Design with Adafruit PyBadge in Cirkit DesignerThe Adafruit PyBadge is an all-in-one compact electronic badge designed for creating portable gaming projects, wearable electronics, and educational programming. It is based on the powerful ATSAMD51 microcontroller and comes equipped with a 1.8" color TFT display, making it ideal for displaying game graphics, text, and images. The PyBadge is also outfitted with a speaker for audio output, an accelerometer for motion sensing, and multiple buttons for user interaction. Pre-loaded with CircuitPython firmware, the PyBadge is easily programmable via the Arduino IDE or CircuitPython, offering a versatile platform for users ranging from beginners to advanced electronics enthusiasts.
Common applications of the Adafruit PyBadge include:
This circuit features an Adafruit QT Py RP2040 microcontroller interfaced with an APDS9960 proximity sensor, an MPU6050 accelerometer and gyroscope, and an OLED display via I2C communication. It also includes a buzzer controlled by the microcontroller and is powered by a 3.7V LiPo battery with a toggle switch for power control.
Open Project in Cirkit Designer
This circuit features an Adafruit QT Py RP2040 microcontroller interfacing with an MPU-6050 accelerometer, an Adafruit APDS-9960 sensor, and a 0.96" OLED display via I2C communication. It is powered by a 3.7V LiPo battery and includes a green LED with a current-limiting resistor connected to an analog pin of the microcontroller.
Open Project in Cirkit Designer
This circuit is a portable, battery-powered system featuring an Adafruit QT Py RP2040 microcontroller that interfaces with an OLED display, a proximity sensor, an accelerometer, and an RGB LED strip. The system is powered by a lithium-ion battery with a step-up boost converter to provide 5V for the LED strip, and it includes a toggle switch for power control. The microcontroller communicates with the sensors and display via I2C.
Open Project in Cirkit Designer
This circuit features a Raspberry Pi 4B as the central processing unit, interfaced with an Adafruit ADS1115 16-bit I2C ADC for analog-to-digital conversion and a 0.96" OLED display for visual output. The ADC is connected to a current sensor for measuring electrical current, with the sensor's output connected to the ADC's AIN0 pin and the burden resistor connected to AIN1. The Raspberry Pi communicates with both the ADC and the OLED display over the I2C bus, using GPIO2 (SDA) and GPIO3 (SCL) for data exchange.
Open Project in Cirkit Designer| Pin Number | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VOUT | 3.3V output from the regulator |
| 2 | GND | Ground |
| 3 | BAT | Battery input for an optional LiPo battery |
| 4 | EN | Enable pin for the 3.3V regulator |
| 5 | USB | USB data pin for programming and serial monitor |
| 6 | SDA | I2C data line |
| 7 | SCL | I2C clock line |
| 8 | A1 | Analog input or GPIO pin |
| 9 | A2 | Analog input or GPIO pin |
| 10 | A3 | Analog input or GPIO pin |
| 11 | A4 | Analog input or GPIO pin |
| 12 | A5 | Analog input or GPIO pin |
| 13 | A6 | Analog input or GPIO pin |
| 14 | A7 | Analog input or GPIO pin |
| 15 | TX | UART transmit pin |
| 16 | RX | UART receive pin |
To use the Adafruit PyBadge in a circuit:
Q: Can I program the PyBadge with Arduino IDE? A: Yes, the PyBadge is compatible with the Arduino IDE. Make sure to install the necessary board definitions and libraries.
Q: What is CircuitPython? A: CircuitPython is a version of Python designed to run on microcontrollers, making it easy to write simple and readable code for hardware projects.
Q: How do I load new games or programs onto the PyBadge?
A: With CircuitPython, you can simply drag and drop your .py files onto the PyBadge USB drive. For Arduino, upload your sketch via the Arduino IDE.
Below is a simple example of how to initialize the display and draw some text using the Arduino IDE:
#include <Adafruit_GFX.h> // Core graphics library
#include <Adafruit_ST7735.h> // Hardware-specific library for ST7735
#include <SPI.h>
// Pin definitions for the PyBadge
#define TFT_CS 10
#define TFT_RST 12
#define TFT_DC 9
// Create the display object
Adafruit_ST7735 tft = Adafruit_ST7735(TFT_CS, TFT_DC, TFT_RST);
void setup() {
tft.initR(INITR_144GREENTAB); // Initialize the display
tft.fillScreen(ST7735_BLACK); // Clear the screen to black
tft.setCursor(0, 0); // Set the cursor to the top-left corner
tft.setTextColor(ST7735_WHITE); // Set the text color to white
tft.setTextWrap(true); // Allow text to wrap to the next line
tft.print("Hello, PyBadge!"); // Print a message to the display
}
void loop() {
// No need to repeat the text display
}
Remember to install the Adafruit GFX and ST7735 libraries before compiling this code. This example initializes the display and prints "Hello, PyBadge!" on the screen.