# Language Flashcards on the MagTag
## Overview
When you’re studying something that needs a lot of memorization, like learning a language, prepping for a tough biology exam, or mastering all those pesky built-in Python functions, it’s hard to beat a good old deck of flashcards. It’s the tried and true method of getting tough subjects to stick to your grey matter - especially when you’re on a deadline, and you’ve really got to get this stuff _down_ or you are going to _flunk most heinously tomorrow, dude!_
But like many old fashioned methods, flashcards can be kind of a pain! You have to spend ages writing them all out on paper, and then somebody knocks them off the table and one goes under the fridge, and then your buddy asks to borrow them but you’re not _finished_ and you’re not going to make him a _whole other deck,_ are you _kidding,_ and now the edges have gotten all bent so they don’t shuffle well any more, and then once you’ve finally gotten everything memorized there’s nothing to do but toss them all out and get started on the next deck. The results may be good, but the process? Frustrating.
Enter the MagTag!
With CircuitPython, you can type out your flashcards in JSON, and you’ll never be stuck writing and shuffling huge decks of index cards again. You can sort them by chapters, support lots of different international fonts, even share them with your slacker buddy with a simple copy-paste. Maybe not the _most_ old-fashioned anymore, but it’s e-paper, so we’re pretty sure it still counts.
**Thanks to Unicode font support in CircuitPython, you can quickly and easily make text for _any language_ using free fonts!**
Info:
## Parts
The MagTag starter kit comes with a battery and some magnets included. You'll also need to grab a USB C cable separately, if you don't have one:
### Adafruit MagTag Starter Kit - ADABOX017 Essentials
[Adafruit MagTag Starter Kit - ADABOX017 Essentials](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4819)
The **Adafruit MagTag** combines the new ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen even when power is removed! The ESP32-S2 is great because it builds on the years of code and support for the...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4819)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4819/guides)
### USB Type A to Type C Cable - approx 1 meter / 3 ft long
[USB Type A to Type C Cable - approx 1 meter / 3 ft long](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4474)
As technology changes and adapts, so does Adafruit. This **USB Type A to Type C** cable will help you with the transition to USB C, even if you're still totin' around a USB Type A hub, computer or laptop.
USB C is the latest industry-standard connector for...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4474)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4474/guides)
Alternatively, you can get the parts individually, if you'd like to swap out the battery or omit the magnets.
### Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Grayscale E-Ink WiFi Display
[Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Grayscale E-Ink WiFi Display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4800)
The Adafruit MagTag combines the ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen even when power is removed! The ESP32-S2 is great because it builds on the years of code and support for the ESP32 and also adds...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4800)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4800/guides)
### Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh
[Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 420mAh for a total of about 1.55 Wh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery,
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4236/guides)
### Mini Magnet Feet for RGB LED Matrices (Pack of 4)
[Mini Magnet Feet for RGB LED Matrices (Pack of 4)](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4631)
Got a glorious RGB Matrix project you want to mount and display in your workspace or home? If you have one of the matrix panels listed below, you'll need a pack of these **Mini-Magnet Feet.** We got these specifically for our RGB LED Matrices, which no longer...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4631)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4631/guides)
# Language Flashcards on the MagTag
## Install CircuitPython
Danger: Make sure that you [update the TinyUF2 Bootloader](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/update-tinyuf2-bootloader-for-circuitpython-10-4mb-boards-only) before installing CircuitPython!
### Adafruit MagTag - Update TinyUF2 Bootloader for CircuitPython 10 and Later
[Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag)
[Update TinyUF2 Bootloader for CircuitPython 10 and Later](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/update-tinyuf2-bootloader-for-circuitpython-10-4mb-boards-only)
[CircuitPython](https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython) is a derivative of [MicroPython](https://micropython.org) designed to simplify experimentation and education on low-cost microcontrollers. It makes it easier than ever to get prototyping by requiring no upfront desktop software downloads. Simply copy and edit files on the **CIRCUITPY** drive to iterate.
## Set Up CircuitPython
Follow the steps to get CircuitPython installed on your MagTag.
[CircuitPython Download for MagTag](https://circuitpython.org/board/adafruit_magtag_2.9_grayscale/)
Warning: WARNING: The updated Adafruit MagTag 2025 Edition will not work with CircuitPython 9.2.x or earlier. Make sure you install 10.x.x or later!
**Click the link above and download the latest .BIN and .UF2 file**
You can use a 9.x.x release for a pre-2025 MagTag. You **must** use a 10.x.x release for the updated MagTag 2025 Edition.
(depending on how you program the ESP32S2 board you may need one or the other, might as well get both)
Download and save it to your desktop (or wherever is handy).
Plug your MagTag into your computer using a known-good USB cable.
**A lot of people end up using charge-only USB cables and it is very frustrating! So make sure you have a USB cable you know is good for data sync.**
# Option 1 - Load with UF2 Bootloader
This is by far the easiest way to load CircuitPython. **However it requires your board has the UF2 bootloader installed. Some early boards do not (we hadn't written UF2 yet!) - in which case you can load using the built in ROM bootloader.**
Still, try this first!
Warning: Make sure that you [update the TinyUF2 Bootloader](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/update-tinyuf2-bootloader-for-circuitpython-10-4mb-boards-only) before following these steps for the UF2 bootloader!
