PyPortal Word of the Day Display

Expand your vocabulary by learning a new word every day with this PyPortal-powered display!

by Isaac Wellish

published April 29, 2019, last edited January 22, 2025

posted in LCDs & Displays CircuitPython Internet of Things - IOT

Save Download

Beginner

Project guide

Overview

Expand your vocabulary by learning a new word every day with this PyPortal-powered display!

Using the Wordnik API and the Adafruit PyPortal, we'll display Wordnik's Word of the Day, a daily curated word picked by the Wordnik website. With CircuitPython and the on-board WiFi, the PyPortal Word of the Day display dynamically loads JSON formatted data from the Wordnik API. Each day a new word, its part of speech, definition and an example sentence will appear on the display with just a couple touches, ready for your brain to soak it up!

The Wordnik API has a one week waiting period for free API keys

Parts

You can pick up an Adafruit PyPortal and a USB cable (if needed). If you like, you can mount the PyPortal in the Adafruit laser-cut acrylic stand. All these parts are bundled in AdaBox 011 if you'd like to buy them together.

AdaBox011 - PyPortal

Reach out beyond your desk - to the stars and beyond - with PyPortal! This ADABOX features a new, easy-to-use IoT device that allows you to customize and create your...

guides with product

No Longer Stocked

Instead of AdaBox 011, you can buy parts separately:

Adafruit PyPortal - CircuitPython Powered Internet Display

PyPortal, our easy-to-use IoT device that allows you to create all the things for the “Internet of Things” in minutes. Make custom touch screen interface...

guides with product

$54.95

In Stock

Add to Cart

USB cable - USB A to Micro-B

This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or...

$2.95

In Stock

Add to Cart

Optional

Adafruit PyPortal Desktop Stand Enclosure Kit

PyPortal is our easy-to-use IoT device that allows you to create all the things for the “Internet of Things” in minutes. Create little pocket...

$9.95

In Stock

Add to Cart

Page last edited March 08, 2024

Text editor powered by tinymce.

Install CircuitPython

CircuitPython is a derivative of MicroPython 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 "flash" drive to iterate.

The following instructions will show you how to install CircuitPython. If you've already installed CircuitPython but are looking to update it or reinstall it, the same steps work for that as well!

Set up CircuitPython Quick Start!

Follow this quick step-by-step for super-fast Python power :)

Download the latest version of CircuitPython for the PyPortal via CircuitPython.org

Download the latest version of CircuitPython for the PyPortal Pynt via CircuitPython.org

Click the link above to download the latest version of CircuitPython for the PyPortal.

Download and save it to your desktop (or wherever is handy).

Plug your PyPortal 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.

Double-click the Reset button on the top in the middle (magenta arrow) on your board, and you will see the NeoPixel RGB LED (green arrow) turn green. If it turns red, check the USB cable, try another USB port, etc. Note: The little red LED next to the USB connector will pulse red. That's ok!

If double-clicking doesn't work the first time, try again. Sometimes it can take a few tries to get the rhythm right!

You will see a new disk drive appear called PORTALBOOT.

Drag the adafruit-circuitpython-pyportal-<whatever>.uf2 file to PORTALBOOT.

The LED will flash. Then, the PORTALBOOT drive will disappear and a new disk drive called CIRCUITPY will appear.

If you haven't added any code to your board, the only file that will be present is boot_out.txt. This is absolutely normal! It's time for you to add your code.py and get started!

That's it, you're done! :)

PyPortal Default Files

Click below to download a zip of the files that shipped on the PyPortal or PyPortal Pynt.

PyPortal Default Files

PyPortal Pynt Default Files

Page last edited March 08, 2024

Text editor powered by tinymce.

PyPortal CircuitPython Setup

To use all the amazing features of your PyPortal with CircuitPython, you must first install a number of libraries. This page covers that process.

Adafruit CircuitPython Bundle

Download the Adafruit CircuitPython Library Bundle. You can find the latest release here:

Latest Adafruit CircuitPython Library Bundle

Download the adafruit-circuitpython-bundle-*.x-mpy-*.zip bundle zip file where *.x MATCHES THE VERSION OF CIRCUITPYTHON YOU INSTALLED, and unzip a folder of the same name. Inside you'll find a lib folder. You have two options:

You can add the lib folder to your CIRCUITPY drive. This will ensure you have all the drivers. But it will take a bunch of space on the 8 MB disk
Add each library as you need it, this will reduce the space usage but you'll need to put in a little more effort.

At a minimum we recommend the following libraries, in fact we more than recommend. They're basically required. So grab them and install them into CIRCUITPY/lib now!

adafruit_esp32spi - This is the library that gives you internet access via the ESP32 using (you guessed it!) SPI transport. You need this for anything Internet
adafruit_requests - This library allows us to perform HTTP requests and get responses back from servers. GET/POST/PUT/PATCH - they're all in here!
adafruit_connection_manager - used by adafruit_requests.
adafruit_pyportal - This is our friendly wrapper library that does a lot of our projects, displays graphics and text, fetches data from the internet. Nearly all of our projects depend on it!
adafruit_portalbase - This library is the base library that adafruit_pyportal library is built on top of.
adafruit_touchscreen - a library for reading touches from the resistive touchscreen. Handles all the analog noodling, rotation and calibration for you.
adafruit_io - this library helps connect the PyPortal to our free datalogging and viewing service
adafruit_imageload - an image display helper, required for any graphics!
adafruit_display_text - not surprisingly, it displays text on the screen
adafruit_bitmap_font - we have fancy font support, and its easy to make new fonts. This library reads and parses font files.
adafruit_slideshow - for making image slideshows - handy for quick display of graphics and sound
neopixel - for controlling the onboard neopixel
adafruit_adt7410 - library to read the temperature from the on-board Analog Devices ADT7410 precision temperature sensor (not necessary for Titano or Pynt)
adafruit_bus_device - low level support for I2C/SPI
adafruit_fakerequests - This library allows you to create fake HTTP requests by using local files.

