LCD-Clock-A

1.14", 135 × 240
SPI

Overview

Product Introduction

Programmable RGB pseudo nixie tube clock
Support Raspberry Pi Pico or Zero.
Do you know the old glory of the last century: the nixie tube?
Worried about the shutdown and short service life of the nixie tube?
This is an LCD pseudo nixie tube clock that can help you recall this punk style.

Specification

Parameter Name	Parameters
Dimensions	200mm × 80mm × 34mm
Weight	430g
Power	5V 2A
Interface	Type-C
LCD screen	1.14", 135 × 240 pixels
Cover	Quartz glass
Support	Raspberry Pi Pico (with pinheader version) and Raspberry Pi Zero / Zero 2 W (not included)

Onboard Resources

How To Assemble

Note: please download the code to the host control first, and test it before assembling!

Step 1: Insert the host control (Raspberry Pi ZERO, pico, esp32-s2-pico) into the back of the "1" board. The pico and esp32-s2-picode USB ports are facing outwards without screws. Raspberry Pi needs (2x copper posts + 4 silver-white screws) to fix the 2 holes on the non-interface side;
Step 2: On 1 to 2, you need to pay attention to 1. You must put the 4 buttons on the side before you can put them in. Then use the patterned copper column, first lightly lock the diagonal alignment holes, then lock the rest, and then all tightened (4 single-headed copper posts);
Step 3: Install 3 on 2, use black screws, in the same way, first lightly lock the diagonal alignment holes, then lock the rest, and then tighten them all (4 black);
Step 4: Insert the LCD into the 1 board, the side with the buttons is the back of the LCD, then put the glass cover, and lock it with silver-white screws (6*2 silver-white);
Step 5: Cover 4 on top of 2, use black screws to lock the diagonally aligned holes first, then lock the rest, and then tighten them all (4 black).

Working With Raspberry Pi Zero

Please test the code first before assembling.

Install Library

#python2
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python-pip
sudo apt-get install python-pil
sudo apt-get install python-numpy
sudo pip install spidev
sudo pip install rpi_ws281x
#python3
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install python3-pip
sudo apt-get install python3-pil
sudo apt-get install python3-numpy
sudo pip3 install spidev
sudo pip3 install rpi_ws281x

Download & Test The Demo

Open the terminal of Raspberry Pi, run the following demo:

sudo apt-get install unzip -y
sudo wget https://files.waveshare.com/upload/a/ae/LCD-Clock-A-Code.zip
sudo unzip ./LCD-Clock-A-Code.zip -d ./LCD-Clock-A-Code/
cd LCD-Clock-A-Code/rpi/

Run The Program

Please keep it in the directory of the previous step. In order to display the time normally, please follow the steps below:

For the first configuration, the default time of the program is the system time written into the RTC, so write the time for the first time. If the time is not correct, the system can be adjusted to the correct time or adjusted through the menu during runtime.

ls -l
sudo python main.py

Open main.py and comment the forty-second line of code:

sudo nano +42 main.py

Then enter # to comment, press ctrl+x and then press Y, and press Enter to comment.

Set Auto-start

sudo nano /etc/rc.local

Add the following before exit 0:

sudo python /home/pi/LCD-Clock-A-Code/rpi/main.py &

Note that you must add "&" to run in the background, otherwise the system may not be able to start.

Reboot the device:

sudo reboot

Demo

Customize Dial Plate

If you need to customize the dial plate, please open main.py:

sudo nano +18 main.py

This is the directory of digital picture files. You can change the letters after /numpic/ to four types: A, B, C, D. If you have any custom ones, please create a new directory E or other under /numpic/, code This is also changed to relevant;
Similarly, the custom menu is the same, change the code line 19.

