Once you've finished setting up your Feather RP2040 Propmaker with CircuitPython, you can access the code and necessary libraries by downloading the Project Bundle.
To do this, click on the Download Project Bundle button in the window below. It will download to your computer as a zipped folder.
# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2023 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
#
# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
import time
import random
import board
import audiocore
import audiobusio
import audiomixer
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction
from adafruit_ticks import ticks_ms, ticks_add, ticks_diff
import neopixel
import adafruit_lis3dh
# CUSTOMIZE SENSITIVITY HERE: smaller numbers = more sensitive to motion
SWING_1_THRESHOLD = 130
SWING_2_THRESHOLD = 170
pixel_time = 10
Y_THRESHOLD = -9.0
VERTICAL_TIME = 1.0 # Time in seconds the sensor needs to be vertical to trigger
fx_1 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing1.wav", "rb"))
fx_2 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing1b.wav", "rb"))
fx_3 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing2.wav", "rb"))
fx_4 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing3.wav", "rb"))
tracks = [fx_1, fx_2, fx_3, fx_4]
audio = audiobusio.I2SOut(board.I2S_BIT_CLOCK, board.I2S_WORD_SELECT, board.I2S_DATA)
mixer = audiomixer.Mixer(voice_count=3, sample_rate=22050, channel_count=1,
bits_per_sample=16, samples_signed=True)
audio.play(mixer)
# external neopixels
num_pixels = 60
pixels = neopixel.NeoPixel(board.EXTERNAL_NEOPIXELS, num_pixels, auto_write=False)
pixels.brightness = 0.2
# Gradient colors (start and end)
pale_green = (50, 255, 50)
yellow = (255, 255, 0)
# Pulse parameters
pulse_speed = 0.01 # Speed of the pulse (lower is slower)
brightness_step = 5 # Amount by which to step the brightness
# onboard LIS3DH
i2c = board.I2C()
int1 = DigitalInOut(board.ACCELEROMETER_INTERRUPT)
lis3dh = adafruit_lis3dh.LIS3DH_I2C(i2c, int1=int1)
# Accelerometer Range (can be 2_G, 4_G, 8_G, 16_G)
lis3dh.range = adafruit_lis3dh.RANGE_2_G
# enable external power pin
# provides power to the external components
external_power = DigitalInOut(board.EXTERNAL_POWER)
external_power.direction = Direction.OUTPUT
external_power.value = True
mode = 0
brightness = 0
increasing = True
pixel_clock = ticks_ms()
# Variables to track time
vertical_start_time = None
while True:
# default
if mode == 0:
if ticks_diff(ticks_ms(), pixel_clock) >= pixel_time:
for i in range(num_pixels):
# Calculate gradient between pale_green and yellow
ratio = i / (num_pixels - 1)
r = int((yellow[0] - pale_green[0]) * ratio + pale_green[0])
g = int((yellow[1] - pale_green[1]) * ratio + pale_green[1])
b = int((yellow[2] - pale_green[2]) * ratio + pale_green[2])
# Adjust brightness by scaling the RGB values
scaled_r = int(r * (brightness / 255))
scaled_g = int(g * (brightness / 255))
scaled_b = int(b * (brightness / 255))
pixels[i] = scaled_r, scaled_g, scaled_b
pixels.show()
# Adjust brightness up and down
if increasing:
brightness += brightness_step
if brightness >= 255:
brightness = 255
increasing = False
else:
brightness -= brightness_step
if brightness <= 0:
brightness = 0
increasing = True
pixel_clock = ticks_add(pixel_clock, pixel_time)
x, y, z = lis3dh.acceleration
#print(x, y, z)
if abs(y) > Y_THRESHOLD and abs(x) < 2.0 and abs(z) < 2.0:
if vertical_start_time is None:
vertical_start_time = time.monotonic() # Start timing
elif time.monotonic() - vertical_start_time >= VERTICAL_TIME:
print("vertical")
mode = "vertical"
else:
vertical_start_time = None # Reset if the sensor is not vertical
accel_total = x * x + z * z
if accel_total >= SWING_2_THRESHOLD:
print("swing 2")
mode = "swing 2"
elif accel_total >= SWING_1_THRESHOLD:
print("swing 1")
mode = "swing 1"
elif mode == "swing 1":
mixer.voice[0].play(tracks[random.randint(0, 1)])
while mixer.voice[0].playing:
pixels.fill(pale_green)
pixels.show()
mode = 0
# clash or move
elif mode == "swing 2":
mixer.voice[1].play(tracks[2])
while mixer.voice[1].playing:
pixels.fill(yellow)
pixels.show()
mode = 0
elif mode == "vertical":
mixer.voice[2].play(tracks[3])
while mixer.voice[2].playing:
pixels.fill(yellow)
pixels.show()
vertical_start_time = None
mode = 0
Upload the Code, Sound Effects and Libraries to the Feather RP2040 Propmaker
After downloading the Project Bundle, plug your Feather RP2040 Propmaker into the computer's USB port with a known good USB data+power cable. You should see a new flash drive appear in the computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system) called CIRCUITPY. Unzip the folder and copy the following items to the Feather RP2040 Propmaker's CIRCUITPY drive.
- lib folder
- code.py
- sounds folder
Your Feather RP2040 Propmaker CIRCUITPY drive should look like this after copying the lib folder, sounds folder and the code.py file.
How the CircuitPython Code Works
At the top of the code are a few customizable variables for the prop. SWING_1_THRESHOLD and SWING_2_THRESHOLD affect the swing sensitivities for the two swing detections. pixel_time is the delay in milliseconds for the NeoPixel fade animation. Y_THRESHOLD is the Y axis value from the accelerometer to detect if the prop is vertical. Finally, VERTICAL_TIME is the number of seconds the prop needs to be vertical to trigger the vertical mode in the loop.
