Getting Started with Mindsensors PiStorms

Hardware Requirements

You will need all of the following:

  • Mindsensors PiStorms-v2
  • Raspberry Pi Model B, B+, 2 or 3
  • A 9V power source [1]
  • A compatible SD or MicroSD memory card [2]
  • Windows, macOS or Linux computer with an Internet connection [3]
  • SD card reader for your computer
[1]The power source can be batteries or an AD/DC adapter.
[2]Refer to Raspberry Pi SD Card FAQ
[3]Administrative privileges are needed for installing software and flashing the microSD card.

Communication Requirements

You will need one of the following to establish communication to the PiStorms:

  • A USB Wi-Fi dongle attached to the Raspberry Pi [4]
  • The built-in Wi-Fi on Raspberry Pi 3
  • An Ethernet cable
[4]A list of known working Wi-Fi dongles can be found on the wiki

Installing Ev3dev

Ev3dev is distributed as a disk image that is flashed to your microSD card.

  1. Download and install Etcher.

  2. Download the latest ev3dev image for Raspberry Pi from the ev3dev downloads page.

    Note

    Follow the link on that page for ev3dev-stretch snapshot images.

  3. Run Etcher and flash the image to the microSD card. Click here if you need detailed instructions on using Etcher.

  4. When the flashing is complete, open the EV3DEV_BOOT drive of the SD card on your computer.

    Tip

    You may need to remove the SD card and plug it back in to the computer before you see the EV3DEV_BOOT drive.

  5. Open the config.txt file and follow the instructions. There is a line that needs to be edited to enable PiStorms.

  6. Save the changes to config.txt and close the text editor.

  7. Safely eject the SD card from your computer.

  8. Put the SD card in the Raspberry Pi and turn it on.

Establishing a Connection

Wi-Fi

Todo

Link to BrickMan docs on how to setup Wi-Fi.

Wired Ethernet

Connect an Ethernet cable from your Raspberry Pi to your router or network switch.

Setting Up a Development Environment

Programming tools are the same no matter which ev3dev device you are using, so continue here.