What will we cover in this session?
- In this session, we’re diving into how to control an OLED display using the Raspberry Pi Pico.
- You might remember that we used an NRF-52840 module to do this before, but now we’re shifting gears to make it happen with the Pico.
- Think of this session as your primer; it’s going to lay the groundwork for the technical details that will come afterwards on how to get this control up and running..
How to Fix I2C Connections for OLED Displays?
- If you’re working with the Raspberry Pi Pico, you’ll find that pin 14 (GP10) is the I2C SDA data pin, while pin 15 (GP11) acts as the I2C SCL clock pin.
- But here’s the kicker: when connecting to your OLED display, those pins are actually swapped! So, make sure to hook up GP10 to SCL and GP11 to SDA.
- To get started, first connect the ground wire, then the 3.3V connection, but don’t forget to switch up the SCL and SDA connections in the process.
- Lastly, keep in mind that while the NRF-52840 module has some pre-installed files, you’ll need to install extra files on the Raspberry Pi Pico to get it running smoothly..
How to Set Up OLED Display Software?
- Getting started with your OLED display control is easier than you think! First, head over to the Adafruit SSD 1306 library code page where you can find all you need to manage those cool OLED displays.
- Just grab the file name from the end, create a new file in the lib folder, and paste the source code into it.
- Next up, grab the Adafruit Frame Bump library for handling frame buffers.
- You’ll do a similar dance here – copy the file name, create a new file, and paste the code in.
- Now, for text rendering, it’s crucial to download the right font file from the link provided.
- Just make sure you choose the correct version to avoid any funky display issues.
- Finally, once you’ve got the ‘oxfile.bin’ font file, drop it into the CircuitPython drive of your Raspberry Pi Pico.
- And voilà, your software setup is complete, ready for that OLED display to shine!.
How to Set Up an I2C OLED Display?
- So, the source code you’ll be using to control that I2C OLED display is actually built on some earlier work with the NRF-52840 module, which is super reliable.
- To get everything integrated, just copy the provided link into the right spot and tweak the text so it reads ‘from linkvolt-sd’.
- Don’t forget, it’s really important to shorten that link the right way for everything to work smoothly.
- Also, keep an eye on the pin differences from past projects; make sure you save your changes under GP11 and GP10 to steer clear of any mishaps.
- When everything’s set up nicely, your OLED display will be able to show off graphics like lines, rectangles, circles, and even the phrase ‘Hello Device Mart’, proving that your setup is spot on!.
What can we learn from I2C project reflections?
- In this session, we took a closer look at how CircuitPython was used to control the I2C OLED display with the Raspberry Pi Pico.
- It was pretty cool to see how we can make future I2C projects easier just by swapping the positions of the SCL and SD connections! As we wrapped up, there was a lot of excitement in the air about all the new content that’s coming in the future..