📦 Section 1 – Getting Started with Full Stack IoT

My journey into Full Stack IoT began this summer with a strong motivation to master hardware and software integration before university resumes. Since I already had a background in Python from my university courses, I decided to go with the Raspberry Pi instead of Arduino. Arduino is great for microcontroller projects, but the Pi gave me the flexibility of using Python, working within a Linux environment, and building more complex IoT systems.

I was excited when I finally got my Raspberry Pi B+ model from Direnc.net a turkish company known for selling electronics components but that excitement quickly turned into confusion when the Pi wouldn’t turn on. I had used a normal phone charger instead of the recommended Pi power supply, I learned that the Pi requires a stable input of 100 - 240V and ouput of 5.1V power supply with 2.5A of current (depending on the model), while most phone chargers only supply around 1A–2A and can’t consistently handle the Pi’s power demands — especially when using peripherals like a keyboard, mouse, or display. That lack of current was enough to prevent the Pi from booting properly so I thought I had damaged the board. Out of panic, I went out and got a Raspberry Pi Pico, thinking it would help me continue — only to later find out that the issue was just the power supply. Once I got the right Pi charger, everything worked perfectly. That mistake taught me an important lesson about power requirements and not assuming the worst.

With the Pi now working, I moved on to installing the Raspberry Pi OS onto a microSD card using the official imager. It was my first time flashing an OS manually, and the process gave me a deeper understanding of how Linux-based systems boot. I connected my Pi to a screen, keyboard, and mouse, and booted into Raspberry Pi OS successfully.

Since then, I’ve been diving into Linux basics — using terminal commands like cd, ls, sudo, pwd, mkdir, rmdir, mv and others — and gradually getting comfortable with navigating the system. I also started using the Thonny Python IDE for writing GPIO code to control LEDs my first project check it out on notes in the menu.

This first phase has been full of challenges, but every mistake has taught me something. I now feel more confident in handling hardware, software, and the command line. My goal is to document everything — not just the successes, but also the struggles — so I can look back on how far I've come, and so others starting out can relate to the journey.

💡 Project 1 – Blinking Two LEDs

This was my first hands-on GPIO project on the Raspberry Pi. I used Python and the RPi.GPIO library to blink two LEDs in alternating patterns. The goal was to get comfortable working with basic circuit components like LEDs, resistors, breadboards, and GPIO pins.

I connected two LEDs to GPIO pins 2 and 4 and wrote a simple loop in Python to turn them on and off at 0.5-second intervals. Although the video I recorded was just 6 seconds long, it was enough to confirm that the logic worked. Seeing the LEDs blink for the first time was a huge motivational boost.

🔧 Components Used

• Raspberry Pi B+ Model
• Breadboard
• 2x LEDs (Red & Green)
• 2x 220Ω resistors
• Jumper wires

🧠 Code & Logic Explanation

Below is the Python script I used for my first GPIO-based mini project. It blinks two LEDs connected to GPIO pins 17 and 27 in an alternating pattern. This project helped me understand GPIO output control, timing delays, and how to safely handle GPIO cleanup.

            import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
            import time

            GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)

            led1 = 17
            led2 = 27

            GPIO.setup(led1, GPIO.OUT)
            GPIO.setup(led2, GPIO.OUT)

            try:
                while True:
                    GPIO.output(led1, GPIO.HIGH)
                    GPIO.output(led2, GPIO.LOW)
                    time.sleep(1)
                    
                    GPIO.output(led1, GPIO.LOW)
                    GPIO.output(led2, GPIO.HIGH)
                    time.sleep(1)
            except KeyboardInterrupt:
                GPIO.cleanup()
            

- I imported RPi.GPIO to control the Pi’s GPIO pins and time for delay. - I used GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM) to use BCM pin numbering. - Pins 17 and 27 were defined as outputs and connected to the two LEDs. - Inside a try block, I created an infinite while True loop. - Each loop cycle turns LED 1 ON and LED 2 OFF, waits 1 second, then reverses it — creating a “ping-pong” effect. - The except KeyboardInterrupt ensures that when I stop the script using Ctrl+C, the GPIO.cleanup() resets the pins safely.

📹 Demo

Here’s a 6-second clip of the LEDs blinking alternately:
🎬 Watch Demo