Page last edited March 08, 2024

Text editor powered by tinymce.

Create Your settings.toml File

CircuitPython works with WiFi-capable boards to enable you to make projects that have network connectivity. This means working with various passwords and API keys. As of CircuitPython 8, there is support for a settings.toml file. This is a file that is stored on your CIRCUITPY drive, that contains all of your secret network information, such as your SSID, SSID password and any API keys for IoT services. It is designed to separate your sensitive information from your code.py file so you are able to share your code without sharing your credentials.

CircuitPython previously used a secrets.py file for this purpose. The settings.toml file is quite similar.

Your settings.toml file should be stored in the main directory of your CIRCUITPY drive. It should not be in a folder.

CircuitPython settings.toml File

This section will provide a couple of examples of what your settings.toml file should look like, specifically for CircuitPython WiFi projects in general.

The most minimal settings.toml file must contain your WiFi SSID and password, as that is the minimum required to connect to WiFi. Copy this example, paste it into your settings.toml, and update:

your_wifi_ssid
your_wifi_password

Download File

Copy Code

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"

Many CircuitPython network-connected projects on the Adafruit Learn System involve using Adafruit IO. For these projects, you must also include your Adafruit IO username and key. Copy the following example, paste it into your settings.toml file, and update:

your_wifi_ssid
your_wifi_password
your_aio_username
your_aio_key

Download File

Copy Code

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your_aio_username"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your_aio_key"

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your_aio_username"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your_aio_key"

Some projects use different variable names for the entries in the settings.toml file. For example, a project might use ADAFRUIT_AIO_ID in the place of ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME. If you run into connectivity issues, one of the first things to check is that the names in the settings.toml file match the names in the code.

Not every project uses the same variable name for each entry in the settings.toml file! Always verify it matches the code.

settings.toml File Tips

Here is an example settings.toml file.

Download File

Copy Code

# Comments are supported
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "guest wifi"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "guessable"
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT = 80
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD = "passw0rd"
test_variable = "this is a test"
thumbs_up = "\U0001f44d"

# Comments are supported
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "guest wifi"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "guessable"
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT = 80
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD = "passw0rd"
test_variable = "this is a test"
thumbs_up = "\U0001f44d"

In a settings.toml file, it's important to keep these factors in mind:

Strings are wrapped in double quotes; ex: "your-string-here"
Integers are not quoted and may be written in decimal with optional sign (+1, -1, 1000) or hexadecimal (0xabcd).
- Floats (decimal numbers), octal (0o567) and binary (0b11011) are not supported.
Use \u escapes for weird characters, \x and \ooo escapes are not available in .toml files
- Example: \U0001f44d for 👍 (thumbs up emoji) and \u20ac for € (EUR sign)
Unicode emoji, and non-ASCII characters, stand for themselves as long as you're careful to save in "UTF-8 without BOM" format

When your settings.toml file is ready, you can save it in your text editor with the .toml extension.

Accessing Your settings.toml Information in code.py

In your code.py file, you'll need to import the os library to access the settings.toml file. Your settings are accessed with the os.getenv() function. You'll pass your settings entry to the function to import it into the code.py file.

Download File

Copy Code

import os

print(os.getenv("test_variable"))

import os

print(os.getenv("test_variable"))

In the upcoming CircuitPython WiFi examples, you'll see how the settings.toml file is used for connecting to your SSID and accessing your API keys.

Page last edited March 08, 2024

Text editor powered by tinymce.

Internet Connect!

Connect to WiFi

OK, now that you have your settings.toml file set up - you can connect to the Internet.

To do this, 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 examples/ 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:

Update to CircuitPython 9.2.x or later to use this example.

Download Project Bundle

Copy Code

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

from os import getenv

import adafruit_connection_manager
import adafruit_requests
import board
import busio
from digitalio import DigitalInOut

import adafruit_esp32spi

# Get wifi details and more from a settings.toml file
# tokens used by this Demo: CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID, CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD
ssid = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

print("ESP32 SPI webclient test")

TEXT_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html"
JSON_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json"


# If you are using a board with pre-defined ESP32 Pins:
esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

# If you have an AirLift Shield:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D7)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# If you have an AirLift Featherwing or ItsyBitsy Airlift:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D13)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D11)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D12)

# If you have an externally connected ESP32:
# NOTE: You may need to change the pins to reflect your wiring
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D9)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# Secondary (SCK1) SPI used to connect to WiFi board on Arduino Nano Connect RP2040
if "SCK1" in dir(board):
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK1, board.MOSI1, board.MISO1)
else:
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
esp = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(esp)
ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(esp)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)

if esp.status == adafruit_esp32spi.WL_IDLE_STATUS:
    print("ESP32 found and in idle mode")
print("Firmware vers.", esp.firmware_version)
print("MAC addr:", ":".join("%02X" % byte for byte in esp.MAC_address))

for ap in esp.scan_networks():
    print("\t%-23s RSSI: %d" % (ap.ssid, ap.rssi))

print("Connecting to AP...")
while not esp.is_connected:
    try:
        esp.connect_AP(ssid, password)
    except OSError as e:
        print("could not connect to AP, retrying: ", e)
        continue
print("Connected to", esp.ap_info.ssid, "\tRSSI:", esp.ap_info.rssi)
print("My IP address is", esp.ipv4_address)
print("IP lookup adafruit.com: %s" % esp.pretty_ip(esp.get_host_by_name("adafruit.com")))
print("Ping google.com: %d ms" % esp.ping("google.com"))

# esp._debug = True
print("Fetching text from", TEXT_URL)
r = requests.get(TEXT_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(r.text)
print("-" * 40)
r.close()

print()
print("Fetching json from", JSON_URL)
r = requests.get(JSON_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(r.json())
print("-" * 40)
r.close()

print("Done!")

