Raspberry Pi OS (Raspian) Installation
In order to commission Sprocket, the latest version of Raspian must be installed and running on the Raspberry Pi computer.
Requirements
- 1x MicroSD Card
- SD card adapter w/ SD reader or USB MicroUSB adapter
Raspian Download
Plug your SD card into your computer (using an SD adapter or USB MicroSD card writer).
Download the Raspberry Pi Imager from the official Raspberry Pi website. This will be used download and flash the most recent version of the Raspberry Pi OS (Raspian) to the SD card.
OS Selection
Launch the imager software, and select Raspberry Pi OS Lite (32-bit) under the "Raspberry Pi OS (other)" tab. Select your SD card in the Storage window.
Network and Locale Settings
Before clicking Write, open the settings window using the gear icon in the lower right corner of the imager software so you can configure the network settings before flashing the OS.
You will need to specify a desired hostname. This is how your Raspberry Pi (and Sprocket) will be identifiable on your home WiFi network. Use any name you want, default hostname is "sprocket".
Check the tickbox to enable SSH, and set the radio button for "Use password authentication". Below, set your desired username and password for the Pi.
Check the tickbox for "Configure wireless LAN", and enter your WiFi network's SSID and password. Make sure to update the "Wireless LAN country" field - in the US, the country code is "US".
Optionally, set your locale settings (for correct timezone and keyboard layout) by checking the tickbox for "Set locale settings" and selecting the appropriate values.
Click Save, and then click Write.
Power On Raspberry Pi
Once flashing is complete, insert the SD card into the Raspberry Pi. You will need to temporarily remove Sprocket's cover to access the SD slot on the back of the Raspberry Pi. Power up Sprocket, and wait a minute for the OS to boot.
On your computer, open a command window and check that the Raspberry Pi is communicatable over Wifi using the ping command.
ping YOUR_HOSTNAME_HERE
If you are unable to communicate with the Raspberry Pi, some online tutorials regarding Raspberry Pi network setup may be helpful. Do not proceed until you can successfully ping your Raspberry Pi.
SSH Connection
Installing SSH on your computer
If you receive an error message stating command not found or 'ssh' is not recognized as an internal or external command, you will need to install or enable ssh on your computer. By default on Mac or Linux computers, ssh will be preinstalled. On Windows, you may need to enable OpenSSH by following Microsoft's instructions here. You will only be using SSH Client, no need to enable SSH Server.
Connect to the Raspberry Pi over SSH using the commandline ssh command, as shown.
ssh YOUR_USERNAME_HERE@YOUR_HOSTNAME_HERE
The first time you connect over SSH, you may be asked to verify the authenticity of the ssh host. Type yes and press enter to continue connecting.
You will be prompted for the password you specified earlier, enter it and press enter. You may not see any characters in the command window when you type your password. This is normal behavior. A successful SSH connection looks as follows.
From here on out, unless explicitly stated otherwise, any commands will be run on the Raspberry Pi over SSH.
Network Check
Check that the internet connection works by issuing a "ping hardyautomation.com" command.
ping hardyautomation.com
Info: Exiting a command line program
Use the key combination Ctrl+C to stop a command line program from running. This sends a SIGINT signal, which stops the currently running program.
If you can successfully connect to an external URL, your internet connection is working.
