Getting Started With Intel IoT for the Real Mac Dummies :)

This Instructable describes how I worked myself through the first steps with the Intel IoT kit on a Mac.

I'm Charlotte, one of the members of FabLab Breda (The Netherlands). I'm a lot more capable with hardware (3D printers, lasercutters, CNC etc) than with coding and micro-electronics. I've decided to give it a try, since I really want to learn more about electronics, so signed up for a IoT starter kit. And I got one! Hooray!

Since I'm a total noob, this describes the first steps that I had to take to set up everything. Hope it's helpful to somebody and that you're encouraged to give things a try, just like I did :)

Step 1: Unpacking Things and Hooking Things Up

Connecting the hardware is pretty neat described here.

Don't forget to click next step in stead of Where to go next... (It's written so small that I didn't notice that...)

Step 2: Download Edison Arduino IDE

So I guess you can manage this ;)

Go to the next step, 3:Test the board with Blink example

Step 3: Blink! :)

To make a first connection with your board, just follow the steps to upload the example file Blink. If everything has gone well, a little LED on the board should start to blink.

So far so good? I was. The !@# started during the next step...

Step 4: Don't Forget to Flash

Don't forget to flash (whatever that will be...)

So we're almost there and we got really enthousiast because of the blinking LED, but do you remember the question on the first page?

We need to flash it first! Let's make use of the instructions provided:

Step 1: Connecting Edison

2 micro usb cables?! Hope you have a spare one from your phone or other device, since the kit is shipped with only one... When Edison doesn't show up as a device, change cables, reconnect and keep trying! Mine showed up after some attempts...

Step 2: Remove old images

Ok, it seems like it isn't good enough to just drag the files into the trashbin so we should use some oldschool way to remove it? I'm totally new to the terminal (and pretty new to macs, which doesn't help me neither...) Turns out that the terminal is like the command stuff in windows where you can do the nerdy stuff. Luckily Terminal shows up when I use spotlight (cmd+spacebar) and hooray my terminal is white :) This feels really nerdy, but I managed to get through these steps :)

Step 3: Download the latest image

I didn't encounter problems with this part, hope you're fine aswell ;)

Step 4: Flashing Edison

Be aware of the space between "screen" and "/dev/cu.usbserial". Screen means show here. Watch out! Don't press enter but TAB here!

I guess typing 115200 -L has something to do with the speed we will communicate with each other?! Feel so dumb here... I'll just continue, and yes, luckily all goes well!

Ok, it took a while, I had to retry it a couple of times, plugin cables in and out, alternating ports, but I finally managed to have a screen that somewhat looked like the one shown on the flash your Edison page.

Step 5: Where Were We? Ah, Last Step: Connect Edison to Wifi

Continue with step 4.

Ok, sometimes I don't know what happens, but I loose connection I guess and the terminal excuses for not finding a PTY, whatever that may be.

My solution? Quitting the terminal, disconnecting Edison and connect/start everything again.

When I'm finally connected again and type in "root", I'm asked my password. (This is because I configured it before typing this instructable. You can continue with the next steps.)

Type your password, and yes, there is NO feedback that you are typing, so make sure you do it right.

Now that I'm making this Instructable, I'm on another Wifi netword, so I don't want to fully configure my Edison again. The name and password I've chosen before are ok, but I do want to change the Wifi network it's connected to. So instead of typing "configure_edison --setup" I only type "configure_edison". This shows me a list with options :)

I want to chose another network so I type "--wifi". No luck. I type "configure_edison --wifi" and it starts scanning for networks :)

Type the number of your network, confirm with "y", enter the password and it starts connecting!

Unless the Terminal happily says we're done, I'm not able to see my Edison in my browser...

I scan again by typing "configure_edison --wifi" (or hey, just press the up-arrow, this will show you your last commands!)

After a lot of patience and a number of attempts I managed to get the happy screen showing my Edison :) (No luck while I'm writing this Instructable...)

So, that's it, I managed to get through the setup. I'll sure share any updates when I'm onto the next level ;)