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

from os import getenv

import adafruit_connection_manager
import adafruit_requests
import board
import busio
from digitalio import DigitalInOut

import adafruit_esp32spi

# Get wifi details and more from a settings.toml file
# tokens used by this Demo: CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID, CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD
ssid = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

print("ESP32 SPI webclient test")

TEXT_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html"
JSON_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json"


# If you are using a board with pre-defined ESP32 Pins:
esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

# If you have an AirLift Shield:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D7)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# If you have an AirLift Featherwing or ItsyBitsy Airlift:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D13)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D11)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D12)

# If you have an externally connected ESP32:
# NOTE: You may need to change the pins to reflect your wiring
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D9)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# Secondary (SCK1) SPI used to connect to WiFi board on Arduino Nano Connect RP2040
if "SCK1" in dir(board):
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK1, board.MOSI1, board.MISO1)
else:
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
esp = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(esp)
ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(esp)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)

if esp.status == adafruit_esp32spi.WL_IDLE_STATUS:
    print("ESP32 found and in idle mode")
print("Firmware vers.", esp.firmware_version)
print("MAC addr:", ":".join("%02X" % byte for byte in esp.MAC_address))

for ap in esp.scan_networks():
    print("\t%-23s RSSI: %d" % (ap.ssid, ap.rssi))

print("Connecting to AP...")
while not esp.is_connected:
    try:
        esp.connect_AP(ssid, password)
    except OSError as e:
        print("could not connect to AP, retrying: ", e)
        continue
print("Connected to", esp.ap_info.ssid, "\tRSSI:", esp.ap_info.rssi)
print("My IP address is", esp.ipv4_address)
print("IP lookup adafruit.com: %s" % esp.pretty_ip(esp.get_host_by_name("adafruit.com")))
print("Ping google.com: %d ms" % esp.ping("google.com"))

# esp._debug = True
print("Fetching text from", TEXT_URL)
r = requests.get(TEXT_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(r.text)
print("-" * 40)
r.close()

print()
print("Fetching json from", JSON_URL)
r = requests.get(JSON_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(r.json())
print("-" * 40)
r.close()

print("Done!")

And save it to your board, with the name code.py.

Don't forget you'll also need to create the settings.toml file as seen above, with your WiFi ssid and password.

In a serial console, you should see something like the following. For more information about connecting with a serial console, view the guide Connecting to the Serial Console.

Copy Text

>>> import wifitest
ESP32 SPI webclient test
ESP32 found and in idle mode
Firmware vers. 1.7.5
MAC addr: 24:C9:DC:BD:0F:3F
	HomeNetwork             RSSI: -46
	HomeNetwork             RSSI: -76
	Fios-12345              RSSI: -92
	FiOS-AB123              RSSI: -92
	NETGEAR53               RSSI: -93
Connecting to AP...
Connected to HomeNetwork 	RSSI: -45
My IP address is 192.168.1.245
IP lookup adafruit.com: 104.20.39.240
Ping google.com: 30 ms
Fetching text from http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html
----------------------------------------
This is a test of Adafruit WiFi!
If you can read this, its working :)
----------------------------------------

Fetching json from http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json
----------------------------------------
{'fun': True, 'company': 'Adafruit', 'founded': 2005, 'primes': [2, 3, 5], 'pi': 3.14, 'mixed': [False, None, 3, True, 2.7, 'cheese']}
----------------------------------------
Done!

>>> import wifitest
ESP32 SPI webclient test
ESP32 found and in idle mode
Firmware vers. 1.7.5
MAC addr: 24:C9:DC:BD:0F:3F
	HomeNetwork             RSSI: -46
	HomeNetwork             RSSI: -76
	Fios-12345              RSSI: -92
	FiOS-AB123              RSSI: -92
	NETGEAR53               RSSI: -93
Connecting to AP...
Connected to HomeNetwork 	RSSI: -45
My IP address is 192.168.1.245
IP lookup adafruit.com: 104.20.39.240
Ping google.com: 30 ms
Fetching text from http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html
----------------------------------------
This is a test of Adafruit WiFi!
If you can read this, its working :)
----------------------------------------

Fetching json from http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json
----------------------------------------
{'fun': True, 'company': 'Adafruit', 'founded': 2005, 'primes': [2, 3, 5], 'pi': 3.14, 'mixed': [False, None, 3, True, 2.7, 'cheese']}
----------------------------------------
Done!

Going over the example above, here's a breakdown of what the program is doing:

Initialize the ESP32 over SPI using the SPI port and 3 control pins:

Download File

Copy Code

esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

#...

else:
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
esp = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

#...

else:
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
esp = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

Get the socket pool and the SSL context, and then tell the adafruit_requests library about them.

Download File

Copy Code

pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(esp)
ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(esp)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)

pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(esp)
ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(esp)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)

Verify an ESP32 is found, checks the firmware and MAC address

Download File

Copy Code

if esp.status == adafruit_esp32spi.WL_IDLE_STATUS:
    print("ESP32 found and in idle mode")
print("Firmware vers.", esp.firmware_version)
print("MAC addr:", ":".join("%02X" % byte for byte in esp.MAC_address))

if esp.status == adafruit_esp32spi.WL_IDLE_STATUS:
    print("ESP32 found and in idle mode")
print("Firmware vers.", esp.firmware_version)
print("MAC addr:", ":".join("%02X" % byte for byte in esp.MAC_address))

Perform a scan of all access points it can see and print out the name and signal strength.

