MicroPython: NeoPixels
NeoPixels, also known as WS2812b LEDs, are full-colour LEDs that are connected in serial, are individually addressable, and can have their red, green and blue components set between 0 and 255. They require precise timing to control them and there is a special neopixel module to do just this.
To create a NeoPixel object do the following:
>>> from machine import Pin
>>> from neopixel import NeoPixel
>>> np = NeoPixel(Pin(14), 8)
This configures a NeoPixel strip on GPIO14 with 8 pixels. You can adjust the “14” (pin number) and the “8” (number of pixels) to suit your set up.
>>> for i, pixel in enumerate(np):
... print(i, pixel)
...
...
...
0 (0, 0, 0)
1 (0, 0, 0)
2 (0, 0, 0)
3 (0, 0, 0)
4 (0, 0, 0)
5 (0, 0, 0)
6 (0, 0, 0)
7 (0, 0, 0)
To set the colour of pixels use:
>>> np[0] = (255, 0, 0) # set to red, full brightness
>>> np[1] = (0, 128, 0) # set to green, half brightness
>>> np[2] = (0, 0, 64) # set to blue, quarter brightness
Then use the write() method to output the colours to the LEDs:
>>> np.write()
To set a random color you can use the getrandbits() function
>>> from urandom import getrandbits
>>> for i in np.n:
... np[i] = (getrandbits(8), getrandbits(8), getrandbits(8))
...
...
...
>>> np.write()
The following demo function makes a fancy show on the LEDs:
https://github.com/lvidarte/esp8266/blob/master/examples/neopixel/src/python/main.py