My first attempt with a Rasp Pi Zero W to run Blinkt (from the starter kit).
Fitted hammerhead without a hitch using no more force than the demo on the Bilgetank vid. Connected to peripherals and installed Raspbian as planned. Installed Blinkt Python library from Terminal without problem. But get no joy from the Blinkt after running Sandy and Tanya’s tutorial codes (F5 from Python 3 IDLE). Can’t fathom what I’m doing wrong. A hardware problem? So frustrating…
not sure if it has to run from the terminal command line ,but wouldn’t hut to try ,if your not doing it allready …open terminal and change directory… CD / home/pi/Pimoroni/blinkt/` ,then type in what example you want .to run ,example
python candle.py then hit enter
Thanks. That seems odd to me. I can see the folder structure in File Manager but the Terminal returns “no such file or directory”…
i usually open file manager and navigate to pimoroni folder blinkit ect ect .right to the to example folder and copy the address and then go to terminal and type in cd then right click and past the rest of it in…
should be
cd /home/pi/pimoroni/blinkit/examples
oops my bad, yes it should have been
cd /pi/pimoroni/blinkit/examples
Try CD /pi/Pimoroni/blinkt/`. I “think” your already in home?
I don’t have a Pi booted up at the moment but I too have gotten the no such file or directory prompt and been scratching my head. I’ve at time resorted to cd /pi, cd /pimoroni, etc. When doing the manual installs.
I also like to just run the examples from Idle. Do you get any error messages?
Blinkt on the right way up, text readable, rounded corners up?
Thanks
Yes. Opened file in Python 3 (IDLE) pressed F5 or Run module from the menu.
No output from LEDs.
Python Shell opens with “RESTART: /filepath…” message.
Blinkt is on with right orientation, well pushed down onto the pins…
Stumped.
Also stumped? I find running them from idle a nice quick and easy way to launch them.
Usually good feedback when something goes wrong too?
What’s the current rating of your power supply?
And what example(s) did you run?
EDIT: Do you have a voltmeter or any way to double check your getting 5V on the GPIO pins?
I’ve got a proper Raspberry Pi power supply, 5.1V. I ran the solid colour example, others and my own meticulously copied code from pimoroni’s tutorials.
No voltmeter to check. Pimoroni have invited me to contact their customer support email so, hopefully, some solution.
Thanks very much for your ideas. I might not have pretty LEDs but I’m learning.
Do you have another Raspberry Pi, one with the header pre soldered on?
To rule out maybe a bad contact on the hammer header?
Did you order the hammer header sperate, I ask because the one that comes in the kit is the solder in kind?
It won’t make good contact unless soldered in.
I don’t have another and, I guess it could be a poor contact, though it seems, without electrical testing, it could be…
Hammering it on felt a bit of a brutal thing to do…
Thanks for your ideas. Getting a model with a soldered head might be a way forward…
I ordered the hammer-header separately. The standard one would just fall out, I guess, if not soldered in…
A hammer header “should” work. Just wanted to verify that was actually what you used.
Yes the normal one would just fall out if not soldered.
My background is in electronics so soldering is just second nature to me. I’ll solder any day over something like a hammer header. I do see why people would chose it as an option though. Especially if you’ve never done any soldering before.
I’m spoiled, I have a dozen or more Raspberry Pi’s kicking around here. Various models, acquired over the years. That makes it easy to rule out if its an issue is with the Pi of the attached bit.
He, he. I’ve assembled some kits years ago and I’ve got a soldering iron in the garage that I used then. It’s rather a blunt instrument these days.
I hope you sort out what’s not working. I don’t own a Blinkt
Looking at the function list this
import blinkt
blinkt.set_all(255, 255, 255, 0.5)
blinkt.show()
Should set them all white. If I figured it out correctly.;)
http://docs.pimoroni.com/blinkt/
I did up my own test py for my Unicorn Hat HD, just edited it for the blinkt.
It should turn them all on RED, then Green, then Blue then off.
import time
import blinkt
blinkt.set_brightness(0.5)
blinkt.clear()
blinkt.set_all(255, 0, 0)
blinkt.show()
time.sleep(10)
blinkt.clear()
blinktset_all(0, 255, 0)
blinkt.show()
time.sleep(10)
blinkt.clear()
blinkt.set_all(0, 0, 255)
blinkt.show()
time.sleep(10)
blinkt.clear()
blinkt.show()