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PiGlow

Here is a small Python module for the PiGlow addon by Pimoroni, it will let you flex the LED muscles of this fantastic addon.

Files

  • piglow.py - Python module you'll import into your script
  • examples/all.py - This will increase then decrease all the LEDs together
  • examples/arm.py - Cycle each of the PiGlow arms, showing both methods
  • examples/clock.py - Use your PiGlow as a binary clock! Customisable as well!
  • examples/cpu.py - Show your current CPU usage on the PiGlow (requires psutils)
  • examples/cycle.py - This will cycle the colours together from center to the end back to the center
  • examples/cycle2.py - Switch each individual colour using the piglow.colour method
  • examples/indiv.py - Quickly increase and decrease the LEDs independantly
  • examples/indiv2.py - Switch each LED on individually in a loop cycle
  • examples/test.py - You choose the brightness of each LED colour group, to see how it will look
  • examples/halloween.py - Spooky Halloween colours (Red, Orange, Yellow) with random timings and brightness

Requirements

sudo apt-get install python-smbus
sudo apt-get install python-psutil

Functions

The functions of piglow are:

from piglow import PiGlow
piglow = PiGlow()
piglow.colour([1-6],[0-255])    # 1=White, 2=Blue, 3=Green, 4=Yellow, 5=Orange, 6=Red
piglow.colour([color],[0-255])  # "white", "blue", "green", "yellow", "orange", "red"
piglow.white([0-255])           # Control all the white LEDs
piglow.blue([0-255])            # Control all the blue LEDs
piglow.green([0-255])           # Control all the green LEDs
piglow.yellow([0-255])          # Control all the yellow LEDs
piglow.orange([0-255])          # Control all the orange LEDs
piglow.red([0-255])             # Control all the red LEDs
piglow.all([0-255])             # Control all LEDs together
piglow.led([1-18],[0-255])      # Control an individual LED by number
piglow.led1-led18([0-255])      # Control an individual LED by function
piglow.arm([1-3],[0-255])       # Control an arm of LEDs by number
piglow.arm1([0-255])            # Control the top arm (with PiGlow logo at the top)
piglow.arm2([0-255])            # Control the right arm (with PiGlow logo at the top)
piglow.arm3([0-255])            # Control the left arm (with PiGlow logo at the top)

All colours are from 0 (off) to 255 (super duper eye numbing bright!)

Installation instructions

Preparation

First to download and install the required libraries

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python-smbus python-psutil -y
  • SMBus is required to talk over i2c bus with the PiGlow
  • psutil is required for cpu.py example to get current CPU usage

To enable the i2c driver you need to make a few changes

sudo nano /etc/modules

Then make sure the following is at the end of the file

i2c-dev
i2c-bcm2708

So it looks like this:

etc-modules

Ctrl + x and Y to exit save the file, now edit the next

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/raspi-blacklist.conf

And add the #'s to the beginning of each line so it looks like:

etc-modprobe

Ctrl + x and Y to exit and save the file, now reboot

sudo reboot

Downloading the PiGlow module and testing

Now create a directory for it to live in then change to that directory:

mkdir piglow
cd piglow

Next get the latest version of PiGlow python module:

wget https://raw.github.com/Boeeerb/PiGlow/master/piglow.py

This will give you a file called piglow.py, this is the module and will do all the hardwork.

Now download the test script to make sure it works

wget https://raw.github.com/Boeeerb/PiGlow/master/Examples/test.py

And run it by typing and setting a number between 0 (off) and 255 (brightest)

sudo python test.py

If it works successfully you can choose the level of brightness as shown

piglow-test

Starting your script

Now hopefully it should run the test.py successfully, you can browse the other examples created here

https://github.com/Boeeerb/PiGlow/blob/master/Examples/

To create your own script just start it with importing the module

from piglow import PiGlow

Now initialise the module into piglow variable

piglow = PiGlow()

That's it!

Use the function list for a list of combinations you can use to set individual or groups of LED's on or off.

A few examples:

piglow.all(10)    # Set all LED's to 10
piglow.red(100)   # Set red LED's to 100
piglow.led(3,0)   # Turn LED (Top yellow off)

And combine it with time.sleep to make effects

from piglow import PiGlow
from time import sleep

piglow = PiGlow()

piglow.all(0)

piglow.all(10)
sleep(1)
piglow.red(100)
sleep(1)
piglow.led(3,0)

SN3218 Addressing

PiGlow Addressing

Python LED Addressing

PiGlow Addressing

Auto start the clock.py example

Sometimes you a script to start automatically, so you don't have to login each time to start the script. The binary clock script is a perfect one to do this with.

So follow this simple guide to have the binary clock start when you plug your Raspberry Pi in:

After following the Installation instructions and having run the test script:

Make the piglow directory if not already done:

mkdir /home/pi/piglow

cd /home/pi/piglow

Download the clock.py script into the /home/pi/piglow folder:

wget https://raw.github.com/Boeeerb/PiGlow/master/piglow.py
wget https://raw.github.com/Boeeerb/PiGlow/master/Examples/clock.py

Next create the init.d file, so change to the /etc/init.d folder

cd /etc/init.d

Now create the file

sudo nano clock

And paste the following

#!/bin/sh
# /etc/init.d/test

### BEGIN INIT INFO
# Provides:          clock
# Required-Start:    $remote_fs $syslog
# Required-Stop:     $remote_fs $syslog
# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
# Short-Description: Simple script to auto start binary clock
# Description:       Simple script to auto start binary clock
### END INIT INFO


 case "$1" in
  start)
    sudo python /home/pi/piglow/clock.py &
    ;;
  stop)
    killall python
    ;;
  *)
    exit 1
    ;;

esac
exit 0

Ctrl + x and Y to save, notice there is no file extension

Now make the file executable

sudo chmod +x clock

And add the clock to the startup scripts

sudo insserv clock

Try it out without restarting

sudo /etc/init.d/clock start

After you have observed it starting, we should be safe to reboot

sudo reboot

And thats it!

Enjoy!

Jason

Twitter @boeeerb

http://www.boeeerb.co.uk

Buy from http://shop.pimoroni.com/collections/accessories/products/piglow

Donations are always welcome and much appreciated! BTC - 152kFrxyJ4GNVmqNfbywzvVFBFhJmnPBsV

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Controlling the PiGlow from Python

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