pi video tutorials if you want a more visual introduction to the Pi!

Getting Started With The Raspberry Pi

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

GPIO Pinout
The Raspberry Pi offers up its GPIO over a standard male header on the board. Over the years the
header has expanded from 26 pins to 40 pins while maintaining the original pinout.

Page 4 of 25
 Header configuration for early and late model Pi computers

If youre coming to the Raspberry Pi as an Arduino user, youre probably used to referencing pins
with a single, unique number. Programming the Pis hardware works much the same, each pin has
its own numberand then some.

There are (at least) two, different numbering schemes you may encounter when referencing Pi pin
numbers: (1) Broadcom chip-specific pin numbers and (2) P1 physical pin numbers. Youre usually
free to use either number-system, but many programs require that you declare which scheme youre
using at the very beginning of your program.

Heres a table showing all 26 pins on the P1 header, including any special function they may have,
and their dual numbers:

Page 5 of 25
 Element14 pin description, annotated

Wedge Python WiringPi P1 Pin WiringPi Python Wedge

Name Name
Silk (BCM) GPIO Number GPIO (BCM) Silk
3.3v DC Power 1 2 5v DC Power
GPIO02 (SDA1,
SDA 8 3 4 5v DC Power
I2C)
GPIO03 (SCL1,
SCL 9 5 6 Ground
I2C)
GPIO04
G4 4 7 7 8 GPIO14 (TXD0) 15 TXO
(GPIO_GCLK)
GPIO15
Ground 9 10 16 RXI
(RXD0)
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 G17 17 0 GPIO17 11 12 GPIO18 1 18 G18
(GPIO_GEN0) (GPIO_GEN1)
GPIO27
G27 27 2 13 14 Ground
(GPIO_GEN2)
GPIO22 GPIO23
G22 22 3 15 16 4 23 G23
(GPIO_GEN3) (GPIO_GEN4)
GPIO24
3.3v DC Power 17 18 5 24 G24
(GPIO_GEN5)
GPIO10
MOSI 12 19 20 Ground
(SPI_MOSI)
GPIO09 GPIO25
MISO 13 21 22 6 25 G25
(SPI_MISO) (GPIO_GEN6)
(no worky GPIO11 GPIO08
23 24 10 CD0
14) (SPI_CLK) (SPI_CE0_N)
GPIO07
Ground 25 26 11 CE1
(SPI_CE1_N)
ID_SD (I2C ID ID_SC (I2C ID
IDSD 30 27 28 31 IDSC
EEPROM) EEPROM)
G05 5 21 GPIO05 29 30 Ground
G6 6 22 GPIO06 31 32 GPIO12 26 12 G12
G13 13 23 GPIO13 33 34 Ground
G19 19 24 GPIO19 35 36 GPIO16 27 16 G16
G26 26 25 GPIO26 37 38 GPIO20 28 20 G20
Ground 39 40 GPIO21 29 21 G21

This table shows the Pi pin header numbers, element14 given names, wiringPi numbers, Python
numbers, and related silkscreen on the wedge.

Note: The Broadcom pin numbers above relate to Pi Model 2 and later only. If you have an older
Rev1 Pi, check out this link for your Broadcom pin numbers.

As you can see, the Pi not only gives you access to the bi-directional I/O pins, but also Serial
(UART), I2C, SPI, and even some PWM (analog output).

Hardware Setup
To get a head start you can assemble the circuit now. Well use this setup for both the C and Python
examples. Well use two LEDs to test the output functionality (digital and PWM), and a button to test
the input.

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connections to original pi

Page 8 of 25
 connections to the pi B + and pi 2 B

Our two LEDs are connected to the Pis GPIO 18 and GPIO 23 those are the Broadcom chip-
specific numbers. If youre basing your wiring off the P1 connector pin numbers, thatd be pins 12
and 16.

The button is connected to Broadcom GPIO 17, aka P1 pin 11.

If you have Pi Wedge, the hookup should be pretty straight-forward. Itll look a little something like
this when youre done:

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If you dont have a Pi Wedge, male-to-female jumper wires help to make an easy transition from Pi
to breadboard.