Download File

Copy Code

for ap in esp.scan_networks():
    print("\t%-23s RSSI: %d" % (ap.ssid, ap.rssi))

for ap in esp.scan_networks():
    print("\t%-23s RSSI: %d" % (ap.ssid, ap.rssi))

Connect to the AP we've defined here, then print out the local IP address. Then attempt to do a domain name lookup and ping google.com to check network connectivity. (Note sometimes the ping fails or takes a while; this isn't a big deal.)

Download File

Copy Code

print("Connecting to AP...")
while not esp.is_connected:
    try:
        esp.connect_AP(ssid, password)
    except OSError as e:
        print("could not connect to AP, retrying: ", e)
        continue
print("Connected to", esp.ap_info.ssid, "\tRSSI:", esp.ap_info.rssi)
print("My IP address is", esp.ipv4_address)
print(
    "IP lookup adafruit.com: %s" % esp.pretty_ip(esp.get_host_by_name("adafruit.com"))
)

print("Connecting to AP...")
while not esp.is_connected:
    try:
        esp.connect_AP(ssid, password)
    except OSError as e:
        print("could not connect to AP, retrying: ", e)
        continue
print("Connected to", esp.ap_info.ssid, "\tRSSI:", esp.ap_info.rssi)
print("My IP address is", esp.ipv4_address)
print(
    "IP lookup adafruit.com: %s" % esp.pretty_ip(esp.get_host_by_name("adafruit.com"))
)

Now we're getting to the really interesting part of the example program. We've written a library for web fetching web data, named adafruit_requests. It is a lot like the regular Python library named requests. This library allows you to send HTTP and HTTPS requests easily and provides helpful methods for parsing the response from the server.

Here is the part of the example program is fetching text data from a URL.

Download File

Copy Code

TEXT_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html"  # Further up in the program

# ...

print("Fetching text from", TEXT_URL)
r = requests.get(TEXT_URL)
print('-' * 40)
print(r.text)
print('-' * 40)
r.close()

TEXT_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html"  # Further up in the program

# ...

print("Fetching text from", TEXT_URL)
r = requests.get(TEXT_URL)
print('-' * 40)
print(r.text)
print('-' * 40)
r.close()

Finally, here the program is fetching some JSON data. The adafruit_requests library will parse the JSON into a Python dictionary whose structure is the same as the structure of the JSON.

Download File

Copy Code

JSON_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json"   # Further up in the program

# ...

print("Fetching json from", JSON_URL)
r = requests.get(JSON_URL)
print('-' * 40)
print(r.json())
print('-' * 40)
r.close()

JSON_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json"   # Further up in the program

# ...

print("Fetching json from", JSON_URL)
r = requests.get(JSON_URL)
print('-' * 40)
print(r.json())
print('-' * 40)
r.close()

Advanced Requests Usage

Want to send custom HTTP headers, parse the response as raw bytes, or handle a response's http status code in your CircuitPython code?

We've written an example to show advanced usage of the requests module below.

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.

Download Project Bundle

Copy Code

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import os

import adafruit_connection_manager
import board
import busio
from adafruit_esp32spi import adafruit_esp32spi
from digitalio import DigitalInOut

import adafruit_requests

# Get WiFi details, ensure these are setup in settings.toml
ssid = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

# If you are using a board with pre-defined ESP32 Pins:
esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

# If you have an externally connected ESP32:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D9)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# If you have an AirLift Featherwing or ItsyBitsy Airlift:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D13)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D11)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D12)

spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
radio = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

print("Connecting to AP...")
while not radio.is_connected:
    try:
        radio.connect_AP(ssid, password)
    except RuntimeError as e:
        print("could not connect to AP, retrying: ", e)
        continue
print("Connected to", str(radio.ap_info.ssid, "utf-8"), "\tRSSI:", radio.ap_info.rssi)

# Initialize a requests session
pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(radio)
ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)

JSON_GET_URL = "https://httpbin.org/get"

# Define a custom header as a dict.
headers = {"user-agent": "blinka/1.0.0"}

print("Fetching JSON data from %s..." % JSON_GET_URL)
with requests.get(JSON_GET_URL, headers=headers) as response:
    print("-" * 60)

    json_data = response.json()
    headers = json_data["headers"]
    print("Response's Custom User-Agent Header: {0}".format(headers["User-Agent"]))
    print("-" * 60)

    # Read Response's HTTP status code
    print("Response HTTP Status Code: ", response.status_code)
    print("-" * 60)

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import os

import adafruit_connection_manager
import board
import busio
from adafruit_esp32spi import adafruit_esp32spi
from digitalio import DigitalInOut

import adafruit_requests

# Get WiFi details, ensure these are setup in settings.toml
ssid = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

# If you are using a board with pre-defined ESP32 Pins:
esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

# If you have an externally connected ESP32:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D9)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# If you have an AirLift Featherwing or ItsyBitsy Airlift:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D13)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D11)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D12)

spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
radio = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

print("Connecting to AP...")
while not radio.is_connected:
    try:
        radio.connect_AP(ssid, password)
    except RuntimeError as e:
        print("could not connect to AP, retrying: ", e)
        continue
print("Connected to", str(radio.ap_info.ssid, "utf-8"), "\tRSSI:", radio.ap_info.rssi)

