In this article we will display a digital clock using a Pico Scroll Pack
Getting started
The labels on the underside of Pico Scroll Pack will show you which way round to plug it into your Pico – just match up the USB port with the markings on the board.
The easiest way to get started is by downloading and copying the custom MicroPython uf2 to your Pico, it includes all the libraries you’ll need to use our add-ons.
https://github.com/pimoroni/pimoroni-pico/releases/latest/
To be able to copy this file on to your Pico, you’ll need to put it into bootloader mode. To do this, hold down the BOOTSEL button whilst plugging the USB cable into your computer – it should now show up as a drive called RPI-RP2. Here’s what it looks like in Windows:
Copy the downloaded .uf2 file across to this new drive. Your Pico will now reboot
Code examples
If you see the following message
WARNING: Could not sync device’s clock: can’t import name RTC
WARNING: Could not validate time: can’t import name RTC
Make sure if you are using Thonny IDE then in the Interpreter options select the Micropython(Raspberry Pi Pico) and reloading the shell with the stop icon, those two messages referring to the RTC error will go away.
Otherwise you will see that the time on the scroll pack will not be correct
Here is an example
[codesyntax lang=”python”]
import math
import utime
import picoscroll as scroll
from machine import Pin
scroll.init()
secupdated = False
led = Pin(25,Pin.OUT)
# Initial time, from RTC if set via the shell, or 12:30:01 otherwise (if RTC is unset, epoch is 1/1/21 00:00:01)
if utime.localtime()[0] == 2021 and utime.localtime()[1] == 1 and utime.localtime()[2] == 1:
hours = 12
minutes = 30
seconds = 1
sync = False
led.low()
else:
hours = utime.localtime()[3]
minutes = utime.localtime()[4]
seconds = utime.localtime()[5]
sync = True
led.high()
# LED Brightness (0-255)
brightness = 50
# Character pixel maps (3w x 5h font)
zero = [0,1,1,1,0],[1,0,0,0,1],[0,1,1,1,0]
one = [0,1,0,0,1],[1,1,1,1,1],[0,0,0,0,1]
two = [1,0,0,1,1],[1,0,1,0,1],[0,1,0,0,1]
three = [1,0,1,0,1],[1,0,1,0,1],[0,1,0,1,0]
four = [0,1,1,1,0],[1,0,0,1,0],[0,0,1,1,1]
five = [1,1,1,0,1],[1,0,1,0,1],[1,0,0,1,0]
six = [0,1,1,1,0],[1,0,1,0,1],[0,0,0,1,0]
seven = [1,0,0,1,1],[1,0,1,0,0],[1,1,0,0,0]
eight = [0,1,0,1,0],[1,0,1,0,1],[0,1,0,1,0]
nine = [0,1,0,0,0],[1,0,1,0,1],[0,1,1,1,0]
error = [1,1,1,1,1],[1,0,1,0,1],[1,0,1,0,1]
charlist = [zero,one,two,three,four,five,six,seven,eight,nine]
# Draw characters using above pixel maps, left to right, top to bottom
def draw_digit(x,y,map):
global brightness
scroll.set_pixel(x,y,map[0][0]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+1,y,map[1][0]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+2,y,map[2][0]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x,y+1,map[0][1]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+1,y+1,map[1][1]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+2,y+1,map[2][1]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x,y+2,map[0][2]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+1,y+2,map[1][2]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+2,y+2,map[2][2]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x,y+3,map[0][3]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+1,y+3,map[1][3]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+2,y+3,map[2][3]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x,y+4,map[0][4]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+1,y+4,map[1][4]*brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(x+2,y+4,map[2][4]*brightness)
return
# Process clock characters
def character(x,y,char):
global charlist
if char >= 0 and char <=9:
draw_digit(x,y,charlist[char])
return
else:
draw_digit(x,y,error)
return
# Act on button presses
def buttonhandler():
global hours, minutes, brightness, led
if scroll.is_pressed(scroll.BUTTON_A):
led.low()
if scroll.is_pressed(scroll.BUTTON_X):
if brightness <= 245 and brightness >= 10:
brightness += 10
elif brightness < 255 or brightness < 10:
brightness += 1
else:
hours += 1
return
if scroll.is_pressed(scroll.BUTTON_B):
led.low()
if scroll.is_pressed(scroll.BUTTON_Y):
if brightness >= 11 and brightness <= 250:
brightness -= 10
elif brightness > 3 or brightness > 250 :
brightness -= 1
else:
hours -= 1
if hours < 0:
hours = 23
return
if scroll.is_pressed(scroll.BUTTON_X):
led.low()
minutes += 1
return
if scroll.is_pressed(scroll.BUTTON_Y):
led.low()
minutes -= 1
if minutes < 0:
minutes = 59
return
def draw_clock(hrs,mins,secs):
global brightness
scroll.clear()
character(0,0,hrs//10) # hour tens (0-2)
character(4,0,hrs%10) # hour units (0-9)
character(10,0,mins//10) # minute tens (0-5)
character(14,0,mins%10) # minute units (0-9)
if(secs % 2 != 0): # draw colon between hours and minutes on odd seconds
scroll.set_pixel(8,1,brightness)
scroll.set_pixel(8,3,brightness)
# seconds pixel bar across the bottom - borrowed from the scrollphathd clock example
seconds_progress = 15 * ((secs % 60) / 59.0)
for y in range(15):
current_pixel = min(seconds_progress, 1)
scroll.set_pixel(y + 1, 6, int(current_pixel * brightness))
seconds_progress -= 1
if seconds_progress <= 0:
break
scroll.update()
# Main clock loop
while True:
utime.sleep(0.5)
seconds = utime.localtime()[5]
buttonhandler()
if seconds == 0 and secupdated == False:
minutes += 1
secupdated = True
if seconds == 1 and secupdated == True:
secupdated = False
if minutes > 59:
hours += 1
minutes = 0
if hours > 23:
hours = 0
draw_clock(hours,minutes,seconds)
[/codesyntax]
Products
| Name | Link |
| Pico | Raspberry Pi Pico Development Board A Low-Cost High-Performance Microcontroller Board RP2040 Cortex-M0+ Dual-Core ARM Processor |
| Pico Scroll Pack UK | Pico Scroll Pack |