MMM-PiLights - Control a LPD8806 Led Strip on a Raspberry Pi

[jc21]

Specifically for MagicMirrors on a Raspberry Pi with a LPD8806 led strip, this module allows other modules to trigger light sequences or trigger from a http endpoint.

github/jc21/MMM-PiLights

[KirAsh4]

May I suggest you add a section on how to actually connect the LED strips to the pi, which pins, etc.? Not everyone is as technical as some of us … :)

[jc21]

This guide should cover it. Although that is for older raspberry pi models but still worth a read.

For raspberry pi 3 I’ve connected the pins [DI to 20] and [CI to 24] as labelled in this image.

[KirAsh4]

I’m referring to adding it to the repository README.md file.

[KirAsh4]

And technically speaking, the LPD8806 chipset requires 4 wires for input: VCC, GND, DATA_IN (DI), and CLOCK_IN (CI). On a Raspberry Pi 3, the SPI port is on pins:

MOSI    P1-19  (Master Out Slave In)
MISO    P1-21  (Master In Slave Out)
SCLK    P1-23
GND     P1-25
CE0     P1-24
CE1     P1-26

For DATA_IN, you should use the MOSI (19) pin, and for CLOCK_IN, the SCLK (23) pin. Pins 24 and 26 are chip select pins if you happen to have several SPI slave devices and needed to select which one you’re addressing.

[jc21]

Ahh you are correct that is how I have it connected, I just had a dyslexic moment and named the opposing pins by accident :/

[schmo90]

Hy

i changed your module to work with the common W2801 Led Strips.

Now i wanted to add some new sequences.
I modified the switch case but everytime i will go to this sequence with the http request i get the answer, squence not found.

this.expressApp.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({extended: true}));

    this.expressApp.get('/PiLights', (req, res) => {
        console.error('[PiLights] Incoming:', req.query);

        if (typeof req.query.sequence !== 'undefined') {
            // Sequence

            this.runSequence(req.query.sequence)
                .then(function () {
                    res.status(200)
                        .send({
                            status: 200
                        });
                })
                .catch(function (err) {
                    res.status(400)
                        .send({
                            status: 400,
                            error: err.message
                        });
                });

        } else {
            res.status(400)
                .send({
                    status: 400,
                    error: 'Sequence not specified'
                 });
        }

So if i send a new sequence then i will get the answer 400 sequence not specified.
Where do you specify the available sequences?

With Best regards
Schmo

[jc21]

Hi schmo90, good to see you’re contributing :)

Assuming your tests with curl -X GET "http://yourmagicmirror/PiLights?sequence=blue_pulse" still don’t work, I think I’d need to see all of your changes. If you’ve forked my repo on github can you please link it?

[schmo90]

Hy

yeah i made a infinite mirror behind the magic mirror :-)

your animations are working fine with my change of your led strip class to my w2801 class.
But if i add some squences in the switch case, for example ‘off’ then i get the request error.

is there some hidn node.js thing where you define the possible sequences?

I have to say i am a C# developer and it is the first time with node.js…
No debugging and intellisense with nano is realy painfull^^

[jc21]

@schmo90 It should work fine, there is no logic prior to that switch that filters possible values.

What does the server console log report after the text [PiLights] Incoming: ?

req.query.sequence should contain the string name of the sequence you’re requesting.