## Try Launching UF2 Bootloader
Loading CircuitPython by drag-n-drop UF2 bootloader is the easier way and we recommend it. If you have a MagTag where the front of the board is black, your MagTag came with UF2 already on it.
Launch UF2 by **double-clicking** the Reset button (the one next to the USB C port). You may have to try a few times to get the timing right.
If the UF2 bootloader is installed, you will see a new disk drive appear called **MAGTAGBOOT**
Copy the **UF2** file you downloaded at the first step of this tutorial onto the **MAGTAGBOOT** drive
If you're using Windows and you get an error at the end of the file copy that says **Error from the file copy, Error 0x800701B1: A device which does not exist was specified.** You can ignore this error, the bootloader sometimes disconnects without telling Windows, the install completed just fine and you can continue.[If its really annoying, you can also upgrade the bootloader (the latest version of the UF2 bootloader fixes this warning)](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/install-uf2-bootloader)
Your board should auto-reset into CircuitPython, or you may need to press reset. A **CIRCUITPY** drive will appear. You're done! Go to the next pages.
# Option 2 - Use esptool to load BIN file
If you have an original MagTag with while soldermask on the front, we didn't have UF2 written for the ESP32S2 yet so it will not come with the UF2 bootloader.
You can upload with **esptool** to the ROM (hardware) bootloader instead!
Follow the initial steps found in the [Run esptool and check connection section of the ROM Bootloader page](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/rom-bootloader#run-esptool-and-check-connection-3076823-5) to verify your environment is set up, your board is successfully connected, and which port it's using.
**In the final command to write a binary file to the board, replace the port with your port, and replace "firmware.bin" with the the file you downloaded above.**
The output should look something like the output in the image.
Press reset to exit the bootloader.
Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should appear!
You're all set! Go to the next pages.
# Option 3 - Use Chrome Browser To Upload BIN file
If for some reason you cannot get esptool to run, you can always try using the Chrome-browser version of esptool we have written. This is handy if you don't have Python on your computer, or something is really weird with your setup that makes esptool not run (which happens sometimes and isn't worth debugging!) You can follow along on the [Web Serial ESPTool](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/web-serial-esptool) page and either load the UF2 bootloader and then come back to Option 1 on this page, or you can download the CircuitPython BIN file directly using the tool in the same manner as the bootloader.
# Language Flashcards on the MagTag
## CircuitPython Internet Test
One of the great things about most Espressif microcontrollers are their built-in WiFi capabilities. This page covers the basics of getting connected using CircuitPython.
The first thing you need to do is update your **code.py** to the following (it will error until WiFi details are added). Click the **Download Project Bundle** button to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, and copy the **entire** **lib** **folder** and the **code.py** file to your **CIRCUITPY** drive.
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/ESP32_S2_WiFi_Tests/CPy_Native_WiFi_Test/code.py
Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should resemble the following.
To get connected, the next thing you need to do is update the **settings.toml** file.
## The settings.toml File
We expect people to share tons of projects as they build CircuitPython WiFi widgets. What we want to avoid is people accidentally sharing their passwords or secret tokens and API keys. So, we designed all our examples to use a **settings.toml** file, that is on your **CIRCUITPY** drive, to hold secret/private/custom data. That way you can share your main project without worrying about accidentally sharing private stuff.
If you have a fresh install of CircuitPython on your board, the initial **settings.toml** file on your **CIRCUITPY** drive is empty.
To get started, you can update the **settings.toml** on your **CIRCUITPY** drive to contain the following code.
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/ESP32_S2_WiFi_Tests/CPy_Native_WiFi_Test/settings.toml
This file should contain a series of Python variables, each assigned to a string. Each variable should describe what it represents (say `wifi_ssid`), followed by an **= ** (equals sign), followed by the data in the form of a Python string (such as `"my-wifi-password"` including the quote marks).
**At a minimum you'll need to add/update your WiFi SSID and WiFi password, so do that now!**
As you make projects you may need more tokens and keys, just add them one line at a time. See for example other tokens such as one for accessing GitHub or the Hackaday API. Other non-secret data like your timezone can also go here.
For the correct time zone string, look at [http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones](http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones) and remember that if your city is not listed, look for a city in the same time zone, for example Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Miami are all on the same time as New York.
Of course, don't share your **settings.toml** - keep that out of GitHub, Discord or other project-sharing sites.
Warning:
If you connect to the serial console, you should see something like the following:
In order, the example code...
Checks the ESP32's MAC address.
```python
print(f"My MAC address: {[hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address]}")
```
Performs a scan of all access points and prints out the access point's name (SSID), signal strength (RSSI), and channel.
```python
print("Available WiFi networks:")
for network in wifi.radio.start_scanning_networks():
print("\t%s\t\tRSSI: %d\tChannel: %d" % (str(network.ssid, "utf-8"),
network.rssi, network.channel))
wifi.radio.stop_scanning_networks()
```
Connects to the access point you defined in the **settings.toml** file, and prints out its local IP address.
