The Intel Galileo Boot Camp in Kenya

This is the Intel Galileo Competition going to happen in Kenya. That is the Kenyan version since it is also happening in other countries. You can Register Here so as to participate in the competition and also get more information on the same. In Kenya, the participants will be students from Kenyatta University, Nairobi University and Jommo Kenyatta University.

After registering for that competition, it is important to understand what an Intel Galileo is.

The intel galileo

This is a Linux based board compartible with arduino's environment.As you see, it is a collaboration between Intel and Arduino. If you have worked with an arduino then there is no doubt that you can be able to use an Intel Galileo which has much more features.

Here are some of the Intel Galileo Features

Ethernet Library Compatibility When using the Ethernet port provided on the board, it is the same as using Arduino’s Ethernet library.
 Shield Compatibility It is compatible with 5V and 3.3V Arduino shields designed for the Uno R3. It then has 14 digital I/O pins, a serial port, 6 analog inputs and an ICSP header.
Familiar IDE The intergrated development environment provided by Intel for the Galileo resembles that of the Arduino IDE on the surface. Under the Boards menu, there is addition of the Galileo under “Arduino X86 Boards.” This modified IDE is also capable of upgrading the firmware on the development board.
Real Time Clock  The Galileo has an on-board RTC (real time clock), which you will be able to track time even when the board is off. Just connect a 3.0V cell battery to the board.
 USB Host Port It has the USB On-The-Go port which enables anyone to use the the Arduino USB Host library to act as a keyboard or mouse for computers.
 Works with PCI Express Mini Cards It is at the bottom of the board where you'll see an expansion slot for PCI Express Mini cards. You can use it to connect WiFi, Bluetooth, GSM cards, or even a solid state drive for more storage if needed. If a WiFi card is connected, it works with Arduino’s Wifi library.
MicroSD Support A microSD card slot is also accessible for data storage from your code by using the standard Arduino SD card library.
 Linux on Board Some small Linux is loaded onto the 8 MB of flash memory. One can use tools like ALSA (for sound),  Python, V4L2 (for video input), SSH, node.js (for web projects), and openCV (for computer vision), you can boot Galileo from an SD card image that is provided by Intel.
TWI/I2C, SPI Support One can connect TWI/I2C or SPI components to the Galileo by using the standard Arduino Wire library or SPI library
Serial Connectivity  It has an addittional separate serial port for connecting to the Linux command line from your computer. It is connected through the audio jack interconnect next to the Ethernet port. This serves only as a serial port.

Now that you've gained some knowledge on Intel Galileo, What can you do with it?
This is now your part as an Electrical and Electronics, Mechanical, Robotics, Software or a Computer Engineering student to open the other eye. Get this challenge upon yourself. Get to ask yourself if you are a Novice, Hobbyst or an Expert when it comes to coding, circuit designing or even any other thing related to Engineering. Another question might be, 'Do you like what you are doing?'. Personally I'd answer "YES", to that question. It is essential to make use of the internet in doing alot of relevant research on things you want to gain expertise in. Then who said you're not the best? We are confidante and proud of ourselves as The Kenyatta University School of Engineering and Technology students at large. And did you know that every effort you make pays? Go and think about that.

REGISTER FOR THE GALILEO BOOT CAMP KENYA 2014 HERE