Type2Color

Type2Color is a Python application that interfaces with an LED strip and allows you to change the color of a randomly selected LED by pressing keys on an input device (keyboard, buttons, etc.). The project also includes files to set up a systemd service to run the application at startup.

Dependencies

Before running the Type2Color application, make sure you have the following components installed:

• Python 3
• rpi_ws281x library for controlling the LED strip
• evdev library for interacting with input devices
• A compatible LED strip (number of LEDs and pin configuration as specified in the type2color.py file)
• Target platform: Raspberry Pi
• evtest tool to monitor the input device event

Installation

1. Install the required Python libraries:

pip install rpi_ws281x evdev

2. Install the evtest to get the input id, if necessary:

dnf install evtest

Usage

Configure the input id

To read the input event keys is necessary to configure the input device id. For that, use the evtest application:

sudo evtest

And update it on code line:

dev = InputDevice('/dev/input/event[input id]')

Running the Application

To run the Type2Color application, execute the type2color.py script with Python 3:

python3 type2color.py

The application will start, and the LED strip will light up with a random color. Whenever a key is pressed on the input device, a randomly selected LED will change to a new color. The application will log the key pressed, the LED ID, and the RGB values of the new color.

To stop the application, press Ctrl + C.

Setting up systemd Service

The project includes a systemd service file type2color-startup.service, which allows you to run the application at system startup.

Follow these steps to set up the systemd service:

1. Copy the type2color-startup.service file to the systemd services directory:

sudo cp type2color-startup.service /etc/systemd/system/

2. Reload the systemd manager configuration:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

3. Enable the type2color-startup.service to run at startup:

sudo systemctl enable type2color-startup.service

4. Start the service:

sudo systemctl start type2color-startup.service

Now, the Type2Color application will automatically start whenever your system boots up.

Customization

Feel free to modify the type2color.py script and systemd service file type2color-startup.service according to your specific requirements. You can change LED_COUNT, LED_PIN, LED_FREQ_HZ, LED_BRIGHTNESS, and other variables in the type2color.py script to adapt it to your LED strip configuration.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter any issues or errors, you can check the logs using the following command:

journalctl -u type2color-startup.service

This will display the logs related to the Type2Color systemd service and help you diagnose any problems.

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