Python (RPi.GPIO) API

Well use the RPi.GPIO module as the driving force behind our Python examples. This set of Python
files and source is included with Raspbian, so assuming youre running that most popular Linux
distribution, you dont need to download anything to get started.

On this page well provide an overview of the basic function calls you can make using this module.

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Setup Stuff

In order to us RPi.GPIO throughout the rest of your Python script, you need to put this statement at
the top of your file:

language:Python
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO

That statement includes the RPi.GPIO module, and goes a step further by providing a local name
GPIO which well call to reference the module from here on.

Pin Numbering Declaration

After youve included the RPi.GPIO module, the next step is to determine which of the two pin-
numbering schemes you want to use:

1. GPIO.BOARD Board numbering scheme. The pin numbers follow the pin numbers on header
P1.
2. GPIO.BCM Broadcom chip-specific pin numbers. These pin numbers follow the lower-level
numbering system defined by the Raspberry Pis Broadcom-chip brain.

If youre using the Pi Wedge, we recommend using the GPIO.BCM definition those are the numbers
silkscreened on the PCB. The GPIO.BOARD may be easier if youre wiring directly to the header.

To specify in your code which number-system is being used, use the GPIO.setmode() function. For
example

language:Python
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)

will activate the Broadcom-chip specific pin numbers.

Both the import and setmode lines of code are required, if you want to use Python.

Setting a Pin Mode

If youve used Arduino, youre probably familiar with the fact that you have to declare a pin mode
before you can use it as either an input or output. To set a pin mode, use the setup([pin], [GPIO.IN,
GPIO.OUT] function. So, if you want to set pin 18 as an output, for example, write:

language:Python
GPIO.setup(18, GPIO.OUT)

Remember that the pin number will change if youre using the board numbering system (instead of
18, itd be 12).

Outputs

Digital Output
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To write a pin high or low, use the GPIO.output([pin], [GPIO.LOW, GPIO.HIGH]) function. For example, if
you want to set pin 18 high, write:

language:Python
GPIO.output(18, GPIO.HIGH)

Writing a pin to GPIO.HIGH will drive it to 3.3V, and GPIO.LOW will set it to 0V. For the lazy, alternative
to GPIO.HIGH and GPIO.LOW, you can use either 1, True, 0 or False to set a pin value.

PWM (Analog) Output

PWM on the Raspberry Pi is about as limited as can be one, single pin is capable of it: 18 (i.e.
board pin 12).

To initialize PWM, use GPIO.PWM([pin], [frequency]) function. To make the rest of your script-writing
easier you can assign that instance to a variable. Then use pwm.start([duty cycle]) function to set an
initial value. For example

language:Python
pwm = GPIO.PWM(18, 1000)
pwm.start(50)

will set our PWM pin up with a frequency of 1kHz, and set that output to a 50% duty cycle.

To adjust the value of the PWM output, use the pwm.ChangeDutyCycle([duty cycle]) function. [duty cycle]
can be any value between 0 (i.e 0%/LOW) and 100 (ie.e 100%/HIGH). So to set a pin to 75% on, for
example, you could write:

language:Python
pwm.ChangeDutyCycle(75)

To turn PWM on that pin off, use the pwm.stop() command.

Simple enough! Just dont forget to set the pin as an output before you use it for PWM.

Inputs

If a pin is configured as an input, you can use the GPIO.input([pin]) function to read its value. The input()
function will return either a True or False indicating whether the pin is HIGH or LOW. You can use an if
statement to test this, for example

language:Python
if GPIO.input(17):
print("Pin 11 is HIGH")
else:
print("Pin 11 is LOW")

will read pin 17 and print whether its being read as HIGH or LOW.

Pull-Up/Down Resistors
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Remember back to the GPIO.setup() function where we declared whether a pin was an input or
output? Theres an optional third parameter to that function, which you can use to set pull-up or pull-
down resistors. To use a pull-up resistor on a pin, add pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP as a third parameter
in GPIO.setup. Or, if you need a pull-down resistor, instead use pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_DOWN.