# CUSTOMIZE SENSITIVITY HERE: smaller numbers = more sensitive to motion SWING_1_THRESHOLD = 130 SWING_2_THRESHOLD = 170 pixel_time = 10 Y_THRESHOLD = -9.0 VERTICAL_TIME = 1.0 # Time in seconds the sensor needs to be vertical to trigger
Audio
Four sound effects are loaded from the sounds folder. These sound effects are added to the tracks array. The onboard I2S amplifier is used for audio output and a Mixer is used to play and control the sound effects.
fx_1 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing1.wav", "rb"))
fx_2 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing1b.wav", "rb"))
fx_3 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing2.wav", "rb"))
fx_4 = audiocore.WaveFile(open("/sounds/swing3.wav", "rb"))
tracks = [fx_1, fx_2, fx_3, fx_4]
audio = audiobusio.I2SOut(board.I2S_BIT_CLOCK, board.I2S_WORD_SELECT, board.I2S_DATA)
mixer = audiomixer.Mixer(voice_count=3, sample_rate=22050, channel_count=1,
bits_per_sample=16, samples_signed=True)
audio.play(mixer)
NeoPixels
60 NeoPixels are used in the prop. Variables for the gradient fade effect are setup after the NeoPixels are instantiated.
# external neopixels num_pixels = 60 pixels = neopixel.NeoPixel(board.EXTERNAL_NEOPIXELS, num_pixels, auto_write=False) pixels.brightness = 0.2 # Gradient colors (start and end) pale_green = (50, 255, 50) yellow = (255, 255, 0) # Pulse parameters pulse_speed = 0.01 # Speed of the pulse (lower is slower) brightness_step = 5 # Amount by which to step the brightness
I2C and External Power
The onboard LIS3DH accelerometer is instantiated over I2C. The external power pin is setup as an output and is set to True so that all of the external components (NeoPixels and I2S amp) receive power.
# onboard LIS3DH i2c = board.I2C() int1 = DigitalInOut(board.ACCELEROMETER_INTERRUPT) lis3dh = adafruit_lis3dh.LIS3DH_I2C(i2c, int1=int1) # Accelerometer Range (can be 2_G, 4_G, 8_G, 16_G) lis3dh.range = adafruit_lis3dh.RANGE_2_G # enable external power pin # provides power to the external components external_power = DigitalInOut(board.EXTERNAL_POWER) external_power.direction = Direction.OUTPUT external_power.value = True
Preflight Variables
Right before the loop, a few more variables are created. mode is used to track the mode of the prop. brightness, increasing and pixel_clock are used for the NeoPixel effect. vertical_start_time is used to track how long the prop is held vertically.
mode = 0 brightness = 0 increasing = True pixel_clock = ticks_ms() # Variables to track time vertical_start_time = None
The Loop
In the loop, mode 0 acts as the default mode. The NeoPixels show a gradient that blends from light green to yellow. This gradient pulses in brightness by adjusting the color values. ticks are used to run this animation without a blocking delay.
if mode == 0:
if ticks_diff(ticks_ms(), pixel_clock) >= pixel_time:
for i in range(num_pixels):
# Calculate gradient between pale_green and yellow
ratio = i / (num_pixels - 1)
r = int((yellow[0] - pale_green[0]) * ratio + pale_green[0])
g = int((yellow[1] - pale_green[1]) * ratio + pale_green[1])
b = int((yellow[2] - pale_green[2]) * ratio + pale_green[2])
# Adjust brightness by scaling the RGB values
scaled_r = int(r * (brightness / 255))
scaled_g = int(g * (brightness / 255))
scaled_b = int(b * (brightness / 255))
pixels[i] = scaled_r, scaled_g, scaled_b
pixels.show()
# Adjust brightness up and down
if increasing:
brightness += brightness_step
if brightness >= 255:
brightness = 255
increasing = False
else:
brightness -= brightness_step
if brightness <= 0:
brightness = 0
increasing = True
pixel_clock = ticks_add(pixel_clock, pixel_time)
The accelerometer is read in this mode as well. If the code detects that the prop is being held vertically for longer than the VERTICAL_TIME variable, then mode is set to vertical. The force of the prop swing is also checked. If it is greater than either of the swing threshold values, then the modes are set to either swing 2 or swing 1.
x, y, z = lis3dh.acceleration
#print(x, y, z)
if abs(y) > Y_THRESHOLD and abs(x) < 2.0 and abs(z) < 2.0:
if vertical_start_time is None:
vertical_start_time = time.monotonic() # Start timing
elif time.monotonic() - vertical_start_time >= VERTICAL_TIME:
print("vertical")
mode = "vertical"
else:
vertical_start_time = None # Reset if the sensor is not vertical
accel_total = x * x + z * z
if accel_total >= SWING_2_THRESHOLD:
print("swing 2")
mode = "swing 2"
elif accel_total >= SWING_1_THRESHOLD:
print("swing 1")
mode = "swing 1"
The three other modes trigger different effects for the prop. swing 1 and swing 2 modes play a specific sound effect and light up the prop either green or yellow. The vertical mode plays a longer sound effect and lights up the pixels yellow.
elif mode == "swing 1": mixer.voice[0].play(tracks[random.randint(0, 1)]) while mixer.voice[0].playing: pixels.fill(pale_green) pixels.show() mode = 0 elif mode == "swing 2": mixer.voice[1].play(tracks[2]) while mixer.voice[1].playing: pixels.fill(yellow) pixels.show() mode = 0 elif mode == "vertical": mixer.voice[2].play(tracks[3]) while mixer.voice[2].playing: pixels.fill(yellow) pixels.show() vertical_start_time = None mode = 0
Page last edited January 22, 2025
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