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# 1. Getting Started
In this Wiki, you will learn how to get started with connecting a device to IoT Central. We will cover the very basics, and then move on to more interesting scenarios.

# 2. Choosing a device
## MXChip (No-coding setup)
This is Microsoft's prototyping device, it has several sensors and buttons, as well as an OLED screen. We currently have one at Avanade NL, so while you're reading this somebody might already have claimed it. If not, [start here](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/iot-central/howto-connect-devkit). You won't be writing code for the device, but there is still a lot you can try out with this chip.

## Raspberry Pi
There are a couple of Raspberry Pis available, use your .NET Core skills to connect them! [Find out how](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/iot-central/howto-connect-raspberry-pi-csharp).

## I'm Super Comfortable With Arduino
Ok, I get it, you're cool. I got you covered, we have a bunch of ESP8266 NodeMCU's you can use. A good way to get started is by using this [GitHub Repo](https://github.com/Azure/iot-central-firmware/tree/master/ESP8266). Also you [need a few things](/Arduino) on your machine. The code I wrote for my plant is [here](https://github.com/MatthijsvdVeer/home-devices).
_If you do decide to go this way, let me know: I want to ask you a few things._

## Your Laptop
Nobody said the T in IoT couldn't be your laptop. You can get started with [NodeJS](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/iot-central/howto-connect-nodejs), or you can use the code from the [Raspberry Pi sample](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/iot-central/howto-connect-raspberry-pi-csharp) and run that!
_"But Matt, I feel like a second rate citizen when I'm not using a device"_
Don't you worry, you get to do cool things like simulating a ton of devices. Let's see an MXChip do that!

# 2. Next Challenges
You got your device connected, everything is new and shiny, what to do now? Below are a couple of challenges you can work on to explore IoT Central. The challenges are purposely vague, work together with your teammates to solve them. Every challenge has tags to indicate on what platform you can do them.

## Blinky
_Raspberry Pi, Arduino_
There are many ways to switch on an LED, and many ways to get it done using IoT Central. Can you switch on an LED by using a Setting or a Command? For .NET Core, you can access the Raspberry GPIO pins [like this](https://github.com/dotnet/iot/tree/master/samples/led-blink).

## Useless Blinky
_Raspberry Pi, Arduino_
Have you seen the [Useless Box](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqAUmgE3WyM)? Useless Blinky is about the same thing when you turn on the LED with the previous step, can you use an IoT Central Rule to switch it off again, as soon as it turns on?

## Motion Detection Telemetry
_Raspberry Pi, Arduino_
Use a motion detection sensor to update the **state** of the device to "motion detected". Now try to build a rule that reacts to that state. You're going to run into an interesting problem.

## I Love Email
_MXChip, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Laptop_
Empty inbox? Send yourself an email when your telemetry hits a certain threshold. For bonus points, send a notification to MSFT Teams in the SE channel.

## What's Going On?
_MXChip, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Laptop_
There is a [great sample](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-gb/azure/iot-central/howto-use-iotc-explorer) that shows you all the messages being sent by your devices. Can you build the same in .NET Core?

## Simulation: Army Of Devices
_Laptop or Azure_
In a lot of IoT projects, you want to test with a lot of devices. An easy way to do this is to simulate the devices. Can you simulate 10 devices? Are you building the solution in Docker, Azure Functions, a big while-loop, or something else?
You could even simulate some kind of failure. For instance, find out what happens when you run a Job in IoT Central and one device blows up.

## Add a ToDo item to your MSFT planner or Trello
_MXChip, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Laptop_
Maybe you can trigger that with an automated rule.

## Build Your Own Dashboard
_MXChip, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Laptop_
Can you get a live dashboard running that updates when new data is available? There are probably a hundred ways of doing this. I used Service Bus, Signal R and a React app.

## PowerBI to the Rescue!
_MXChip, Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Laptop_
Connecting PowerBI to your IoT Central? Must be possible!

## I Want To Do Something Else!
[Ok](https://images.genius.com/2b790e48bcd9779bce4dc5bc74a01118.563x1000x1.png)