```python
print(f"Connecting to {os.getenv('WIFI_SSID')}")
wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv("WIFI_SSID"), os.getenv("WIFI_PASSWORD"))
print(f"Connected to {os.getenv('WIFI_SSID')}")
print(f"My IP address: {wifi.radio.ipv4_address}")
```
Attempts to ping a Google DNS server to test connectivity. If a ping fails, it returns `None`. Initial pings can sometimes fail for various reasons. So, if the initial ping is successful (`is not None`), it will print the echo speed in ms. If the initial ping fails, it will try one more time to ping, and then print the returned value. If the second ping fails, it will result in `"Ping google.com: None ms"` being printed to the serial console. Failure to ping does not always indicate a lack of connectivity, so the code will continue to run.
```python
ping_ip = ipaddress.IPv4Address("8.8.8.8")
ping = wifi.radio.ping(ip=ping_ip) * 1000
if ping is not None:
print(f"Ping google.com: {ping} ms")
else:
ping = wifi.radio.ping(ip=ping_ip)
print(f"Ping google.com: {ping} ms")
```
The code creates a socketpool using the wifi radio's available sockets. This is performed so we don't need to re-use sockets. Then, it initializes a a new instance of the [requests](http://docs.python-requests.org/en/master/) interface - which makes getting data from the internet _really really easy._
```python
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())
```
To read in plain-text from a web URL, call `requests.get` - you may pass in either a http, or a http **s** url for SSL connectivity.
```python
print(f"Fetching text from {TEXT_URL}")
response = requests.get(TEXT_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(response.text)
print("-" * 40)
```
Requests can also display a JSON-formatted response from a web URL using a call to `requests.get`.
```python
print(f"Fetching json from {JSON_QUOTES_URL}")
response = requests.get(JSON_QUOTES_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(response.json())
print("-" * 40)
```
Finally, you can fetch and parse a JSON URL using `requests.get`. This code snippet obtains the `stargazers_count` field from a call to the GitHub API.
```python
print(f"Fetching and parsing json from {JSON_STARS_URL}")
response = requests.get(JSON_STARS_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(f"CircuitPython GitHub Stars: {response.json()['stargazers_count']}")
print("-" * 40)
```
OK you now have your ESP32 board set up with a proper **settings.toml** file and can connect over the Internet. If not, check that your **settings.toml** file has the right SSID and password and retrace your steps until you get the Internet connectivity working!
## IPv6 Networking
Starting in CircuitPython 9.2, IPv6 networking is available on most Espressif wifi boards. Socket-using libraries like **adafruit\_requests** and **adafruit\_ntp** will need to be updated to use the new APIs and for now can only connect to services on IPv4.
### IPv6 connectivity & privacy
IPv6 addresses are divided into many special kinds, and many of those kinds (like those starting with **FC** , **FD** , **FE** ) are private or local; Addresses starting with other prefixes like **2002:** and **2001:** are globally routable. In 2024, far from all ISPs and home networks support IPv6 internet connectivity. For more info consult resources like [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6_address#Local_addresses). If you're interested in global IPv6 connectivity you can use services like [Hurricane Electric](https://www.he.net/) to create an "IPv6 tunnel" (free as of 2024, but requires expertise and a compatible router or host computer to set up)
It's also important to be aware that, as currently implemented by Espressif, there are privacy concerns especially when these devices operate on the global IPv6 network: The device's unique identifier (its EUI-64 or MAC address) is used by default as part of its IPv6 address. This means that the device identity can be tracked across multiple networks by any service it connects to.
### Enable IPv6 networking
Due to the privacy consideration, IPv6 networking is not automatically enabled. Instead, it must be explicitly enabled by a call to `start_dhcp_client` with the `ipv6=True` argument specified:
```python
wifi.start_dhcp_client(ipv6=True)
```
### Check IP addresses
The read-only `addresses` property of the `wifi.radio` object holds all addresses, including IPv4 and IPv6 addresses:
```python
>>> wifi.radio.addresses
('FE80::7EDF:A1FF:FE00:518C', 'FD5F:3F5C:FE50:0:7EDF:A1FF:FE00:518C', '10.0.3.96')
```
The `wifi.radio.dns` servers can be IPv4 or IPv6:
```python
>>> wifi.radio.dns
('FD5F:3F5C:FE50::1',)
>>> wifi.radio.dns = ("1.1.1.1",)
>>> wifi.radio.dns
('1.1.1.1',)
```
### Ping v6 networks
`wifi.radio.ping` accepts v6 addresses and names:
```python
>>> wifi.radio.ping("google.com")
0.043
>>> wifi.radio.ping("ipv6.google.com")
0.048
```
### Create & use IPv6 sockets
Use the address family `socket.AF_INET6`. After the socket is created, use methods like `connect`, `send`, `recfrom_into`, etc just like for IPv4 sockets. This code snippet shows communicating with a private-network NTP server; this IPv6 address will not work on your network:
```python
>>> ntp_addr = ("fd5f:3f5c:fe50::20e", 123)
>>> PACKET_SIZE = 48
>>>
>>> buf = bytearray(PACKET_SIZE)
>>> with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET6, socket.SOCK_DGRAM) as s:
... s.settimeout(1)
... buf[0] = 0b0010_0011
... s.sendto(buf, ntp_addr)
... print(s.recvfrom_into(buf))
... print(buf)
...
