Display Text or Video on BigClown LCD Module Over USB

I always missed the small status LCD on my Raspberry Pi(s). Now I have simple Python running on my Raspberries and when I connect the BigClown LCD Module I can see the network and other status info. It is also useful to generate QR code with WiFi password for my guests.

Overview

This tutorial needs to be connected to Raspberry Pi or any computer. The Python script sends the data to the display. Python does all the heavy lifting. It does the dithering and packs the image data to the exact format so the Core Module does just copying the framebuffer from USB to RAM and LCD. Thanks to this solution it is possible to get high FPS and also draw any font or graphics you like.

You can control content with gestures, accelerometer or by pressing the buttons.

Step 1: Build Hardware

You will need

• Core Module
• LCD Module
• Enclosure 101

Step 2: Flash Firmware

Download BigClown Playground multiplatform GUI tool. This tool can flash pre-compiled firmware. It also contains gateway for Radio Dongle and Node-RED but we will not use them because LCD Display talks directly to Python script.

• Run the BigClown Playground
• Connect Core Module over USB to your PC and wait until the FTDI driver is installed
• Go to the Firmware tab, download and flash firmware
• Choose the correct serial COM port and press "FLASH FIRMWARE" button
• After flashing, the Core Module will turn on red LED for 2 seconds

See troubleshooting section orvisit BigClown forum If something goes wrong.

Step 3: Prepare your Computer

Connect the Core Module to your PC or Raspberry Pi. On the display there will be message "Waiting for data...".

Clone this repository, we will need "python" folder https://github.com/hubmartin/bcf-usb-lcd-display

Edit the python script usb-sender.py if you do not use dev/ttyUSB0.

Connect a display and run the python script usb-sender.py.

Step 4: Action!

Now you can control scrolling through screens with left and right swiping gestures or by pressing the buttons.

By rotating the module the text also rotates.

In the script, there's also commented-out screen, that grabs part of the screen and displays it on the display. You can reach almost 20 FPS so you can also watch videos :)

https://twitter.com/hubmartin/status/1094664624165847045