"Operation Do Not Disturb" is a Raspberry Pi Pico (H) project featuring a Waveshare 1602 LCD I2C module.
Why have you made this? I've always wanted a button on my desk I can press for those periods of time I Really Need To Focus and need to communicate this to everyone else in my immediate vicinity. But also, for fun.
Disclaimer: I am aware this project is dangerously close to being an episode of Gadget Geeks (a great show!). Let me have fun being creative.
First, let's go shopping. Here's the kit I** bought. **my colleague - who correctly predicted I'd become obsessed with Raspberry Pi - kindly gifted me:
| Component | URL |
|---|---|
| **Raspberry Pi Pico (H) (with soldered headers) | https://thepihut.com/products/raspberry-pi-pico?variant=41925332566211 |
| **Breadboard | https://thepihut.com/products/full-sized-breadboard |
| Micro USB cable | https://thepihut.com/products/raspberry-pi-micro-usb-cable |
| Waveshare LCD 1602 I2C Module | https://thepihut.com/products/lcd1602-i2c-module |
| Gravity: I2C/UART 4-pin PH2.0 to Male Jumper Cables (10-pack) | https://thepihut.com/products/gravity-i2c-uart-4-pin-ph2-0-to-male-jumper-cables-30cm-10-pack |
For further information on the Raspberry Pi Pico pinout, see the diagram below. Pins relevant to the I2C are: GND, 3V3(OUT), GP4, GP5. These correspond with the I2C wires (VCC, GND, SDA, SCL), which are responsible for communicating signal between the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller and I2C device.
✨ VCC (Voltage Common Collector):
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Connect to the 3.3V pin on the Raspberry Pi Pico.
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Provides power to the LCD module.
✨ GND (Ground):
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Connect to the GND pin on the Raspberry Pi Pico.
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Serves as the common ground reference for the circuit.
✨ SDA (Serial Data):
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Connect to GPIO4 (GP4) on the Raspberry Pi Pico.
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Carries the data between the Raspberry Pi Pico and the LCD module.
✨ SCL (Serial Clock):
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Connect to GPIO5 (GP5) on the Raspberry Pi Pico.
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Manages the timing and synchronisation of data transmission.
Ensure Micropython is running on the Raspberry Pi Pico. Follow the official Micropython installation guide for the Raspberry Pi Pico: Micropython Installation Guide
Follow the Waveshare wiki instructions for the LCD1602 I2C Module: Waveshare LCD1602 I2C Module Instructions.
In a terminal...
... download the master code to a suitable local directory...
wget https://files.waveshare.com/upload/d/db/LCD1602_I2C_Module_code.zip
...unzip the code...
unzip LCD1602_I2C_Module_code.zip
...upload the Python files inside this directory to the Raspberry Pi Pico (via Thonny IDE)
cd LCD1602_I2C_Module_code/Pico
I have since customised the names of the files to suit this project - these instructions are just to show where I sourced the initial code from.
- Run the provided code to identify the I2C address:
if devices:
print("I2C devices found:", devices)
else:
print("No I2C devices found.")
- The above code will print the I2C address in a decimal format. Convert this to hexadecimal (base 16). As a cool person - who cannot do mental arithmetic - I used Cool Conversion Dot Com 😎
- For example, running the provided code printed 62 for me. In hexadecimal, this is 0x3E.
- Important! If your I2C address is different to mine, update the I2C address . I cannot stress this enough. The correct address is crucial for successful communication between the microcontroller and the I2C device. If you ignore this, you will feel silly. Trust me.
The message is customisable in control_i2c.py by altering lcd.printout("Do not disturb") etc.
I will make the text scroll at some point, but this is for another iteration. Another feature for a future version release will include an analogue button which controls the code.