For example, to use a pull-up resistor on GPIO 17, write this into your setup:

language:Python
GPIO.setup(17, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP)

If nothing is declared in that third value, both pull-resistors will be disabled.

Etc.

Delays

If you need to slow your Python script down, you can add delays. To incorporate delays into your
script, youll need to include another module: time. This line, at the top of your script, will do it for you:

language:Python
include time

Then, throughout the rest of your script, you can use time.sleep([seconds]) to give your script a rest. You
can use decimals to precisely set your delay. For example, to delay 250 milliseconds, write:

language:Python
time.sleep(0.25)

The time module includes all sorts of useful functions, on top of sleep. Check out the reference here.

Garbage Collecting

Once your script has run its course, be kind to the next process that might use your GPIOs by
cleaning up after yourself. Use the GPIO.cleanup() command at the end of your script to release any
resources your script may be using.

Your Pi will survive if you forget to add this command, but it is good practice to include wherever you
can.

Now then. Lets incorporate everything we learned here into an example script to try everything out.

Python (RPi.GPIO) Example

Follow along as we use the basic RPi.GPIO functions from the last page to create a simple example
GPIO script.

1. Create a File
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To begin, we need to create a Python file. You can do this through the GUI-based file explorer. Or, if
you want a terminal-based solution, open up LXTerminal, and navigate to a folder youd like the file
to live (or create one). And create a new folder with these commands:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ mkdir python

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ cd python

Create a file well call ours blinker and terminate it with a .py extension. Then open it up in your
favorite text editor. Nano works, as does Pis default GUI text editor, Leafpad.

pi@raspberrypi ~/code/python $ touch blinker.py

pi@raspberrypi ~/code/python $ leafpad blinker.py &

Thatll open up a blank text file (the & will open it in the background, leaving the terminal in place
for future use). Time for some code!

2. Codify

Heres an example sketch that incorporates everything we learned on the last page. It does a little
input and output, and even handles some PWM. This assumes youve set up the circuit as arranged
on the Hardware Setup page.

language:Python
# External module imports
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import time

# Pin Definitons:
pwmPin = 18 # Broadcom pin 18 (P1 pin 12)
ledPin = 23 # Broadcom pin 23 (P1 pin 16)
butPin = 17 # Broadcom pin 17 (P1 pin 11)

dc = 95 # duty cycle (0-100) for PWM pin

# Pin Setup:
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM) # Broadcom pin-numbering scheme
GPIO.setup(ledPin, GPIO.OUT) # LED pin set as output
GPIO.setup(pwmPin, GPIO.OUT) # PWM pin set as output
pwm = GPIO.PWM(pwmPin, 50) # Initialize PWM on pwmPin 100Hz frequency
GPIO.setup(butPin, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_UP) # Button pin set as input w/ pull-up

# Initial state for LEDs:

GPIO.output(ledPin, GPIO.LOW)
pwm.start(dc)

print("Here we go! Press CTRL+C to exit")

try:
while 1:
if GPIO.input(butPin): # button is released
pwm.ChangeDutyCycle(dc)
GPIO.output(ledPin, GPIO.LOW)
else: # button is pressed:
pwm.ChangeDutyCycle(100-dc)

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 GPIO.output(ledPin, GPIO.HIGH)
time.sleep(0.075)
GPIO.output(ledPin, GPIO.LOW)
time.sleep(0.075)
except KeyboardInterrupt: # If CTRL+C is pressed, exit cleanly:
pwm.stop() # stop PWM
GPIO.cleanup() # cleanup all GPIO

After youve typed all of that in (dont forget your whitespace!) save.

Running the Script

The RPi.GPIO module requires administrator privileges, so youll need to tag a sudo on to the front of
your Python script call. To run your blinker.py script, type:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code/python $ sudo python blinker.py

With the code running, press the button to turn on the digital LED. The PWM-ing LED will invert its
brightness when you press the button as well.

Press CTRL+C to cleanly exit the script.