# Initialize a requests session
pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(radio)
ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)

JSON_GET_URL = "https://httpbin.org/get"

# Define a custom header as a dict.
headers = {"user-agent": "blinka/1.0.0"}

print("Fetching JSON data from %s..." % JSON_GET_URL)
with requests.get(JSON_GET_URL, headers=headers) as response:
    print("-" * 60)

    json_data = response.json()
    headers = json_data["headers"]
    print("Response's Custom User-Agent Header: {0}".format(headers["User-Agent"]))
    print("-" * 60)

    # Read Response's HTTP status code
    print("Response HTTP Status Code: ", response.status_code)
    print("-" * 60)

Your CIRCUITPY drive should now look similar to the following image:

WiFi Manager

The way the examples above connect to WiFi works but it's a little finicky. Since WiFi is not necessarily so reliable, you may have disconnects and need to reconnect. For more advanced uses, we recommend using the WiFiManager class. It will wrap the connection/status/requests loop for you - reconnecting if WiFi drops, resetting the ESP32 if it gets into a bad state, etc.

Here's a more advanced example that shows using the WiFiManager and also how to fetch the current time from a web source.

Download Project Bundle

Copy Code

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
from os import getenv

import board
import busio
import neopixel
import rtc
from digitalio import DigitalInOut

adafruit_esp32spi
from adafruit_esp32spi.wifimanager import WiFiManager

# Get wifi details and more from a settings.toml file
# tokens used by this Demo: CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID, CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD
ssid = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

print("ESP32 local time")

TIME_API = "http://worldtimeapi.org/api/ip"

# If you are using a board with pre-defined ESP32 Pins:
esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

# If you have an externally connected ESP32:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D9)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# Secondary (SCK1) SPI used to connect to WiFi board on Arduino Nano Connect RP2040
if "SCK1" in dir(board):
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK1, board.MOSI1, board.MISO1)
else:
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
esp = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

"""Use below for Most Boards"""
status_pixel = neopixel.NeoPixel(board.NEOPIXEL, 1, brightness=0.2)
"""Uncomment below for ItsyBitsy M4"""
# status_pixel = dotstar.DotStar(board.APA102_SCK, board.APA102_MOSI, 1, brightness=0.2)
"""Uncomment below for an externally defined RGB LED (including Arduino Nano Connect)"""
# import adafruit_rgbled
# from adafruit_esp32spi import PWMOut
# RED_LED = PWMOut.PWMOut(esp, 26)
# GREEN_LED = PWMOut.PWMOut(esp, 27)
# BLUE_LED = PWMOut.PWMOut(esp, 25)
# status_pixel = adafruit_rgbled.RGBLED(RED_LED, BLUE_LED, GREEN_LED)

wifi = WiFiManager(esp, ssid, password, status_pixel=status_pixel)

the_rtc = rtc.RTC()

response = None
while True:
    try:
        print("Fetching json from", TIME_API)
        response = wifi.get(TIME_API)
        break
    except OSError as e:
        print("Failed to get data, retrying\n", e)
        continue

json = response.json()
current_time = json["datetime"]
the_date, the_time = current_time.split("T")
year, month, mday = (int(x) for x in the_date.split("-"))
the_time = the_time.split(".")[0]
hours, minutes, seconds = (int(x) for x in the_time.split(":"))

# We can also fill in these extra nice things
year_day = json["day_of_year"]
week_day = json["day_of_week"]
is_dst = json["dst"]

now = time.struct_time((year, month, mday, hours, minutes, seconds, week_day, year_day, is_dst))
print(now)
the_rtc.datetime = now

while True:
    print(time.localtime())
    time.sleep(1)

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 ladyada for Adafruit Industries
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

import time
from os import getenv

import board
import busio
import neopixel
import rtc
from digitalio import DigitalInOut

adafruit_esp32spi
from adafruit_esp32spi.wifimanager import WiFiManager

# Get wifi details and more from a settings.toml file
# tokens used by this Demo: CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID, CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD
ssid = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")

print("ESP32 local time")

TIME_API = "http://worldtimeapi.org/api/ip"

# If you are using a board with pre-defined ESP32 Pins:
esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

# If you have an externally connected ESP32:
# esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.D9)
# esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.D10)
# esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.D5)

# Secondary (SCK1) SPI used to connect to WiFi board on Arduino Nano Connect RP2040
if "SCK1" in dir(board):
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK1, board.MOSI1, board.MISO1)
else:
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
esp = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)

"""Use below for Most Boards"""
status_pixel = neopixel.NeoPixel(board.NEOPIXEL, 1, brightness=0.2)
"""Uncomment below for ItsyBitsy M4"""
# status_pixel = dotstar.DotStar(board.APA102_SCK, board.APA102_MOSI, 1, brightness=0.2)
"""Uncomment below for an externally defined RGB LED (including Arduino Nano Connect)"""
# import adafruit_rgbled
# from adafruit_esp32spi import PWMOut
# RED_LED = PWMOut.PWMOut(esp, 26)
# GREEN_LED = PWMOut.PWMOut(esp, 27)
# BLUE_LED = PWMOut.PWMOut(esp, 25)
# status_pixel = adafruit_rgbled.RGBLED(RED_LED, BLUE_LED, GREEN_LED)

wifi = WiFiManager(esp, ssid, password, status_pixel=status_pixel)

the_rtc = rtc.RTC()

response = None
while True:
    try:
        print("Fetching json from", TIME_API)
        response = wifi.get(TIME_API)
        break
    except OSError as e:
        print("Failed to get data, retrying\n", e)
        continue

json = response.json()
current_time = json["datetime"]
the_date, the_time = current_time.split("T")
year, month, mday = (int(x) for x in the_date.split("-"))
the_time = the_time.split(".")[0]
hours, minutes, seconds = (int(x) for x in the_time.split(":"))

# We can also fill in these extra nice things
year_day = json["day_of_year"]
week_day = json["day_of_week"]
is_dst = json["dst"]

now = time.struct_time((year, month, mday, hours, minutes, seconds, week_day, year_day, is_dst))
print(now)
the_rtc.datetime = now

while True:
    print(time.localtime())
    time.sleep(1)

Further Information

For more information on the basics of doing networking in CircuitPython, see this guide:

Networking in CircuitPython

By Anne Barela

View Guide

Page last edited March 08, 2024

Text editor powered by tinymce.