Resource

Document

ESP32

Program

Demo

Software

Development Softwares

Pico Getting Started

Firmware Download

MicroPython Firmware Download

C_Blink Firmware Download

Introduction

Raspberry Pi Pico Basics

MicroPython Series

Install Thonny IDE

In order to facilitate the development of Pico/Pico2 boards using MicroPython on a computer, it is recommended to download the Thonny IDE

Download Thonny IDE and follow the steps to install, the installation packages are all Windows versions, please refer to Thonny's official website for other versions
After installation, the language and motherboard environment need to be configured for the first use. Since we are using Pico/Pico2, pay attention to selecting the Raspberry Pi option for the motherboard environment

Configure MicroPython environment and choose Pico/Pico2 port
- Connect Pico/Pico2 to your computer first, and in the lower right corner of Thonny left-click on the configuration environment option --> select Configture interpreter
- In the pop-up window, select MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico), and choose the corresponding port

Flash Firmware

Click OK to return to the Thonny main interface, download the corresponding firmware library and burn it to the device, and then click the Stop button to display the current environment in the Shell window
Note: Flashing the Pico2 firmware provided by Micropython may cause the device to be unrecognized, please use the firmware below or in the package
- Pico firmware library
- Pico2 firmware library
How to download the firmware library for Pico/Pico2 in windows: After holding down the BOOT button and connecting to the computer, release the BOOT button, a removable disk will appear on the computer, copy the firmware library into it
How to download the firmware library for RP2040/RP2350 in windows: After connecting to the computer, press the BOOT key and the RESET key at the same time, release the RESET key first and then release the BOOT key, a removable disk will appear on the computer, copy the firmware library into it (you can also use the Pico/Pico2 method)

MicroPython Series

【MicroPython】 machine.Pin class function details
【MicroPython】machine.PWM class function details
【MicroPython】machine.ADC class function details
【MicroPython】machine.UART class function details
【MicroPython】machine.I2C class function details
【MicroPython】machine.SPI class function details
【MicroPython】rp2.StateMachine class function details

C/C++ Series

For C/C++, it is recommended to use Pico VS Code for development. This is a Microsoft Visual Studio Code extension designed to make it easier for you to create, develop, and debug projects for the Raspberry Pi Pico series development boards. No matter if you are a beginner or an experienced professional, this tool can assist you in developing Pico with confidence and ease. Here's how to install and use the extension.

Official website tutorial: https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/pico-vscode-extension/
This tutorial is suitable for Raspberry Pi Pico, Pico2 and the RP2040 and RP2350 series development boards developed by Waveshare
The development environment defaults to Windows11. For other environments, please refer to the official tutorial for installation

Install VSCode

First, click to download pico-vscode package, unzip and open the package, double-click to install VSCode

Note: If vscode is installed, check if the version is v1.87.0 or later

Install Extension

Click Extensions and select Install from VSIX
Select the package with the vsix suffix and click Install
Then vscode will automatically install raspberry-pi-pico and its dependency extensions, you can click Refresh to check the installation progress
The text in the right lower corner shows that the installation is complete. Close VSCode

Configure Extension

Open directory C:\Users\username and copy the entire .pico-sdk to that directory
The copy is completed

Open vscode and configure the paths for the Raspberry Pi Pico extensions

The configuration is as follows:

Cmake Path:
${HOME}/.pico-sdk/cmake/v3.28.6/bin/cmake.exe

Git Path:
${HOME}/.pico-sdk/git/cmd/git.exe    

Ninja Path:
${HOME}/.pico-sdk/ninja/v1.12.1/ninja.exe

Python3 Path:
${HOME}/.pico-sdk/python/3.12.1/python.exe

New Project

The configuration is complete, create a new project, enter the project name, select the path, and click Create to create the project
To test the official example, you can click on the Example next to the project name to select
The project is created successfully

Compile Project

Select the SDK version
Select Yes for advanced configuration
Choose the cross-compilation chain, 13.2.Rel1 is applicable for ARM cores, RISCV.13.3 is applicable for RISCV cores. You can select either based on your requirements
Select Default for CMake version (the path configured earlier)
Select Default for Ninjaversion
Select the development board
Click Complie to compile
The uf2 format file is successfully compiled

Import Project

Select the project directory and import the project
The Cmake file of the imported project cannot have Chinese (including comments), otherwise the import may fail
To import your own project, you need to add a line of code to the Cmake file to switch between pico and pico2 normally, otherwise even if pico2 is selected, the compiled firmware will still be suitable for pico
```
set(PICO_BOARD pico CACHE STRING "Board type")
```

Update Extension

The extension version in the offline package is 0.15.2, and you can also choose to update to the latest version after the installation is complete

Arduino IDE Series

Install Arduino IDE

First, go to Arduino official website to download the installation package of the Arduino IDE.
Here, you can select Just Download.
Once the download is complete, click Install.