C (WiringPi) Setup
Python is a great GPIO-driving option, especially if youre used to it. But if youre a rickety old
programmer, unfamiliar with the whitespace-driven scripting language, and would rather live within
the happy confines of C, then let me introduce the WiringPi library.

1) Install Wiring Pi

WiringPi is not included with Raspbian, so, to begin, youll need to download and install it. That
means your Pi will need a connection to the Internet either via Ethernet or WiFi.

Page 15 of 25
Once your Pi is Internet-enabled, visit the WiringPi homepage for instructions on downloading and
installing the library.

We highly recommend using Git to download the latest version. As long as you have Git installed,
these commands should be all you need to download and install WiringPi:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ git clone git://git.drogon.net/wiringPi

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ cd wiringPi
pi@raspberrypi ~/code/wiringPi $ git pull origin
pi@raspberrypi ~/code/wiringPi $ cd wiringPi
pi@raspberrypi ~/code/wiringPi/wiringPi $ ./build

2) Test Wiring Pi

WiringPi is awesome because its actually more than just a C library, it includes a command-line
utility as well! You can test your installation of WiringPi with the gpio utility.

Open up a terminal, and try some of these system calls:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ gpio -g mode 18 output

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ gpio -g write 18 1
pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ gpio -g write 18 0

As long as your LED is still connected to pin 18 it should blink on and off following the last two
commands.

Or, to test the button, type:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ gpio -g mode 17 up

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ gpio -g read 17

Either 0 or 1 will be returned, depending on whether the button is pressed or not. Try typing that last
line again while pressing the button.

The gpio utility, as stated in the manual, is a swiss army knife command-line tool. We highly
recommend checking out the man page (type man gpio) to discover everything it can do.

If youre ready to get on with some C-style programming, head over to the next page. Well overview
some of the most useful functions provided by the WiringPi library.

C (WiringPi) API
On this page well discuss some of the most useful functions provided by the WiringPi library. Its
tailored to look a lot like Arduino, so if youve done any Arduino programming some of this may look
familiar.

Setup Stuff

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To begin, youll need to include the library. At the beginning of your program, type:

language:c
#include <wiringPi.h>

After youve included the library, your first steps should be to initialize it. This step also determines
which pin numbering scheme youll be using throughout the rest of your program. Pick one of
these function calls to initialize the library:

language:c
wiringPiSetup(); // Initializes wiringPi using wiringPi's simlified number system.
wiringPiSetupGpio(); // Initializes wiringPi using the Broadcom GPIO pin numbers

WiringPis simplified number system introduces a third pin-numbering scheme. We didnt show it in
the table earlier, if you want to use this scheme, check out their pins page for an overview.

Pin Mode Declaration

To set a pin as either an input or output, use the pinMode([pin], [mode]) function. Mode can be either
INPUT, OUTPUT, or PWM_OUTPUT.

For example, to set pin 22 as an input, 23 as an output, and 18 as a PWM, write:

language:c
wiringPiSetupGpio()
pinMode(17, INPUT);
pinMode(23, OUTPUT);
pinMode(18, PWM_OUTPUT);

Keep in mind that the above example uses the Broadcom GPIO pin-numbering scheme.

Digital Output

The digitalWrite([pin], [HIGH/LOW]) function can be used to set an output pin either HIGH or LOW. Easy
enough, if youre an Arduino user.

To set pin 23 as HIGH, for example, simply call:

language:c
digitalWrite(23, HIGH);

PWM (Analog) Output

For the lone PWM pin, you can use pwmWrite([pin], [0-1023]) to set it to a value between 0 and 1024. As
an example

language:c
pwmWrite(18, 723);

will set pin 18 to a duty cycle around 70%.

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Digital Input

If youre an Arduino veteran, you probably know what comes next. To read the digital state of a pin,
digitalRead([pin]) is your function. For example

language:c
if (digitalRead(17))
printf("Pin 17 is HIGH\n");
else
printf("Pin 17 is LOW\n");

will print the status of pin 22. The digitalRead() function returns 1 if the pin is HIGH and 0 if its LOW.

