THE MAKER’S GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE
DEFEND YOUR BASE WITH SIMPLE CIRCUITS, ARDUINO, AND RASPBERRY PI
SIMON MONK
NO STARCH PRESS SAN FRANCISCO
THE MAKER’S GUIDE TO THE ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. Copyright © 2016 by Simon Monk.
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher.
Printed in USA
First printing
19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ISBN-10: 1-59327-667-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-59327-667-6
Publisher: William Pollock
Production Editor: Serena Yang
Cover and Interior Design: Beth Middleworth
Illustrator: Miran Lipovača
Developmental Editor: Jennifer Griffith-Delgado
Copyeditor: Paula L. Fleming
Compositor: Serena Yang
Proofreader: James Fraleigh
Indexer: BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services
For information on distribution, translations, or bulk sales, please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly:
No Starch Press, Inc.
245 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103
phone: 415.863.9900; info@nostarch.com
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Monk, Simon, author.
The maker’s guide to the zombie apocalypse : defend your base with simple circuits, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi / by Simon Monk.
pages cm
Includes index.
Summary: "A collection of DIY hardware projects using circuits, Arduino, and Raspberry Pi to store electricity, detect invading zombies, generate solar power, and create communication and surveillance devices. Projects include alarms, low-power LED lighting, an FM radio frequency hopper, a periscope, a wind turbine, and flash, movement, and noise makers"--Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-59327-667-6 -- ISBN 1-59327-667-2
1. Electronic apparatus and appliances--Design and construction--Amateurs’ manuals. 2. Microcontrollers--Amateurs’ manuals. 3. Electronic circuits--Amateurs’ manuals. 4. Arduino (Programmable controller)--Amateurs’ manuals. 5. Raspberry Pi (Computer)--Amateurs’ manuals. I. Title.
TK9965.M673 2015
621.381--dc23
2015023925
No Starch Press and the No Starch Press logo are registered trademarks of No Starch Press, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than use a trademark symbol with every occurrence of a trademarked name, we are using the names only in an editorial fashion and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
The information in this book is distributed on an “As Is” basis, without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author nor No Starch Press, Inc. shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in it.
To Jonathan and Michaela
on your wedding.
May you have a wonderful
and zombie-free life together.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Simon Monk is a full-time author and maker, mostly writing about electronics for makers. Some of his better-known books include Programming Arduino: Getting Started with Sketches, Raspberry Pi Cookbook, and Hacking Electronics. He is also the co-author of Practical Electronics for Inventors and wrote Minecraft Mastery with his son, Matthew Monk.
Simon also writes for MagPi magazine and helps out with Monk Makes (http://www.monkmakes.com/), a company run by his wife Linda, which makes and sells component kits and other products related to Simon’s books. You can follow Simon on Twitter where he is @simonmonk2 and find out more about his books at http://www.simonmonk.org/.
ABOUT THE TECHNICAL REVIEWER
Jeremy Blum is a “Hardware Astronaut” at Google, where he focuses on electrical design and advanced prototyping for future Google hardware. Jeremy received both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Cornell University, and was selected by the American Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers as the 2012 New Face of Engineering.
Jeremy’s popular Arduino tutorial videos and his book, Exploring Arduino, have introduced millions of people around the world to engineering. He offers engineering consulting services through his firm, Blum Idea Labs LLC, and he frequently teaches engineering courses to young students and adults across the United States. Jeremy’s passion is improving people’s lives and our planet through creative engineering solutions; you can learn more about him and his work at http://www.jeremyblum.com/.
BRIEF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1: Apocalypse Basics
CHAPTER 2: Generating Electricity
CHAPTER 3: Using Electricity
CHAPTER 4: Zombie Alarms
CHAPTER 5: Surveillance and Raspberry Pi
CHAPTER 6: Add Remote Access and Detect Open Doors
CHAPTER 7: Environmental Monitoring
CHAPTER 8: Building a Control Center for Your Base
CHAPTER 9: Zombie Distractors
CHAPTER 10: Communicating with Other Survivors
CHAPTER 11: Haptic Communication
APPENDIX A: Parts
APPENDIX B: Basic Skills
APPENDIX C: Arduino Primer
INDEX
CONTENTS IN DETAIL
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
Key Maker Survival Skills
About the Apocalypse Survival Projects
Resources to Download Before the Zombies Rise
1 • APOCALYPSE BASICS
Zombies
Types of Zombies
Are Zombies Really Dead?
How Long Will the Zombies Be Around?
Postapocalypse Survival 101
Home
Water
Food and Fuel
Zombie Killing
Dressing to Kill
Staying Healthy
Be Prepared
Other Survivors
Parts for Projects
Cars
Brick-and-Mortar Parts Stores
Project Construction
Soldering
Mechanical Construction
Electronic Modules
2 • GENERATING ELECTRICITY
Power and Energy
Flavors of Electricity
Low-Voltage DC
High-Voltage AC
Batteries
Single-Use Batteries
Rechargeable Batteries
Battery Charging
PROJECT 1: Solar Recharging
Solar Panels
Charge Controllers
What You Will Need
Construction
Using the Solar Charger
PROJECT 2: Bicycle Generator