Playing with my PyBadge

Finally got my hands on a PyBadge (thanks, https://twitter.com/micktwomey), been waiting impatiently ever since it was first announced, I think I saw it either via Adafruit's newsletter or their Youtube video (I recommend you subscribe to both).

It was a couple of weeks since my first play around with the PyBadge and I wanted to try out PyBadger. So I followed the instructions, it was all grand until I wanted to get the neopixels to light up like the last time I played with it.

So I looked at the official PyBadge code example again: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/tree/master/PyBadge_Conference_Badge

Hacked the code a bit and ran it, it says that D8 is already in use (the neopixels). šŸ¤”

Looked up neopixels docs on https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-neopixel-uberguide/python-circuitpython - ok, code seems to be ok, why doesn't it work...

I double-checked D8 according to the pinouts on Adadruit website, that's the neopixels I want to use alright.

Hmmm, ok, so I went to check out the PyBadger docs on https://circuitpython.readthedocs.io/projects/pybadger/en/latest/api.html - I noticed that there's a mention of "pixels" - Sequence like object representing the NeoPixels on the board. Double-hmm... this might be it.

The code in the pybadge source code on github created pixels as a list variable, whereas PyBadger, it's already initiated it and it returns as pixels (as stated in the docs, but I had to see for myself)

Anyhoo, in the end, I modified the code in the end and it all worked.

The docs were a bit all over the place, and if I didn't know how to go digging with my detective hat on, I would have been a little stuck. That's the only thing I can complain about it, lots of docs, but it's a mess. I'm also terrible ending down rabbit holes and forgetting what I was doing in the first place. šŸ˜…

End result

And after years of hoarding lanyards from various conferences, I cobbled two lanyards and made it into one so I can hang my PyBadges.

Now I'm all ready for my talk this coming Friday where I'll be on a closing plenary at the AWS Girls Tech Day in Explorium Sports & Science Centre. šŸ™Œ

About Author

Vicky Twomey-Lee

Pythonista, but normally found organising various tech events, and now heavily involved in diversity initiatives like Coding Grace, PyLadies Dublin, and Women in Technology and Science (WITS Ireland).
šŸ‘‰ http://about.me/whykay

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