Code PyPortal with CircuitPython

CircuitPython Code

In the embedded code element below, click on the Download Project Bundle button, and save the .zip archive file to your computer.

Then, uncompress the .zip file, it will unpack to a folder named PyPortal_Word_of_the_Day.

Copy the contents of the PyPortal_Word_of_the_Day directory to your PyPortal CIRCUITPY drive.

Download Project Bundle

Copy Code

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Isaac Wellish for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

"""
This example uses the Wordnik API to display Wordnik's Word of the Day.
Each day a new word, its part of speech, and definition
will appear automatically on the display. Tap the screen to start
as well as to switch between the word's definition and an example sentence.
"""
import os

import board
from adafruit_pyportal import PyPortal

# Set up where we'll be fetching data from
DATA_SOURCE = "https://api.wordnik.com/v4/words.json/wordOfTheDay?api_key=" + os.getenv(
    "WORDNIK_TOKEN"
)
PART_OF_SPEECH = ["definitions", 0, "partOfSpeech"]
DEF_LOCATION = ["definitions", 0, "text"]
EXAMPLE_LOCATION = ["examples", 0, "text"]
CAPTION = "wordnik.com/word-of-the-day"
DEFINITION_EXAMPLE_ARR = [DEF_LOCATION, EXAMPLE_LOCATION]
# defintion and example array variable initialized at 0
definition_example = 0

# determine the current working directory
# needed so we know where to find files
cwd = ("/" + __file__).rsplit("/", 1)[0]

# Initialize the pyportal object and let us know what data to fetch and where
# to display it
pyportal = PyPortal(
    url=DATA_SOURCE,
    status_neopixel=board.NEOPIXEL,
    default_bg=cwd + "/wordoftheday_background.bmp",
    text_font=cwd + "/fonts/Arial-ItalicMT-17.bdf",
    text_position=(
        (50, 30),  # word location
        (50, 50),  # part of speech location
        (50, 135),
    ),  # definition location
    text_color=(0x8080FF, 0xFF00FF, 0xFFFFFF),
    text_wrap=(0, 0, 28),  # characters to wrap for text
    text_maxlen=(180, 30, 115),  # max text size for word, part of speech and def
    caption_text=CAPTION,
    caption_font=cwd + "/fonts/Arial-ItalicMT-17.bdf",
    caption_position=(50, 220),
    caption_color=0x808080,
)

print("loading...")  # print to repl while waiting for font to load
pyportal.preload_font()  # speed things up by preloading font
pyportal.set_text("\nWord of the Day")  # show title

while True:
    if pyportal.touchscreen.touch_point:
        try:
            # set the JSON path here to be able to change between definition and example
            # pylint: disable=protected-access
            pyportal._json_path = (
                ["word"],
                PART_OF_SPEECH,
                DEFINITION_EXAMPLE_ARR[definition_example],
            )
            value = pyportal.fetch()
            print("Response is", value)
        except RuntimeError as e:
            print("Some error occured, retrying! -", e)
        # Change between definition and example
        if definition_example == 0:
            definition_example = 1
        elif definition_example == 1:
            definition_example = 0

# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019 Isaac Wellish for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT

"""
This example uses the Wordnik API to display Wordnik's Word of the Day.
Each day a new word, its part of speech, and definition
will appear automatically on the display. Tap the screen to start
as well as to switch between the word's definition and an example sentence.
"""
import os

import board
from adafruit_pyportal import PyPortal

# Set up where we'll be fetching data from
DATA_SOURCE = "https://api.wordnik.com/v4/words.json/wordOfTheDay?api_key=" + os.getenv(
    "WORDNIK_TOKEN"
)
PART_OF_SPEECH = ["definitions", 0, "partOfSpeech"]
DEF_LOCATION = ["definitions", 0, "text"]
EXAMPLE_LOCATION = ["examples", 0, "text"]
CAPTION = "wordnik.com/word-of-the-day"
DEFINITION_EXAMPLE_ARR = [DEF_LOCATION, EXAMPLE_LOCATION]
# defintion and example array variable initialized at 0
definition_example = 0

# determine the current working directory
# needed so we know where to find files
cwd = ("/" + __file__).rsplit("/", 1)[0]

