We've sawed, drilled, 3D printed and soldered in this project so far, and now we're going to do some typing. The code is of course written in CircuitPython and uses the Adafruit Bluefruit app to switch between different color animations. For maximum animation smoothness, we'll be using the FancyLED library. It allows for more control over swirling animations which are ideal for this project.

Setting Up CircuitPython

First, you'll want to install the latest version of CircuitPython on your Circuit Playground Bluefruit

CircuitPython Libraries

We'll need some libraries for our CircuitPython code. Be sure to download the library bundle that matches your version of CircuitPython on your Circuit Playground Bluefruit.

Once your Circuit Playground Bluefruit is connected to your computer, access its file system and create a new folder called lib. From the Library bundle that you just downloaded, drag and drop the following libraries:

  • adafruit_ble
  • adafruit_bluefruit_connect
  • adafruit_bus_device
  • adafruit_circuitplayground
  • adafruit_fancyled
  • adafruit_bluefruitspi.mpy
  • neopixel.mpy

Upload the Code

Now we can copy the code below into a file called code.py and drag and drop it onto our CIRCUITPY drive. Afterwards you should be able to connect to the Circuit Playground Bluefruit via the Adafruit Bluefruit app and control the various NeoPixel animations.

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

import random
import board
import neopixel
import adafruit_fancyled.adafruit_fancyled as fancy
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.packet import Packet
from adafruit_bluefruit_connect.button_packet import ButtonPacket
from adafruit_ble import BLERadio
from adafruit_ble.advertising.standard import ProvideServicesAdvertisement
from adafruit_ble.services.nordic import UARTService

# setting up # of neopixels
TREE_LEDS = 12
CPX_LEDS = 10
#  setting up pins for neopixels
TREE_PIN = board.A1
CPX_PIN = board.D8

#  neopixel setup
tree = neopixel.NeoPixel(TREE_PIN, TREE_LEDS, brightness=0.5, auto_write=False)
cpx = neopixel.NeoPixel(CPX_PIN, CPX_LEDS, brightness=0.1, auto_write=False)

#  BLE setup
ble = BLERadio()
uart = UARTService()
advertisement = ProvideServicesAdvertisement(uart)
advertising = False

#  to turn neopixels off
OFF = (0, 0, 0)

#  fancyLED color palettes

fairy_palette = [fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.0, 0.0),
                 fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.5, 0.0),
                 fancy.CRGB(0.0, 0.5, 0.0),
                 fancy.CRGB(0.0, 1.0, 1.0),
                 fancy.CRGB(0.0, 0.0, 1.0),
                 fancy.CRGB(0.75, 0.0, 1.0)]

merry_palette = [fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.0, 0.0),
                 fancy.CRGB(0.0, 1.0, 0.0)]

winter_palette = [fancy.CRGB(0.0, 0.75, 0.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(0.0, 1.0, 1.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(0.75, 0.0, 1.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(1.0, 1.0, 1.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(0.0, 0.75, 0.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(0.75, 0.0, 1.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(0.0, 0.0, 1.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(0.0, 1.0, 1.0),
                  fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.0, 1.0)]

star_palette = [fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.75, 0.0),
                fancy.CRGB(1.0, 1.0, 1.0),
                fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.75, 0.0),
                fancy.CRGB(0.75, 0.75, 0.75),
                fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.75, 0.0)]

hanukkah_palette = [fancy.CRGB(0.0, 1.0, 1.0),
                    fancy.CRGB(0.0, 0.0, 1.0),
                    fancy.CRGB(1.0, 0.75, 0.0),
                    fancy.CRGB(0.0, 0.0, 1.0),
                    fancy.CRGB(1.0, 1.0, 1.0)]

#  default offset value
offset = 0

def gimel():
    for i in range(TREE_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(hanukkah_palette, (offset - i) / 5)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.3)
        tree[i] = color.pack()
    tree.show()

    for i in range(CPX_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(hanukkah_palette, (offset - i) / 3)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.3)
        cpx[i] = color.pack()
    cpx.show()