Pull-Up/Down Resistors

Need some pull-up or pull-down resistors on your digital input? Use the pullUpDnControl([pin], [PUD_OFF,
PUD_DOWN, PUD_UP]) function to pull your pin.

For example, if you have a button on pin 22 and need some help pulling it up, write:

language:c
pullUpDnControl(17, PUD_UP);

That comes in handy if your button pulls low when its pressed.

Delays

Slowing down those blinking LEDs is always useful assuming you actually want to differentiate
between on and off. WiringPi includes two delay functions to choose from: delay([milliseconds]) and
delayMicroseconds([microseconds]). The standard delay will halt the program flow for a specified number
of milliseconds. If you want to delay for 2 seconds, for example, write:

language:c
delay(2000);

Or you can use delayMicroseconds() to get a more precise, microsecond-level delay.

Now that you know the basics, lets apply them to an example piece of code.

C (WiringPi) Example
The intention of WiringPi is to make your I/O code look as Arduino-ified as possible. However keep
in mind that were no longer existing in the comfy confines of Arduino theres no loop() or setup(), just
int main(void).

Follow along here as we create an example C file, incorporate the WiringPi library, and compile and
run that program.

Page 18 of 25
Create blinker.c

Using the terminal, navigate to a folder of your choice and create a new file blinker.c. Then open
that file in a text editor (Nano or Leafpad are included with Raspbian).

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ mkdir c_example

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ cd c_example
pi@raspberrypi ~/code/c_example $ touch blinker.c
pi@raspberrypi ~/code/c_example $ leafpad blinker.c &

The commands above will open your blinker.c file in Leafpad, while leaving your terminal
functioning in-directory in the background.

Program!

Heres an example program that includes a little bit of everything we talked about on the last page.
Copy and paste, or write it yourself to get some extra reinforcement.

language:c
#include <stdio.h> // Used for printf() statements
#include <wiringPi.h> // Include WiringPi library!

// Pin number declarations. We're using the Broadcom chip pin numbers.
const int pwmPin = 18; // PWM LED - Broadcom pin 18, P1 pin 12
const int ledPin = 23; // Regular LED - Broadcom pin 23, P1 pin 16
const int butPin = 17; // Active-low button - Broadcom pin 17, P1 pin 11

const int pwmValue = 75; // Use this to set an LED brightness

int main(void)
{
// Setup stuff:
wiringPiSetupGpio(); // Initialize wiringPi -- using Broadcom pin numbers

pinMode(pwmPin, PWM_OUTPUT); // Set PWM LED as PWM output

pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // Set regular LED as output
pinMode(butPin, INPUT); // Set button as INPUT
pullUpDnControl(butPin, PUD_UP); // Enable pull-up resistor on button

printf("Blinker is running! Press CTRL+C to quit.\n");

// Loop (while(1)):
while(1)
{
if (digitalRead(butPin)) // Button is released if this returns 1
{
pwmWrite(pwmPin, pwmValue); // PWM LED at bright setting
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // Regular LED off
}
else // If digitalRead returns 0, button is pressed
{
pwmWrite(pwmPin, 1024 - pwmValue); // PWM LED at dim setting
// Do some blinking on the ledPin:

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 digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // Turn LED ON
delay(75); // Wait 75ms
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // Turn LED OFF
delay(75); // Wait 75ms again
}
}

return 0;
}

Once youve finished, Save and return to your terminal.

Compile and Execute!

Unlike Python, which is an interpreted language, before we can run our C program, we need to build
it.

To compile our program, well invoke gcc. Enter this into your terminal, and wait a second for it to
finish compiling:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code/c_example $ gcc -o blinker blinker.c -l wiringPi

That command will create an executable file blinker. The -l wiringPi part is important, it loads
the wiringPi library. A successful compilation wont produce any messages; if you got any errors, try
to use the messages to track them down.