Notice: During the installation process, it will prompt you to install the driver, just click Install

Arduino IDE Interface

After the first installation, when you open the Arduino IDE, it will be in English. You can switch to other languages in File --> Preferences, or continue using the English interface.
In the Language field, select the language you want to switch to, and click OK.

Install Arduino-Pico Core in the Arduino IDE

Open the Arduino IDE, click on the file in the top left corner, and select Preferences

Add the following link to the attached board manager URL, and then click OK

https://github.com/earlephilhower/arduino-pico/releases/download/4.0.2/package_rp2040_index.json

Note: If you already have an ESP32 board URL, you can use a comma to separate the URLs as follows:

https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json,https://github.com/earlephilhower/arduino-pico/releases/download/4.0.2/package_rp2040_index.json

Click Tools > Development Board > Board Manager > Search pico, as my computer has already been installed, it shows that it is installed

Upload Demo at the First Time

Press and hold the BOOTSET button on the Pico board, connect the pico to the USB port of the computer via the Micro USB cable, and release the button after the computer recognizes a removable hard disk (RPI-RP2).
Download the program and open D1-LED.ino under the arduino\PWM\D1-LED path
Click Tools --> Port, remember the existing COM, do not click this COM (the COM displayed is different on different computers, remember the COM on your own computer)
Connect the driver board to the computer using a USB cable. Then, go to Tools > Port. For the first connection, select uf2 Board. After uploading, when you connect again, an additional COM port will appear
Click Tools > Development Board > Raspberry Pi Pico > Raspberry Pi Pico or Raspberry Pi Pico 2
After setting it up, click the right arrow to upload the program

If issues arise during this period, and if you need to reinstall or update the Arduino IDE version, it is necessary to uninstall the Arduino IDE completely. After uninstalling the software, you need to manually delete all contents within the C:\Users\[name]\AppData\Local\Arduino15 folder (you need to show hidden files to see this folder). Then, proceed with a fresh installation.

Open Source Demos

MircoPython video demo (github)
MicroPython firmware/Blink demos (C)
Raspberry Pi official C/C++ demo (github)
Raspberry Pi official micropython demo (github)
Arduino official C/C++ demo (github)

FAQ

Question:When I run main.py I get the error in the attachment. What am I doing wrong?

Answer:

You need to enable I2C and SPI communication on your Raspberry Pi board.
Enable I2C:
Configure your Pi and enable the I2C:

sudo raspi-config

Select Advanced Options -> I2C -> <YES> to enable the I2C driver by kernel. Then you can check if the I2C is enabled.
Enable SPI:
Configure your Pi and enable the SPI

sudo raspi-config

Select Advanced Options -> SPI -> <YES> to enable the SPI driver by kernel. Then you can check if the SPI is enabled.

https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/configuration.html

{{{5}}}

Question:What battery does it support?

Answer:

3V CR1220 cell battery.

{{{5}}}

Question:How to install the Raspberry Pi Pico?

Answer:

PICO hardware connection image:

{{{5}}}

Support

Technical Support

If you need technical support or have any feedback/review, please click the Submit Now button to submit a ticket, Our support team will check and reply to you within 1 to 2 working days. Please be patient as we make every effort to help you to resolve the issue.
Working Time: 9 AM - 6 PM GMT+8 (Monday to Friday)

Submit Now

LCD-Clock-A

Overview

Product Introduction

Specification

Onboard Resources

How To Assemble

Working With Raspberry Pi Zero

Install Library

Download & Test The Demo

Run The Program

Set Auto-start

Demo

Directory

Customize Dial Plate

Resource

Document

ESP32

Program

Software

Development Softwares

Pico Getting Started

Firmware Download

Introduction

MicroPython Series

Install Thonny IDE

Flash Firmware

MicroPython Series

C/C++ Series

Install VSCode

Install Extension

Configure Extension

New Project

Compile Project

Import Project

Update Extension

Arduino IDE Series

Install Arduino IDE

Arduino IDE Interface

Install Arduino-Pico Core in the Arduino IDE

Upload Demo at the First Time

Open Source Demos

FAQ

Question:When I run main.py I get the error in the attachment. What am I doing wrong?

Question:What battery does it support?

Question:How to install the Raspberry Pi Pico?

Support