#  neopixel animations

def jazzy():
    for i in range(TREE_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(fairy_palette, (offset - i) / 4.8)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.3)
        tree[i] = color.pack()
    tree.show()

    for i in range(CPX_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(fairy_palette, (offset + i) / 4)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.3)
        cpx[i] = color.pack()
    cpx.show()

def latkes():
    for i in range(TREE_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(hanukkah_palette, (offset - 24) / TREE_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.3)
        tree[i] = color.pack()
    tree.show()

    for i in range(CPX_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(hanukkah_palette, (offset - 20) / CPX_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.3)
        cpx[i] = color.pack()
    cpx.show()

def twinkle():
    for i in range(60):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(fairy_palette, offset + i / CPX_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        p = random.randint(0, (CPX_LEDS - 1))
        cpx[p] = color.pack()
    cpx.show()

    for i in range(60):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(fairy_palette, offset + i / TREE_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        p = random.randint(0, (TREE_LEDS - 1))
        tree[p] = color.pack()
    tree.show()

def merry():
    for i in range(TREE_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(merry_palette, (offset + i) / (TREE_LEDS / 2))
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        tree[i] = color.pack()
    tree.show()

    for i in range(60):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(star_palette, (offset + i) / CPX_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        p = random.randint(0, (CPX_LEDS - 1))
        cpx[p] = color.pack()
    cpx.show()

def festive():
    for i in range(TREE_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(merry_palette, (offset - i) / 2)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        tree[i] = color.pack()
    tree.show()

    for i in range(CPX_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(star_palette, (offset + i) / CPX_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        cpx[i] = color.pack()
    cpx.show()

def fancy_swirl():
    for i in range(TREE_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(winter_palette, (offset + i) / TREE_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        tree[i] = color.pack()
    tree.show()

    for i in range(CPX_LEDS):
        color = fancy.palette_lookup(star_palette, (offset - i) / CPX_LEDS)
        color = fancy.gamma_adjust(color, brightness=0.25)
        cpx[i] = color.pack()
    cpx.show()

#  states for different neopixel displays
fairies = False
feeling_fancy = False
feeling_festive = False
feeling_jazzy = False
feeling_merry = False
frying_latkes = False
rolling_gimel = False

while True:
    #  states to trigger the different neopixel modes
    if fairies:
        twinkle()
        offset += 0.5
    if feeling_fancy:
        fancy_swirl()
        offset += 0.05
    if feeling_festive:
        festive()
        offset += 0.05
    if feeling_jazzy:
        jazzy()
        offset += 0.08
    if feeling_merry:
        merry()
        offset += 0.12
    if frying_latkes:
        latkes()
        offset += 0.05
    if rolling_gimel:
        gimel()
        offset += 0.05

    if not ble.connected and not advertising:
        #  not connected in the app yet
        ble.start_advertising(advertisement)
        advertising = True

    if ble.connected:
        # after connected via app
        advertising = False
        if uart.in_waiting:
            #  waiting for input from app
            packet = Packet.from_stream(uart)
            if isinstance(packet, ButtonPacket):
                #  if buttons in the app are pressed
                if packet.pressed:
                    #  fairies
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.UP:
                        fairies = True
                        feeling_fancy = False
                        feeling_festive = False
                        feeling_jazzy = False
                        feeling_merry = False
                        frying_latkes = False
                        rolling_gimel = False
                    #  fancy
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.LEFT:
                        fairies = False
                        feeling_fancy = True
                        feeling_festive = False
                        feeling_jazzy = False
                        feeling_merry = False
                        frying_latkes = False
                        rolling_gimel = False
                    #  festive
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.RIGHT:
                        fairies = False
                        feeling_fancy = False
                        feeling_festive = True
                        feeling_jazzy = False
                        feeling_merry = False
                        frying_latkes = False
                        rolling_gimel = False
                    #  jazzy
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.DOWN:
                        fairies = False
                        feeling_fancy = False
                        feeling_festive = False
                        feeling_jazzy = True
                        feeling_merry = False
                        frying_latkes = False
                        rolling_gimel = False
                    #  merry
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.BUTTON_1:
                        fairies = False
                        feeling_fancy = False
                        feeling_festive = False
                        feeling_jazzy = False
                        feeling_merry = True
                        frying_latkes = False
                        rolling_gimel = False
                    #  latkes
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.BUTTON_2:
                        fairies = False
                        feeling_fancy = False
                        feeling_festive = False
                        feeling_jazzy = False
                        feeling_merry = False
                        frying_latkes = True
                        rolling_gimel = False
                    #  gimel
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.BUTTON_3:
                        fairies = False
                        feeling_fancy = False
                        feeling_festive = False
                        feeling_jazzy = False
                        feeling_merry = False
                        frying_latkes = False
                        rolling_gimel = True
                    #  off
                    if packet.button == ButtonPacket.BUTTON_4:
                        fairies = False
                        feeling_fancy = False
                        feeling_festive = False
                        feeling_jazzy = False
                        feeling_merry = False
                        frying_latkes = False
                        rolling_gimel = False
                        cpx.fill(OFF)
                        tree.fill(OFF)
                        tree.show()
                        cpx.show()

This guide was first published on Dec 25, 2019. It was last updated on Mar 29, 2024.

This page (Software) was last updated on Mar 29, 2024.

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