48
(48, ('fd5f:3f5c:fe50::20e', 123))
bytearray(b'$\x01\x03\xeb\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00GGPS\x00\xeaA0h\x07s;\xc0\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\xeaA0n\xeb4\x82-\xeaA0n\xebAU\xb1')
```
# Language Flashcards on the MagTag
## Getting The Date & Time
A very common need for projects is to know the current date and time. Especially when you want to deep sleep until an event, or you want to change your display based on what day, time, date, etc. it is
**Determining the correct local time is really really hard. There are various time zones, Daylight Savings dates, leap seconds, etc.** Trying to get NTP time and then back-calculating what the local time is, is extraordinarily hard on a microcontroller just isn't worth the effort and it will get out of sync as laws change anyways.
For that reason, we have the free adafruit.io time service. **Free for anyone with a free adafruit.io account.** You _do need an account_ because we have to keep accidentally mis-programmed-board from overwhelming adafruit.io and lock them out temporarily. Again, it's free!
Info:
## Step 1) Make an Adafruit account
It's free! Visit [https://accounts.adafruit.com/](https://accounts.adafruit.com/) to register and make an account if you do not already have one
## Step 2) Sign into Adafruit IO
Head over to [io.adafruit.com](https://io.adafruit.com/) and click **Sign In** to log into IO using your Adafruit account. It's free and fast to join.
## Step 3) Get your Adafruit IO Key
Click on **My Key** in the top bar
![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/097/449/medium800/adafruit_products_image.png?1607208628 "My Key" has been replaced with a key-shaped icon!)
You will get a popup with your **Username** and **Key** (In this screenshot, we've covered it with red blocks)
Go to the **settings.toml** file on your **CIRCUITPY** drive (or create one with the text editor with your operating system) and add three lines for `AIO_USERNAME`, `ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY` and `TIMEZONE` so you get something like the following:
```python
# This file is where you keep secret settings, passwords, and tokens!
# If you put them in the code you risk committing that info or sharing it
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-wifi-ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-wifi-password"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your-adafruit-io-username"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your-adafruit-io-key"
# Timezone names from http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones
TIMEZONE="America/New_York"
```
The timezone is optional, if you don't have that entry, adafruit.io will guess your timezone based on geographic IP address lookup. You can visit [http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones](http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones) to see all the time zones available (even though we do not use Worldtime for time-keeping, we do use the same time zone table).
## Step 4) Upload Test Python Code
This code is like the Internet Test code from before, but this time it will connect to adafruit.io and get the local time
```python
import ipaddress
import os
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import adafruit_requests
# Get our username, key and desired timezone
ssid = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")
aio_username = os.getenv("ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME")
aio_key = os.getenv("ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY")
timezone = os.getenv("TIMEZONE")
TIME_URL = f"https://io.adafruit.com/api/v2/{aio_username}/integrations/time/strftime?x-aio-key={aio_key}&tz={timezone}"
TIME_URL += "&fmt=%25Y-%25m-%25d+%25H%3A%25M%3A%25S.%25L+%25j+%25u+%25z+%25Z"
print("ESP32-S2 Adafruit IO Time test")
print("My MAC addr:", [hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address])
print("Available WiFi networks:")
for network in wifi.radio.start_scanning_networks():
print("\t%s\t\tRSSI: %d\tChannel: %d" % (str(network.ssid, "utf-8"),
network.rssi, network.channel))
wifi.radio.stop_scanning_networks()
print("Connecting to", ssid)
wifi.radio.connect(ssid, password)
print(f"Connected to {ssid}!")
print("My IP address is", wifi.radio.ipv4_address)
ipv4 = ipaddress.ip_address("8.8.4.4")
print("Ping google.com:", wifi.radio.ping(ipv4), "ms")
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())
print("Fetching text from", TIME_URL)
response = requests.get(TIME_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(response.text)
print("-" * 40)
```
After running this, you will see something like the below text. We have blocked out the part with the secret username and key data!
Note at the end you will get the date, time, and your timezone! If so, you have correctly configured your **settings.toml** and can continue to the next steps!
# Language Flashcards on the MagTag
## Simple Flashcards
We’ll start off by working through a quick app that just does the very basics we need to study. It’ll load up some cards out of a JSON file, shuffle them, and go through them one at a time as you press the D button on the MagTag. In the next section, we’ll add some fancier features, like sorting your cards into categories, and letting you pick which ones you’d like to study per session.
In this code, we’ll be using a PCF font for international character sets. PCF fonts offer a little extra efficiency compared to raw BDF (bitmap) fonts, so they’re easier to fit on CircuitPython drives. We’ll be using one today for the Japanese Hiragana and Katakana characters used in this deck.
## Installing Project Code
To use with CircuitPython, you need to first install a few libraries, into the lib folder on your **CIRCUITPY** drive. Then you need to update **code.py** with the example script.
Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the **Download Project Bundle** button below to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, open the directory **MagTag\_Flashcards/basic/** and then click on the directory that matches the version of CircuitPython you're using and copy the contents of that directory to your **CIRCUITPY** drive.
Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should now look similar to the following image:
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/MagTag/MagTag_Flashcards/basic/code.py
## Example Deck
In addition, here's an example "deck" of cards, written in JSON. In case you've never used JSON before, it stands for **JavaScript Object Notation** : it's a format of writing data (like arrays and key-value pairs) that was originally derived from Javascript but is now commonly used across many different programming languages. In this example deck file, we create a list of lists, using **square brackets `[]` **to enclose the lists and **commas `,` ** to separate list elements.
