So Easy MicroPython -NTP Clock, Counter, Timer, …, and IoT Display

＊＊＊ It can be very easy to develop a script which can be used to a digital LED Clock, Counter, Timer, Scoreboard or even as an IoT Global Weather Station, if you use MyKitNeoPixel7seq library like I did. Just few lines a MCU (ESP8266 or ESP32) can become them extremely easy and fast. ＊＊＊

Step 1: Upload libraries to your MCU

First, download the libraries by its link and upload it to your MCU !

• MyKitNeoPixel : A basic library for controlling WS2812B LEDs
• MyKitNeoPixel7Seq : A special library for display LED strip as clock, timer, counter, … etc

＊＊＊ If no idea how to upload files to your MCU board, you can read my other article “So Easy — ESP8266/ESP32 File Management” first. ＊＊＊

＊＊＊ If you are interested in how easy I control my LED strip, you are welcome to read my other article “So Easy MicroPython — NeoPixel (WS2812B) LED Strip” first. ＊＊＊

Step 2: How a digital LED clock works ?

• 1 Digital number is made of 7 LED pixels
• 1 Clock has 4 digitals plus 2 dots between the digitals of hour and minute
• 1 Clock is totally made of 30 LEDs, and LED pixels are indexed 0 to 29

The start pixel of 4 digitals are [0, 7, 16, 23], and 2 dot are [14, 15] for 30 pixels of a LED strip

• Controlling the ON/OFF value of the LED pixels, corresponding to what number 0~9 to be display for a bits array. The lucky thing is you don’t need to worry about how it works, if you use the MyNeoPixel7Seq library I designed. It will handle everything for those troubles for you by itself.

One question here, can I use my own design while the sequence of my clock’s LEDs are different ? And if I could use digitals more or less than 4 LED digitals ? My answer is “YES”, because the order of 7 pixels of LEDs or the size of digitals inside a clock is not limited by only 4 digitals since the library was flexible and designed to handle those differences, so you can change them if you like.

Step 3: Lets’ learn some examples

First, include the following statements onto the top of your script as below:

import utime as time
from MyKitNeoPixel7Seq import myKitNeoPixel7Seq
LED_PIN = 14     # ESP8266: D5
LED_PIXELS = 30 # 30 LEDs for a digital LED clock
LED_BRI = 10     # Brightness set to 10%, to avoid dazzling

np = myKitNeoPixel7Seq(LED_PIN, LED_PIXELS, LED_BRI, text=[0, 7, 16, 23], dots=[14, 15])

＊Basic Display

Example 1：Show Numbers

for n in range(4): 
    for i in range(10):   
        np.showChar(i, n) # 0~9 of each 4 digitals
        time.sleep_ms(50)

Example 2：Show Dots (blinking)

for _ in range(6):
    np.showDots()
    np.dot_sw = not np.dot_sw
    time.sleep_ms(500)

＊＊＊ np.dot_sw is the switch to toggle LED’s ON/OFF ＊＊＊

Example 3：Marquee Text

text = "0123456789-"
temp = text
for _ in range(len(text)):
    np.showText(temp[:len(np.text)])
    temp = np.strRotate(temp, 1)
    time.sleep(0.5)

Example 4：Paging Text

text = "1314520-487-"
for _ in range(6):
    np.showText(text[:len(np.text)])
    text = np.strRotate(text, 4)
    time.sleep(1)

＊Counter Display

Example 5：Show Numbers without leading zeros

for num in range(11):
    np.showText(str(num), 4, ' ') 

Example 6：Show Numbers with leading zeros

for num in range(11):
    num_str = np.strFiller(num, 4, '0')
    np.showText(num_str)

＊Timer Display

Example 7：Count down: every 10 ms

np.showTimer(1111, "c", True). # count 1111 milliseconds

Example 8：Count : every 10 ms

np.showTimer(1111, "c") # count 1111 milliseconds

Example 9：Count down : every second

np.showTimer(11, "s", True) # count 11 seconds

Example 10：Count : every second

np.showTimer(11, "s") # count 11 seconds

Example 11：Count down : every minute

np.showTimer(61, "m") # count 61 minutes

Example 12：Count : every minute

np.showTimer(61, "m") # count 61 minutes

＊Clock Display

Example 14：Digital Clock

while True:
    np.showClock() 
    np.dot_sw = not np.dot_sw
    time.sleep(0.5)

Example 15：Streamer Clock

while True:
    np.showClock360(8)    # skip 8 colors in 360 color wheel   
    np.dot_sw = not np.dot_sw
    time.sleep_ms(100)

＊Scoreboard Display

Example 16：Two-teams Match

np.showScoreboard(scoreA, scoreB, colorA, colorB)

＊＊＊ This demo is a simulation for recording 2 teams’ score randomly＊＊＊

DEMO : Network NTP Streamer Clock

This example shows how easy for just few lines of statements, it makes a MCU to complete tasks of WiFi connection, date-time synchronized using NTP network, and combined with the streamer light effect, change the original monochrome electronic clock into more lively and interesting one.

np.updateMachineTime()    # NTP synchronized MCU
while True:
    np.showClock360(8)    # skip 8 colors in 360 color wheel
    time.sleep_ms(100)

＊＊＊ Please remember since it is an internet NTP clock, your MCU should connect to network as an IoT device first. ＊＊＊

＊＊＊ If you want to know how easy I can simply add 2~3 lines to the script, have my MCU connect to WiFi , then you might be interested to refer my other article “So Easy MicroPython — WiFi Connection, MCU as IoT” . ＊＊＊

That’s all, so easy right ? Hope this helps !

Posted by Yungger

If it really help you, you are welcome to clap your hands clicking on top-left icon, or want to buy me a coffee to encourage me to write more, I thank you too 😘 😘 ！！