To get set up, we will need CircuitPython, a few libraries and the Conference Badge Source Code and fonts downloaded from Github.
Required CircuitPython Libraries
First, make sure you are running the latest version of Adafruit CircuitPython for your board.
Next, you'll need to install the necessary libraries to use the hardware--carefully follow the steps to find and install these libraries from Adafruit's CircuitPython library bundle. Our introduction guide has a great page on how to install the library bundle for both express and non-express boards.
Since the fonts take up a good deal of space, Adafruit recommends that you manually install only the necessary libraries from the bundle:
- neopixel
- adafruit_bitmap_font
- adafruit_display_shapes
- adafruit_display_text
Before continuing make sure your board's lib folder or root filesystem have the neopixel, adafruit_bitmap_font, adafruit_display_shapes, and adafruit_display_text files and folders copied over.
The fonts go in a subdirectory of your PyBadge's main CIRCUITPY flash drive named /fonts.
Here is the CircuitPython code in its entirety. If you click on Download Project Zip, it will download the fonts used in this tutorial also.
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Melissa LeBlanc-Williams for Adafruit Industries # # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT """ This is a Conference Badge type Name Tag that is intended to be displayed on the PyBadge. Feel free to customize it to your heart's content. """ from math import sqrt, cos, sin, radians import board from micropython import const import displayio import neopixel from keypad import ShiftRegisterKeys, Event from adafruit_display_shapes.rect import Rect from adafruit_display_text.label import Label from adafruit_bitmap_font import bitmap_font # Button Constants BUTTON_LEFT = const(7) BUTTON_UP = const(6) BUTTON_DOWN = const(5) BUTTON_RIGHT = const(4) BUTTON_SEL = const(3) BUTTON_START = const(2) BUTTON_A = const(1) BUTTON_B = const(0) # Customizations HELLO_STRING = "HELLO" MY_NAME_STRING = "MY NAME IS" NAME_STRING = "Blinka" NAME_FONTNAME = "/fonts/Noto-18.bdf" NEOPIXEL_COUNT = 5 BACKGROUND_COLOR = 0xFF0000 FOREGROUND_COLOR = 0xFFFFFF BACKGROUND_TEXT_COLOR = 0xFFFFFF FOREGROUND_TEXT_COLOR = 0x000000 settings = {"brightness": 0.2, "direction": 1, "speed": 1} # Define the NeoPixel neopixels = neopixel.NeoPixel( board.NEOPIXEL, NEOPIXEL_COUNT, brightness=settings["brightness"], auto_write=False, pixel_order=neopixel.GRB, ) # Define Events and Shift Register latest_event = Event() last_event = Event() pad = ShiftRegisterKeys( clock=board.BUTTON_CLOCK, data=board.BUTTON_OUT, latch=board.BUTTON_LATCH, key_count=8, value_when_pressed=True, interval=0.1, max_events=1, ) # Make the Display Background splash = displayio.Group() board.DISPLAY.root_group = splash color_bitmap = displayio.Bitmap(160, 128, 1) color_palette = displayio.Palette(1) color_palette[0] = BACKGROUND_COLOR bg_sprite = displayio.TileGrid(color_bitmap, pixel_shader=color_palette, x=0, y=0) splash.append(bg_sprite) # Draw a Foreground Rectangle where the name goes rect = Rect(0, 50, 160, 70, fill=FOREGROUND_COLOR) splash.append(rect) # Load the Hello font large_font_name = "/fonts/Verdana-Bold-18.bdf" large_font = bitmap_font.load_font(large_font_name) large_font.load_glyphs(HELLO_STRING.encode("utf-8")) # Load the "My Name Is" font small_font_name = "/fonts/Arial-12.bdf" small_font = bitmap_font.load_font(small_font_name) small_font.load_glyphs(MY_NAME_STRING.encode("utf-8")) # Load the Name font name_font_name = NAME_FONTNAME name_font = bitmap_font.load_font(name_font_name) name_font.load_glyphs(NAME_STRING.encode("utf-8")) # Setup and Center the Hello Label splash.append( Label( large_font, anchor_point=(0.5, 0.5), anchored_position=(board.DISPLAY.width // 2, 15), text=HELLO_STRING, color=BACKGROUND_TEXT_COLOR, ) ) # Setup and Center the "My Name Is" Label splash.append( Label( small_font, anchor_point=(0.5, 0.5), anchored_position=(board.DISPLAY.width // 2, 35), text=MY_NAME_STRING, color=BACKGROUND_TEXT_COLOR, ) ) # Setup and Center the Name Label splash.append( Label( name_font, anchor_point=(0.5, 0.5), anchored_position=(board.DISPLAY.width // 2, 85), text=NAME_STRING, color=FOREGROUND_TEXT_COLOR, ) ) # Remap the calculated rotation to 0 - 255 def remap(vector): return int(((255 * vector + 85) * 0.75) + 0.5) # Calculate the Hue rotation starting with Red as 0 degrees def rotate(degrees): cosA = cos(radians(degrees)) sinA = sin(radians(degrees)) red = cosA + (1.0 - cosA) / 3.0 green = 1.0 / 3.0 * (1.0 - cosA) + sqrt(1.0 / 3.0) * sinA blue = 1.0 / 3.0 * (1.0 - cosA) - sqrt(1.0 / 3.0) * sinA return (remap(red), remap(green), remap(blue)) palette = [] pixels = [] # Generate a rainbow palette for degree in range(0, 360): color = rotate(degree) palette.append(color[0] << 16 | color[1] << 8 | color[2]) # Create the Pattern for x in range(0, NEOPIXEL_COUNT): pixels.append(x * 360 // NEOPIXEL_COUNT) def check_buttons(event): if event.key_number == BUTTON_RIGHT: settings["direction"] = -1 elif event.key_number == BUTTON_LEFT: settings["direction"] = 1 elif (event.key_number == BUTTON_UP) and settings["speed"] < 10: settings["speed"] += 1 elif (event.key_number == BUTTON_DOWN) and settings["speed"] > 1: settings["speed"] -= 1 elif (event.key_number == BUTTON_A) and settings["brightness"] < 0.5: settings["brightness"] += 0.025 elif (event.key_number == BUTTON_B) and settings["brightness"] > 0.025: settings["brightness"] -= 0.025 # Main Loop last_read = 0 while True: for color in range(0, 360, settings["speed"]): for index in range(0, NEOPIXEL_COUNT): palette_index = pixels[index] + color * settings["direction"] if palette_index >= 360: palette_index -= 360 elif palette_index < 0: palette_index += 360 neopixels[index] = palette[palette_index] neopixels.show() neopixels.brightness = settings["brightness"] pad.events.get_into(latest_event) if latest_event.pressed and latest_event.key_number != last_event.key_number: check_buttons(latest_event) last_event = latest_event latest_event = Event( key_number=8 ) # An imaginary key number that doesn't exist!
After copying everything over, your PyBadge should display a Nametag with Blinka on it and the neopixels should animate. In the next few sections, we'll go over the Fonts and how to make changes.
Page last edited January 19, 2025
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