```python
[
["Monday","げつ ようび","Getsu yōbi"],
["Tuesday","か ようび","Ka yōbi"],
["Wednesday","すい ようび","Sui yōbi"],
["Thursday","もく ようび","Moku yōbi"],
["Friday","きん ようび","Kin yōbi"],
["Saturday","ど ようび","Do yōbi"],
["Sunday","にち ようび","Nichi yōbi"]
]
```
This particular example is written for studying Japanese, but it should work fine for any topic you want - Spanish, geography, code reference, obscure Star Trek trivia, whatever. Just make sure to tweak the text-displaying parts of the code if you add or remove “sections” of the card structure.
## How does it work?
Let's walk through this code step by step. First, we import all the required libraries, and create an object for the magtag that contains all the library features, like detecting button presses. We'll also tell the Serial Port we've started up the program.
```python
import time
import json
import terminalio
import digitalio
import random
from adafruit_magtag.magtag import MagTag
# Set up the magtag
print("Magtag Basic Flashcards")
magtag = MagTag()
```
Then, we use the `json` library to open our deck file, and interpret the JSON syntax into a list-of-lists that we can use in Python.
```python
# Import cards
cards = {}
with open("deck.json") as fp:
cards = json.load(fp)
```
As the last part of our setup, we create a text object to hold the sides of our flashcard. This uses the Yasashi 20 point PCF font, which contains both english and Japanese Hira and Katakana characters (no Kanji, though, sadly - that's a bit too much for the size of the Magtag's memory).
We'll put it right in the center of the screen.
```python
# Create a text area
magtag.add_text(
text_font="yasashi20.pcf",
text_position=(
magtag.graphics.display.width // 2,
magtag.graphics.display.height // 2,
),
line_spacing=0.85,
text_anchor_point=(0.5, 0.5),
)
```
To actually change the sides of the card, and to move to the next card, we'll need to detect when a magtag button is pressed.
The magtag library contains the attribute `magtag.peripherals.button_d_pressed`, which will tell us whether the D button is currently up or down. But this value by itself isn't able to detect _when _the button is pressed. To do that, we'll create a couple of memory variables:
```python
cur_btn = False
prev_btn = False
```
Whenever we want to wait for a button press, we'll enter a short `while` loop, and do nothing until we see the button change from an "up" state to a "down" state.
```python
while True:
cur_btn = magtag.peripherals.button_d_pressed
if cur_btn and not prev_btn:
print("Show Result")
time.sleep(0.1)
break
prev_btn = cur_btn
```
Before we actually start using the deck, we want to make sure it isn't in the same order every time. Circuitpython doesn't have access to the `random.shuffle()` function, but we can fake it by using the built in function `sorted()` and indexes from `random.random()` to achieve the same effect.
```python
cards = sorted(cards, key=lambda _: random.random())
```
When we want to display text, we use the built in magtag `set_text` function. By using `wrap_nicely`, we can make sure that the card text won't ever go off the side of the magtag - note that characters from other languages (like Hiragana) can be larger than roman ones, so expect to change the length parameter based on the kind of text you want to display.
```python
# Example Hira wrapping (fewer characters)
text = '\n'.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[1], 11))
# Example Roman wrapping (more characters)
text += '\n'.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[2], 20))
# Set the contents of the text field
magtag.set_text(text)
```
We combine all these elements into the program's final main loop, which will run through the cards in a random order forever, waiting on user button presses to move forward.
```python
while True:
# Shuffle the deck
cards = sorted(cards, key=lambda _: random.random())
for card in cards:
# Show the first side and wait for the D button
text = ''.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[0], 20))
magtag.set_text(text)
while True:
cur_btn = magtag.peripherals.button_d_pressed
if cur_btn and not prev_btn:
print("Show Result")
time.sleep(0.1)
break
prev_btn = cur_btn
# Show the second side and wait for the D button
text = '\n'.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[1], 11))
text += '\n'
text += '\n'.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[2], 20))
print(text)
magtag.set_text(text)
while True:
cur_btn = magtag.peripherals.button_d_pressed
if cur_btn and not prev_btn:
print("Next Card")
time.sleep(0.1)
break
prev_btn = cur_btn
```
# Language Flashcards on the MagTag
## Complicated Flashcards
Our simple flashcard app already has some advantages over physical cards. But there are other features we could add. We might want to narrow down the cards we want to study, or sort them into topics, and it would be nice to revisit cards that we got wrong and want to study again. We're also missing a lot of basic UI features like labels and feedback.
In this expanded example, we'll add some new features to make this app a little more advanced, such as:
- A new JSON format to support multiple "chapters" of a deck
- A simple menu, allowing us to pick specific parts of our deck to study from
- New text areas to label the buttons and give the user more directions
- NeoPixel feedback after a user hits a button (a nice-to-have, since the e-paper screen is sloooow)
- Automatically add cards the user marks as "forgotten" back into the deck to be studied again.
## Installing Project Code
To use with CircuitPython, you need to first install a few libraries, into the lib folder on your **CIRCUITPY** drive. Then you need to update **code.py** with the example script.
Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the **Download Project Bundle** button below to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, open the directory **MagTag\_Flashcards/chapters/** and then click on the directory that matches the version of CircuitPython you're using and copy the contents of that directory to your **CIRCUITPY** drive.
Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should now look similar to the following image:
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/MagTag/MagTag_Flashcards/chapters/code.py
## New Deck Format
For our new deck, we want to start organizing cards by "chapter" - like different topics in a language, or different chapters in a textbook. To do this, we use the key-value syntax in JSON.
Instead of being a big list of smaller lists, the top level is now equivalent to a Python Dictionary, using curly brackets `{}`. Each chapter name has a list of cards associated with it. In our final program, we'll be able to study chapters by themselves or combine them together using the list of chapter names.
```python
{
"Everyday Phrases":[
["You're Welcome", "どういたしまして", "Dō Itashimashite"],
["Good Morning", "おはよう ございます", "Ohayō gozaimasu"],
["Yes", "はい", "Hai"],
["No", "いいえ", "Iie"],
["Hello", "こんにちは", "Konnichi wa"],
["Please", "おねがい します", "Onegai Shimasu"],
["Excuse Me", "すみません", "Sumimasen"],
["Thank You", "ありがとう", "Arigatō"],
],
"Days of the Week":[
["Monday","げつ ようび","Getsu yōbi"],
["Tuesday","か ようび","Ka yōbi"],
["Wednesday","すい ようび","Sui yōbi"],
["Thursday","もく ようび","Moku yōbi"],
["Friday","きん ようび","Kin yōbi"],
["Saturday","ど ようび","Do yōbi"],
["Sunday","にち ようび","Nichi yōbi"],
],
"Animals":[
["Dog","いぬ","Inu"],
["Cat","ねこ","Neko"],
["Horse","うま","Uma"],
["Monkey","さる","Saru"],
["Elephant","ぞう","Zō"],
["Rabbit","うさぎ","Usagi"],
]
}
```
## Program Flow
This program has a couple of different modes, so we'll go over how it works first.
The user starts by seeing a list of the chapters in their deck, along with a line of button labels. Hitting the Begin button right away will simply combine all the cards into one big study session and start up, but they can also pick specific chapters to focus on.
Users can move up and down the list with the arrow buttons, and select different chapters with the select button. Once they've picked the chapters you want to study, the Begin button will start a session for only cards from those chapters.
After a user turns a card over, they can press the "Forgot" button to mark it as incorrect. Forgotten cards automatically get added to the end of the deck, so once they've finished the original set, they'll need to study those cards again.
Once every card has been marked "good", the session is complete! A congratulatory message shows, and the user returns to the menu.
## Code Walkthrough
### **Setup:**
Just like the previous version, we start by importing the libraries we need, but note that we're using a new one, Adafruit Shapes, which will be a part of our background display.
```python
import time
import json
import terminalio
import digitalio
import random
from adafruit_display_shapes.rect import Rect
from adafruit_magtag.magtag import MagTag
magtag = MagTag()
```
The file import section comes with some extra steps.
If the user has a LOT of chapters, we won't be able to fit them all on the screen at once, so we set a maximum number of lists to display at one time with `MAX_LLEN`. Lists over this number won't be shown unless the list is scrolled down.
We're going to start off by displaying all the chapters in a list, so we extract their names into a variable called `chap_list`. We also store the total number of chapters with `num_chap`.
Finally, if the list of chapters is shorter than `MAX_LLEN`, we won't need to scroll. So we find the actual length of the list we're displaying by comparing the two variables and picking the minimum.
```python
MAX_LLEN = 8
data = {}
with open("deck.json") as fp:
data = json.load(fp)
chap_list = list(data.keys())
num_chap = len(chap_list)
list_len = min(num_chap,MAX_LLEN)
```
After importing the deck, we set up the various text regions. We create one for each item in the menu list, and then add on the button labels, background shape, and a special message region for telling the user about the "default" option if they don't actually pick any chapters.
We also create an empty text region that will eventually hold the flashcards themselves. Since the user moves back and forth between the menu selection and the cards, we won't actually delete any objects when we change modes - instead, we'll just fill the menu-specific text fields with empty strings when in flashcard mode, and vice versa for menu mode.
```python
# Print list of chapters
for i in range(list_len):
magtag.add_text(
text_font=terminalio.FONT,
text_position=(10, 3+(i*10)),
line_spacing=1.0,
text_anchor_point=(0, 0), # Top left
is_data=False, # Text will be set manually
)
if i == 0:
magtag.set_text("> " + chap_list[i], i, auto_refresh=False)
else:
magtag.set_text(" " + chap_list[i], i, auto_refresh=False)
# Add button labels at the bottom of the screen
BUTTON_TEXT_IDX = list_len
magtag.graphics.root_group.append(Rect(0, magtag.graphics.display.height - 14,
magtag.graphics.display.width,
magtag.graphics.display.height, fill=0x0))
magtag.add_text(
text_font=terminalio.FONT,
text_position=(3, magtag.graphics.display.height - 14),
text_color=0xFFFFFF,
line_spacing=1.0,
text_anchor_point=(0, 0), # Top left
is_data=False, # Text will be set manually
)
magtag.set_text("Select Up Down Begin", BUTTON_TEXT_IDX, auto_refresh=False)
# Add message label at the top of the screen
MSG_TEXT_IDX = list_len + 1
magtag.add_text(
text_font=terminalio.FONT,
text_position=(3, magtag.graphics.display.height - 30),
line_spacing=1.0,
text_anchor_point=(0, 0), # Top left
is_data=False, # Text will be set manually
)
magtag.set_text("Press Begin to default to all chapters", MSG_TEXT_IDX)
# Empty text region for card displays
CARD_TEXT_IDX = list_len + 2
magtag.add_text(
text_font="yasashi20.pcf",
text_position=(
magtag.graphics.display.width // 2,
magtag.graphics.display.height // 2,
),
line_spacing=0.85,
text_anchor_point=(0.5, 0.5),
)
```
Remember the button code from the simple flashcards example? We don't need to change it much, but we do need to support all 4 buttons rather than just one. So we adapt the old code into a new function that can determine out the button status by index (unfortunately, the magtag library attributes aren't indexable, so you still need to pass those in too).
