How to Use Adafruit Rotary Trinkey: Examples, Pinouts, and Specs

The Adafruit Rotary Trinkey is a compact and versatile microcontroller board designed for user input and feedback in various electronic projects. It integrates a rotary encoder, an RGB NeoPixel, and a USB-C connector, making it an ideal choice for adding a controllable interface to your projects. The board is based on the Adafruit Trinkey platform and supports programming with CircuitPython or Arduino, offering flexibility for both beginners and experienced developers.

• Volume control for audio devices
• Menu selection in user interfaces
• Scrolling through lists or settings
• Lighting control with color and brightness adjustments
• Prototyping user input devices

• Microcontroller: ATSAMD21E18 32-bit Cortex M0+
• Operating Voltage: 5V (USB-C powered)
• I/O Voltage: 3.3V
• Digital I/O Pins: 4
• PWM Channels: 1
• Analog Input Channels: 1
• Flash Memory: 256KB
• SRAM: 32KB
• Clock Speed: 48 MHz
• LED: 1 x RGB NeoPixel
• Rotary Encoder: 24 pulses per revolution

1. Powering the Device:

   • Connect the Adafruit Rotary Trinkey to a USB-C power source. The device is powered through the USB-C connection.

2. Interfacing with the Rotary Encoder:

   • The rotary encoder outputs two square wave signals, A and B, which are 90 degrees out of phase. By monitoring these signals, you can determine the direction and amount of rotation.

3. Controlling the NeoPixel:

   • The onboard NeoPixel can be controlled via the NeoPixel Data pin. You can set the color and brightness using appropriate libraries in CircuitPython or Arduino.

4. Programming the Device:

   • The Adafruit Rotary Trinkey can be programmed using CircuitPython or Arduino. For CircuitPython, simply drag and drop the .uf2 file onto the board when it appears as a USB drive. For Arduino, select the appropriate board and port in the Arduino IDE and upload your sketch.

• Ensure that the power source does not exceed 5V to prevent damage to the board.
• When handling the board, take precautions to avoid electrostatic discharge (ESD) which can damage the microcontroller.
• Use debounce algorithms for the rotary encoder button to prevent false triggering due to mechanical noise.
• When using the NeoPixel, be mindful of the power consumption and limit the brightness if necessary to avoid drawing too much current from the USB port.

#include <Adafruit_NeoPixel.h>

#define NEOPIXEL_PIN 1 // Replace with the correct pin number for NeoPixel
#define ENCODER_PIN_A 2 // Replace with the correct pin number for Encoder A
#define ENCODER_PIN_B 3 // Replace with the correct pin number for Encoder B
#define BUTTON_PIN 4 // Replace with the correct pin number for Button

Adafruit_NeoPixel pixel(1, NEOPIXEL_PIN, NEO_GRB + NEO_KHZ800);

void setup() {
  pinMode(ENCODER_PIN_A, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(ENCODER_PIN_B, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pinMode(BUTTON_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP);
  pixel.begin();
  pixel.show(); // Initialize all pixels to 'off'
}

void loop() {
  // Add your code here to read the rotary encoder and button
  // and control the NeoPixel.
}

• Rotary Encoder Not Responding:

  • Check the connections to the encoder pins.
  • Ensure the code is correctly reading the encoder signals.

• NeoPixel Not Lighting Up:

  • Verify that the NeoPixel Data pin is correctly defined in your code.
  • Check if the pixel is receiving power from the USB-C connection.

• Button Presses Not Detected:

  • Confirm that the button pin is set up correctly in the code.
  • Use a debounce algorithm to filter out noise.

• Double-check all connections and ensure they are secure and correctly oriented.
• Use serial output to debug and monitor the state of the encoder, button, and NeoPixel.
• Consult the Adafruit Rotary Trinkey guide and forums for additional support and resources.

Q: Can I use the Adafruit Rotary Trinkey with a battery? A: Yes, but you will need to ensure the battery's output is regulated to 5V and connect it through the USB-C port.

Q: How do I change the color of the NeoPixel? A: You can change the color by sending RGB values to the NeoPixel using the appropriate library functions in your code.

Q: What should I do if the device is not recognized by my computer? A: Try using a different USB cable or port, and ensure that the Trinkey is not in bootloader mode unless you are uploading new firmware.