# Initialize the pyportal object and let us know what data to fetch and where
# to display it
pyportal = PyPortal(
    url=DATA_SOURCE,
    status_neopixel=board.NEOPIXEL,
    default_bg=cwd + "/wordoftheday_background.bmp",
    text_font=cwd + "/fonts/Arial-ItalicMT-17.bdf",
    text_position=(
        (50, 30),  # word location
        (50, 50),  # part of speech location
        (50, 135),
    ),  # definition location
    text_color=(0x8080FF, 0xFF00FF, 0xFFFFFF),
    text_wrap=(0, 0, 28),  # characters to wrap for text
    text_maxlen=(180, 30, 115),  # max text size for word, part of speech and def
    caption_text=CAPTION,
    caption_font=cwd + "/fonts/Arial-ItalicMT-17.bdf",
    caption_position=(50, 220),
    caption_color=0x808080,
)

print("loading...")  # print to repl while waiting for font to load
pyportal.preload_font()  # speed things up by preloading font
pyportal.set_text("\nWord of the Day")  # show title

while True:
    if pyportal.touchscreen.touch_point:
        try:
            # set the JSON path here to be able to change between definition and example
            # pylint: disable=protected-access
            pyportal._json_path = (
                ["word"],
                PART_OF_SPEECH,
                DEFINITION_EXAMPLE_ARR[definition_example],
            )
            value = pyportal.fetch()
            print("Response is", value)
        except RuntimeError as e:
            print("Some error occured, retrying! -", e)
        # Change between definition and example
        if definition_example == 0:
            definition_example = 1
        elif definition_example == 1:
            definition_example = 0

This is what the final contents of the CIRCUITPY drive will look like:

The Wordnik API

Wordnik is where we'll be grabbing our word of the day data from to display on the PyPortal.

A bit about Wordnik from their website:

Wordnik is the world's biggest online English dictionary, by number of words.

Wordnik is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and our mission is to find and share as many words of English as possible with as many people as possible.

In order to use Wordnik's API and access their word data, we will need what's called an API key.

The Wordnik API has a one week waiting period for free API keys

How to obtain an API key from Wordnik

lcds___displays_Screen_Shot_2019-04-12_at_4.37.59_PM.png

To get an API key first make an account on the Wordnik website by clicking here.

lcds___displays_Screen_Shot_2019-04-12_at_4.44.01_PM.png

Next, head here to sign up for an API key.
If you donate $5 or more you can get the API key the same day.
You can also get a key for free but will have to wait one week to get it.

Using the API key

After you've gotten your key from Wordnik in your email, it's time to add it to your settings.toml file:

Download File

Copy Code

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
WORDNIK_TOKEN = "HUGE_LONG_WORDNIK_API_KEY"

CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
WORDNIK_TOKEN = "HUGE_LONG_WORDNIK_API_KEY"

If you run into any errors, such as "ImportError: no module named `adafruit_display_text.label`" be sure to update your libraries to the latest release bundle!

Title Sequence

When the PyPortal is turned on or reset, the following events occur.

Display the title of the app, "Word of the Day" at the top of the display and the source "Wordnik.com/wordoftheday" at the bottom
When screen is touched, display the word, part of speech, and definition with the source at the bottom.
When screen is touched again, display the word, part of speech, and an example sentence with the word.

How It Works

The PyPortal Word of the Day is doing a couple of nifty things to deliver your insightful vocabulary expanding experience!

Background

First, it displays a bitmap graphic as the screen's background. This is a 320 x 240 pixel RGB 16-bit raster graphic in .bmp format. I found this image on Pixabay by user Clker-Free-Vector-Images and turned it into a black and white scroll for ultimate word of the day background!

Font

First we see "Word of the Day" appear on the screen along with the source at the bottom.

The fonts used here are bitmap fonts made from the Arial Italic typeface. You can learn more about converting type in this guide.

Parsing JSON from the Web

The neat part is that the text is not coming from a file on the device, but rather it is grabbed from a website!

lcds___displays_Screen_Shot_2019-04-12_at_6.30.12_PM.png

From the Wordnik API's documentation for the word of the day, click the "Try it out!" button.

lcds___displays_Screen_Shot_2019-04-12_at_6.30.47_PM.png

A link can be found in the Request URL section.
Try copy and pasting the below link into your browser and replace "YOURAPIKEY" with key you were given form Wordnik.
When this link is entered into a browser the JSON data for that word shows up!

https://api.wordnik.com/v4/words.json/wordOfTheDay?api_key=YOURAPIKEY

You may see a large mess of numbers, letters and symbols. This is JSON data!

Head here to beautify the code so we can actually read it!

"Beautified" code:

Download File

Copy Code

{
  "_id": "5cab62b93cc5c96eb3afa5bf",
  "word": "adiaphoron",
  "contentProvider": {
    "name": "wordnik",
    "id": 711
  },
  "definitions": [
    {
      "source": "wiktionary",
      "text": "An indifferent matter.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "source": "wiktionary",
      "text": "A matter that is morally neutral.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "source": "wiktionary",
      "text": "Something neither forbidden nor commanded by scripture.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "source": "century",
      "text": "In theology and ethics, a thing indifferent; a tenet or practice which may be considered non-essential.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "publishDate": "2019-04-12T03:00:00.000Z",
  "examples": [
    {
      "url": "http://api.wordnik.com/v4/mid/e1284319bcc8eed2b40528c240f6d69376b90187bd37ec0240e9907527a238de12ff8f433fbda52a4181ae99f4ade604",
      "title": "Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church",
      "text": "For if the condition is good, the adiaphoron, too, is good, and its observance is commanded.",
      "id": 1090967175
    },
    {
      "url": "http://api.wordnik.com/v4/mid/6542bbb01a6a8314704c23814788a11d6197fd480404393c5fbd590e84fe27d6ad9ae69016e66722bfa1d945c00d2a61",
      "title": "Apology of the Augsburg Confession",
      "text": "For Augustine, in a long discussion refutes the opinion of those who thought that concupiscence in man is not a fault but an adiaphoron, as color of the body or ill health is said to be an adiaphoron [as to have a black or a white body is neither good nor evil].",
      "id": 1158602656
    }
  ],
  "pdd": "2019-04-12",
  "note": "The word 'adiaphoron' comes from a Greek word meaning 'indifferent'.",
  "htmlExtra": null
}

