Start Your First imp Project Here...

This guide will introduce you to the Electric Imp Platform, its key concepts, its development environment, impCentral™, and to BlinkUp™, Electric Imp’s patented device activation and configuration technology.

Using This Guide

This guide is designed to be attempted in one sitting. It can be completed in under 30 minutes. You will set up a new Electric Imp developer account and get your development hardware online. You will program your device then extend it first with Internet interactivity, then with Electric Imp software libraries.

You can perform the first stage, account creation, without development hardware, but you will need an impExplorer™ Developer Kit once you reach stage two.

All the code you need is provided for you. Only stage five requires access to a third-party service (Twitter), but you can skip this if you prefer.

We have intentionally minimized the level of explanatory detail provided by each stage of the guide so that you can progress through it quickly. If you require further explanation while working through the guide, look out for the symbol and click it to drill down into the topic.

About The impExplorer Developer Kit

The guide uses Electric Imp’s impExplorer Developer Kit, which incorporates an array of sensors, an RGB LED and easy expansion. It was designed as the basis for simple, self-contained projects, and for evaluating the Electric Imp Platform.

If you don’t yet have an impExplorer, you can buy one from the Electric Imp Store. You’ll also need some other equipment before starting the guide:

• Your iOS or Android phone (or tablet) to configure your impExplorer.
• Either a mini USB cable (included with the impExplorer) or three AA batteries (not included) to power the impExplorer.
• Your computer.

Note For full details of impExplorer’s on-board hardware, please see the Kit’s reference design page.

Other Development Devices

Though the guide focuses on the impExplorer, the set-up process it describes applies to all Electric Imp development products. However, there versions of the guide which focus on specific products, and a generic set-up sheet.