Chapter 1. Introduction to Android and the BeagleBone Black

In this book, you'll learn how to install Android to a microSD card for use with the BeagleBone Black and create Android apps that interface with external hardware that is connected to the BeagleBone Black. You will develop software that receives input from the outside world via buttons and sensors, stores and retrieves data from external memory chips, and lights external LEDs. Better yet, you'll learn how to do this in a flexible way that can be easily integrated into your apps.

As you explore the world of interfacing hardware with Android, you will discover that it encompasses many different areas of expertise. Understanding electronic circuits and knowing how to interface them with the BeagleBone Black, understanding the Linux kernel, and developing Android apps are a few such areas. Luckily, you don't have to be an expert in these areas to learn the basics of interfacing hardware with Android. We have done our best to guide you through the examples in this book without requiring you to have an in-depth knowledge of the Linux kernel or electronics theory.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• Looking back on Android and BeagleBone Black development
• Shopping for the hardware essentials
• Learning about the hardware you'll interface with
• Installing Android on the BeagleBone Black