```python
# Button management
curr_btns = [False] * 4
prev_btns = [False] * 4
BTN_A = 0
BTN_B = 1
BTN_C = 2
BTN_D = 3
def update_button(idx, pressed):
curr_btns[idx] = pressed
if curr_btns[idx] and not prev_btns[idx]:
print("Exit menu")
return True
prev_btns[idx] = curr_btns[idx]
return False
```
As the final part of the setup process, we need some miscellaneous variables like the cursor location, the scrolling offset for long lists, what list items have been selected, and whether any buttons have been updated.
```python
cursor_pos = 0
list_offset = 0
selected = [False] * num_chap
btn_updated = False
```
### **Chapter Selection:**
Now we can get started with the main program loop. The first screen the user sees is the chapter selection, where they can move a cursor up and down to select chapters. We've already printed out all the text on this screen in the setup stage, so this is basically just a big loop to read buttons.
We have four different button detectors. The Up and Down buttons change the cursor position, Select changes the status of the chapter in the Selected array, and Begin signals to exit the loop and start studying flashcards (combining all of the chapters, if nothing was selected).
```python
# UP
if update_button(BTN_B, magtag.peripherals.button_b_pressed):
cursor_pos -= 1
btn_updated = True
# DOWN
if update_button(BTN_C, magtag.peripherals.button_c_pressed):
cursor_pos += 1
btn_updated = True
# SELECT
if update_button(BTN_A, magtag.peripherals.button_a_pressed):
selected[cursor_pos + list_offset] = not selected[cursor_pos + list_offset]
btn_updated = True
# BEGIN
if update_button(BTN_D, magtag.peripherals.button_d_pressed):
# if nothing was selected, default to all decks
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((128, 0, 0))
if not any(selected):
selected = [True] * list_len
break
```
If a button gets pressed, the program goes over the list of text areas and makes any required changes, like moving the cursor, adding `*` asterisks to selected chapters, and setting the current user message, all before refreshing the e-paper.
```python
if btn_updated:
# Clear default message only when items are selected
if any(selected):
magtag.set_text("", MSG_TEXT_IDX, auto_refresh=False)
else:
magtag.set_text("Press Begin to default to all chapters",
MSG_TEXT_IDX, auto_refresh=False)
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((128, 0, 0))
for i in range(list_len):
prefix = ""
if i == cursor_pos:
prefix += ">"
else:
prefix += " "
if selected[i + list_offset]:
prefix += "*"
else:
prefix += " "
magtag.set_text(prefix + chap_list[i+list_offset],
i, auto_refresh=False)
magtag.refresh()
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((0, 0, 0))
btn_updated = False
```
What's with the neopixel code? Since the e-paper updates slowly in comparison to how quickly we can push buttons, it's nice to give the user a little feedback that they've actually started an action.
So every time a button is pressed, we turn on the neopixels, and once the e-paper is finished updating and the buttons are ready to be pushed again, we turn it off.
```python
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((128, 0, 0))
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((0, 0, 0))
```
Finally, if the chapter list is over the maximum list length, the user can scroll. This will only happen when the cursor is at the very end or very beginning of the list, and it doesn't affect things like chapter selection, which is the same no matter how the list is offset.
```python
if cursor_pos == MAX_LLEN:
cursor_pos = MAX_LLEN - 1
if (num_chap - list_offset - 1) > MAX_LLEN:
list_offset += 1
if cursor_pos == -1:
cursor_pos = 0
if list_offset > 0:
list_offset -= 1
```
### **Flashcard Session:**
Once a user picks a chapter and hits begin, they move into the deck loop. This is where flashcards get displayed, and it's similar to the basic example earlier in this chapter, with a few additions. First, we clear all the text from the menu mode:
```python
# Clear the menu and message box
for i in range(list_len):
magtag.set_text("", i, auto_refresh=False)
magtag.set_text("", MSG_TEXT_IDX,auto_refresh=False)
```
Then, we create a list of cards for this specific session, by combining all the cards from the chapters that were selected in the menu, and shuffling them.
```python
cards = []
for i in range(len(selected)):
if selected[i]:
cards.extend(data[chap_list[i]])
cards = sorted(cards, key=lambda _: random.random())
```
In python, you can't add to a list while you're iterating through it. Since we want to keep extending the deck with cards that the user forgot, we'll create a temporary holding list called "forgotten\_cards", and add it on later. We'll also create a variable to detect whether the user wants to give up and go back to the menu.