Type this to execute your program:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code/c_example $ sudo ./blinker

The blinker program should begin doing its thing. Make sure youve set up the circuit just as
modeled on the hardware setup page. Press the button to blink the LED, release to have it turn off.
The PWM-ing LED will be brightest when the button is released, and dim when the button is
pressed.

If typing all of that code in a bland, black-and-white, non-highlighting editor hurt your brain, check out
the next page where we introduce a simple IDE that makes your programming more efficient.

Using an IDE!
Thus far weve been using simple text-editors Leafpad or Nano to write our Python and C
programs. So seasoned programmers are probably missing a whole lot of features assumed of even
the most basic editors: auto-tabbing, context-highlighting, even automated building. If you want to
incorporate any of those features, we recommend using an IDE (integrated development
environment). One of our favorite Pi IDEs is Geany, heres how to get it up and running.

Download and Install Geany

Page 20 of 25
Geany isnt included with Raspbian, so youll need an Internet connection to download it. You can
use the magical apt-get utility to install it with this command:

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ sudo apt-get update

pi@raspberrypi ~/code $ sudo apt-get install geany

Once installed, you can run Geany by going to the Start menu, and looking under the
Programming tab.

Or, from the terminal, you can type sudo geany . You can even open a file in Geany, directly from the
command line. To open our previous C file, for example, type sudo geany blinker.c .

Using Geany

Once Geany is running, you can create a new file by going to File > New. Saving the file as either
.c or .py (or any other common language file extension) will immediately inform Geany what kind
of language youre working with, so it can start highlighting your text.

Geany can be used with most languages, including the Python and C examples weve just
examined. Some tweaks to the default IDE options are necessary, though. Heres an overview of
using Geany with each language.

with C and WiringPi

Lets recreate our WiringPi Example with Geany. Open the blinker.c created earlier within the
confines of Geany. You should immediately be presented with some very pleasant color-coding.

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Before trying to compile the code, though, youll need to tweak some of the build options. Go up to
Build and Set Build Commands. Inside the Compile and Build text blocks, tack this on to the
end of the default command: -l wiringPi. That will load the wiringPi library.

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While youre here, add sudo to the beginning of your execute command. Make sure your build
commands look like the window above and click OK.

Once youve adjusted that setting, you should be ready to go. Click the Build menu, then click Build
(or click the red cinder-block-looking icon up top). Upon building, the IDE will switch focus to the
bottom Compiler tab, and relay the results of your compilation. If the build was successful, go
ahead and run with it.

To run your built file, click Build > Execute (or click the gear icon up top). Executing will bring up a
new terminal window, and start your program running. You can stop the program by pressing
CTRL+C in the terminal window.

with Python

You can also use Geany with Python. To test it out, go ahead an open up the blinker.py file we
created earlier. As with the C file, youll be greeted with some pleasnt context highlighting.

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No building required with Python! Once youre script is written, simply click the Execute gear up
top. Again, running will produce a separate terminal to pop up. To exit, simply press CTRL+C.

Geany has tons of features beyond what weve covered here. Check out the tabs at the bottom.
Check out the menus up top. Experiment and see how the IDE can make your programming life
easier!

Resources & Going Further

Now that you know how to blink your Pis LEDs, check out some of these resources for going further:

RPi Low-level peripherals A Wiki with tons of details on using the Raspberry Pis GPIO
peripherals.
WiringPi Hompeage The home of WiringPi and a variety of other Raspberry-Pi-related tools.
Check it out!
RPi.GPIO Homepage Home of the Raspberry Pi GPIO python module. Great source for API
and documentation.

If youre looking for some project inspiration, here are some more SparkFun tutorials where youll be
able to leverage your newfound Pi programming skills:

Raspberry Pi Twitter Monitor How to use a Raspberry Pi to monitor Twitter for hashtags and
blink an LED.

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 Getting Started with the BrickPi How to connect your Raspberry Pi to Lego Mindstorms,
using the BrickPi.
pcDuino 2 Hookup Guide An introduction to the pcDuino an equally (if not more) powerful
single board computer.

learn.sparkfun.com | CC BY-SA 3.0 | SparkFun Electronics | Niwot, Colorado

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