# Home automation with Go

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/go-time-golang-software-engineering/home-automation-with-go
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/go-time-golang-software-engineering/home-automation-with-go.md
Podcast: [Go Time: Golang, Software Engineering](https://stenobird.com/podcast/go-time-golang-software-engineering)
Published: 2024-09-10T19:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://changelog.com/gotime/330
Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/https://cdn.changelog.com/uploads/gotime/330/go-time-330.mp3
Processing state: processed
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/go-time-golang-software-engineering/episodes/home-automation-with-go
Duration seconds: 3429

## Resource

Explore the practical application of Go and TinyGo for building private, decentralized home automation systems. Learn how to move away from cloud-dependent 'black box' smart devices toward custom hardware controlled by your own code.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Using Go for home automation allows for complete data sovereignty and avoids the privacy risks of commercial cloud-based ecosystems
- Practical takeaway: Leverage TinyGo and drivers for microcontrollers like the Raspberry Pi Pico W to interface with sensors and actuators
- Practical takeaway: Use cross-compilation to develop applications on a laptop and deploy containerized images directly to edge devices like the Pi Zero
- Failure mode: Hardware assembly and component integration can be a significant hurdle for software-focused developers
- Main idea: Go's simplicity makes it an accessible entry point for beginners to move from 'Hello World' to complex IoT projects like automated bird feeders

## Topics

Go Programming, TinyGo, Home Automation, Internet of Things, Raspberry Pi, Microcontrollers, Edge Computing, Software Engineering

## Chapters
- 1:00 — Cloud Development Environments: An introduction to Coder and the benefits of provisioning standardized development environments in the cloud.
- 5:10 — The Shift to Go SDK: Discussing the transition from standard Go to using the full SDK for complex home automation projects.
- 9:40 — Privacy and Data Sovereignty: The risks of using commercial smart home products that collect user data in proprietary clouds.
- 13:55 — Embedded Devices and Pi Zero: Exploring the use of embedded devices and the role of microcontrollers in automation.
- 18:15 — Cross-Compilation and Deployment: How to develop on a laptop and deploy containerized Go applications to Raspberry Pi hardware.
- 26:30 — TinyGo and Microcontrollers: The availability of drivers for hardware like the Pico W and the ease of using Go for low-level programming.
- 48:15 — Hardware Challenges: Reflecting on the difficulties of physical assembly and hardware integration compared to software development.

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## Transcript

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