Blog de Joe Freeman

Adafruit has a specific CircuitPython distribution for the T-Dongle-S3 that uses the LCD display as its default logging and REPL output.  You can see this output by enabling the LCD backlight in your Python code.  You can disable this behavior and use the LCD for your own purposes with just a couple of lines of additional Python code. The LILLYGO T-Dongle S3 The LILLYGO T-Dongle S3 is a USB thumb drive-sized microcontroller with a built-in IPS LCD display, USB port, WI-FI, Bluetooth, I2C, and a MicroSD card slot.  It can be programmed to act as a computer peripheral or as a standalone device powered by a USB power source.  The most common use cases include pen testing devices, smart or sensor peripherals (hardwired, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), or standalone sensor and output control devices connected to the cloud over Wi-FI. Schematic 30 seconds of Video A short demonstration of CircuitPython, the CircuitPython REPL output, and custom Python content pushed to the built-in LCD...

Extend your PC into the microcontroller sensor and control realm with Desktop Python Adafruit Blinka and an RP2040 Pico running U2IF firmware. This setup gives you access to the microcontroller component libraries without writing code on the microcontroller itself. No code-download-run cycle is required! Normally, when you want to run some motors, read some sensors, or talk to some small displays, attach those elements to a microcontroller running your custom software. Adafruit has made it so that their libraries work with a couple of non-programmable port expanders.  You run standard Python on your PC using their libraries.  The Adafruit Blinka software has embedded drivers for boards that present the correct USB HID interfaces.  Two examples are the MCP2221A and FTDI breakout expander boards. There is open-source U2IF Pico 2040 firmware that turns an RP2040 into an appliance that can be talked to as a HID device.  You can use the same Adafruit Blinka software to ta...

Did you wish you had a flashier sample CircuitPython capacitive touch program for the Adafruit Trinkey Neo?  That's great because I've got one here.  This upgraded program lets you know that the unit is running and when you've actually touched the capacitive sensor. I started with https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neo-trinkey/capacitive-touch-neopixel-brightness and ended up with the listing below. Video Watch the video to see it in action. Sample Program This Python code is somewhere in this GitHub repository  https://github.com/freemansoft/Adafruit-Trinkey-CircuitPython # SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2021 Kattni Rembor for Adafruit Industries # # SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT # # updated by freemansoft to include flashing and touch activated colors # originall from https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neo-trinkey/capacitive-touch-hid """CircuitPython Capacitive Touch HID Example for Neo Trinkey""" import time import board import touchi...