```python
forgotten_cards = []
exit_called = False
```
Then, we enter the card loop. This is almost the same as the simple example. The only differences are that the user can exit the loop using the Exit button, or add cards to the `forgotten_cards` list with the Forget button. If there are any cards in `forgotten_cards` once the loop is finished, it'll restart the loop with those cards as the new deck, over and over until the user has gotten them all correct.
```python
while True:
for card in cards:
magtag.set_text("Exit -- -- Turn Over",
BUTTON_TEXT_IDX,auto_refresh=False)
text = '\n'.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[0], 11))
magtag.set_text(text, CARD_TEXT_IDX)
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((0, 0, 0))
while True:
# EXIT
if update_button(BTN_A, magtag.peripherals.button_a_pressed):
exit_called = True
break
# TURN
if update_button(BTN_D, magtag.peripherals.button_d_pressed):
break
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((128, 0, 0))
if exit_called:
break
magtag.set_text("Exit -- Forgot Good",
BUTTON_TEXT_IDX,auto_refresh=False)
text = '\n'.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[1], 11))
text += '\n'
text += '\n'.join(magtag.wrap_nicely(card[2], 20))
magtag.set_text(text, CARD_TEXT_IDX)
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((0, 0, 0))
while True:
# EXIT
if update_button(BTN_A, magtag.peripherals.button_a_pressed):
exit_called = True
break
# FORGOT
if update_button(BTN_C, magtag.peripherals.button_c_pressed):
forgotten_cards.append(card)
break
# GOOD
if update_button(BTN_D, magtag.peripherals.button_d_pressed):
break
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((128, 0, 0))
if exit_called:
break
# Next card
# If there were forgotten cards, make them the new deck and restart
if forgotten_cards:
cards = forgotten_cards
forgotten_cards = []
else:
break
```
### **Wrapping up:**
Once the user has finished a study session, all that's left is to clean up the screen and reset everything back to how it started. We'll send them a message if they completed the deck (rather than exiting), and turn off any LEDs or variables that might have been set.
```python
# Show completion text if deck was finished
if not exit_called:
magtag.set_text("-- -- -- --",
BUTTON_TEXT_IDX,auto_refresh=False)
magtag.set_text("Complete!", CARD_TEXT_IDX)
else:
exit_called = False
# Clear and reprint list of chapters
magtag.set_text("", CARD_TEXT_IDX, auto_refresh=False)
for i in range(list_len):
if i == 0:
magtag.set_text("> " + chap_list[i], i, auto_refresh=False)
else:
magtag.set_text(" " + chap_list[i], i, auto_refresh=False)
magtag.set_text("Select Up Down Begin",
BUTTON_TEXT_IDX, auto_refresh=False)
magtag.set_text("Press Begin to default to all chapters", MSG_TEXT_IDX)
# Reset cursor:
cursor_pos = 0
list_offset = 0
selected = [False] * list_len
btn_updated = False
# Done resetting, return to chapter selection
magtag.peripherals.neopixels.fill((0, 0, 0))
```
# Language Flashcards on the MagTag
## Other Resources
Flashcard science is actually a surprisingly broad and well-researched topic! There are lots of modifications that could be added to a program like this to help you learn faster, but weren't a good fit for this tutorial.
The example programs given here should be a good start, but if you'd looking for inspiration on creating your own flashcards, or making modifications to this example program, you can check out the following links.
- **[Pyshuffle](https://github.com/hierophect/pyshuffle):** an extension of the program in shown this guide, which shuffles the vocabulary within card templates to create many similar versions of each card.
- **[Flashcards (Wikipedia):](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashcard)** discusses different kinds of cards and various [spaced repetition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaced_repetition) systems, such as the [Leitner system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leitner_system).
- **[The Right Time to Learn (NIH)](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5126970/):** if you'd like to get _really_ technical, this is a survey paper on the science of spaced repetition learning
- **[Anki](https://apps.ankiweb.net/):** well known open-source spaced repetition software
## Font License:
This guide uses the [Yasashisa Gothic (やさしさゴシック)](https://www.freejapanesefont.com/yasashisa-gothic-%E3%82%84%E3%81%95%E3%81%97%E3%81%95%E3%82%B4%E3%82%B7%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF/) font. It's free for both personal and commercial projects, and uses the [IPA license.](https://opensource.org/licenses/IPA)
IPA summary from [TLDRLegal](https://tldrlegal.com/license/ipa-font-license-(ipa)):
_The IPA license applies only to font programs and allows for a great deal of freedom in distributing them, both commercially and non-commercially. You cannot change the name of redistributed versions of the original software and must include a copy of the license, however._
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## Related Guides
- [Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag.md)
- [Deep Sleep with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/deep-sleep-with-circuitpython.md)
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- [MagTag Google Calendar Event Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-google-calendar-event-display.md)
- [OSHWA Project Display With Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/oshwa-project-display-with-adafruit-magtag.md)
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- [Adafruit MagTag Project Selector](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag-project-selector.md)
- [MagTag James Webb Telescope Status](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-james-webb-telescope-status.md)
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- [MagTag Twitter Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-twitter-display.md)
- [MagTag Tides Viewer](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-tides-viewer.md)
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