{
  "_id": "5cab62b93cc5c96eb3afa5bf",
  "word": "adiaphoron",
  "contentProvider": {
    "name": "wordnik",
    "id": 711
  },
  "definitions": [
    {
      "source": "wiktionary",
      "text": "An indifferent matter.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "source": "wiktionary",
      "text": "A matter that is morally neutral.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "source": "wiktionary",
      "text": "Something neither forbidden nor commanded by scripture.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    },
    {
      "source": "century",
      "text": "In theology and ethics, a thing indifferent; a tenet or practice which may be considered non-essential.",
      "note": null,
      "partOfSpeech": "noun"
    }
  ],
  "publishDate": "2019-04-12T03:00:00.000Z",
  "examples": [
    {
      "url": "http://api.wordnik.com/v4/mid/e1284319bcc8eed2b40528c240f6d69376b90187bd37ec0240e9907527a238de12ff8f433fbda52a4181ae99f4ade604",
      "title": "Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church",
      "text": "For if the condition is good, the adiaphoron, too, is good, and its observance is commanded.",
      "id": 1090967175
    },
    {
      "url": "http://api.wordnik.com/v4/mid/6542bbb01a6a8314704c23814788a11d6197fd480404393c5fbd590e84fe27d6ad9ae69016e66722bfa1d945c00d2a61",
      "title": "Apology of the Augsburg Confession",
      "text": "For Augustine, in a long discussion refutes the opinion of those who thought that concupiscence in man is not a fault but an adiaphoron, as color of the body or ill health is said to be an adiaphoron [as to have a black or a white body is neither good nor evil].",
      "id": 1158602656
    }
  ],
  "pdd": "2019-04-12",
  "note": "The word 'adiaphoron' comes from a Greek word meaning 'indifferent'.",
  "htmlExtra": null
}

If we look through the JSON file, we'll see a key called word, and two others called definitions and examples each with a sub-tree below it hierarchically called 0 . Within the definitions key we see the two key value pairs that we want: text that has the contents of the word's definition, "An indifferent matter" and "partOfSpeech" with the contents of "noun". In the examples key we want text which has the contents of "For if the condition is good, the adiaphoron, too, is good, and its observance is commanded."

The raw JSON for these key : value pairs look like this:

"word": "adiaphoron""text": "An indifferent matter""partOfSpeech": "noun""text": "For if the condition is good, the adiaphoron, too, is good, and its observance is commanded."

Our CircuitPython code is able to grab and parse this data using these variables:

Download File

Copy Code

PART_OF_SPEECH = ['definitions', 0, 'partOfSpeech']
DEF_LOCATION = ['definitions', 0, 'text']
EXAMPLE_LOCATION = ['examples', 0, 'text']

PART_OF_SPEECH = ['definitions', 0, 'partOfSpeech']
DEF_LOCATION = ['definitions', 0, 'text']
EXAMPLE_LOCATION = ['examples', 0, 'text']

*word data is called directly in the while loop

Parsing local JSON files

If you would like to avoid pulling data from a web page or maybe you don't feel like waiting for an API key, you can use a "local" JSON file to pull data from.

To implement this local data sourcing method, create a new file and name it local.txt. Populate this file with the JSON data that you would like to use. For example, you could use the JSON data provided above and make sure the format of the data is the same. Save this file on the CIRCUITPY drive in the root.

You should not need to change anything in your code.

And that's it! The JSON data will now be pulled from this local file!

PyPortal Constructor

When we set up the pyportal constructor, we are providing it with these things:

url to query
json_path to traverse and find the key:value pair we need
status_neopixel pin
default_bg path and name to display the background bitmap
text_font path and name to the font used for displaying the follower count value
text_position on the screen's x/y coordinate system
text_color
caption_text to display statically -- in this case the name of the repo
caption_font
caption_position
caption_color

Fetch

With the pyportal set up, we can then use pyportal.fetch() to do the query and parsing of the three pieces of Wordnik data and then display them on screen along with the caption text on top of the background image.

Customization

You can customize this project to make it your own and point to different website APIs as the source of your JSON data, as well as adjust the graphics and text.

Text Position

Depending on the design of your background bitmap and the length of the text you're displaying, you may want to reposition the text and caption. You can do this with the text_positionand caption_position options.

The PyPortal's display is 320 pixels wide and 240 pixels high. In order to refer to those positions on the screen, we use an x/y coordinate system, where x is horizontal and y is vertical.

The origin of this coordinate system is the upper left corner. This means that a pixel placed at the upper left corner would be (0,0) and the lower right corner would be (320, 240).

Text Color

Another way to customize Word of the Day is to adjust the color of the text. The line text_color=0xFFFFFF in the constructor shows how. You will need to use the hexidecimal value for any color you want to display.

You can use something like https://htmlcolorcodes.com/ to pick your color and then copy the hex value, in this example it would be 0x0ED9EE

Background Image

If you would like to create your own background, awesome! You'll want to save the file with these specifications:

320 x 240 pixels
16-bit RGB color
Save file as .bmp format

You can then copy the .bmp file to the root level of the CIRCUITPY drive. Make sure you refer to this new filename in the pyportal constructor line:

default_bg=cwd+ "/wordoftheday_background.bmp"

Change that line to use the new filename name, such as:

default_bg=cwd+"/my_new_background.bmp"

Main loop

while True:

In the repeating main loop, the following actions are performed:

Check to see if the screen was touched
If screen was touched, display the word, part of speech, and definition with the source at the bottom.
If the screen was touched again, display the word, part of speech, and an example sentence with the word.
Any further screen touches will continue to switch between displaying the word's definition and example.