Not sure if CircuitPython module can be used with MicroPython for my CharliePlex and Huzzah

[TitaniumCoder477]

I bought a Adafruit 15x7 CharliePlex FeatherWing to use with my Adafruit Feather HUZZAH ESP8266, but I may have made a mistake. I did not realize that documentation talks about using CircuitPython, not MicroPython. Are the former's modules compatible and I just need to know how to install them in MicroPython?

Docs:
https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-15x ... cuitpython
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Ci ... IS31FL3731

[scruss]

They're not generally compatible. It takes a bit of time and learning to port from one to the other.

There is a pure MicroPython IS31FL3731 driver hidden inside the Elecfreaks Pico:ed MicroPython library: pico_ed/Pico_ed.py at master · elecfreaks/pico_ed - but it needs a bit of work to make stand-alone.

******************** oh hey! ********************
I just remembered that Adafruit used to be all about MicroPython before they went off and rage-forked the project, and I found this: adafruit/micropython-adafruit-is31fl3731: Micropython driver for charlieplexed PWM LEDs. I don't know if it still works, but I've got a charlieplexed featherwing somewhere so might be able to try it

[scruss]

Yes: can confirm that it works:

Code: Select all

# Charliewing / Thing+ RP2040 / MicroPython 1.18 - scruss, 2022-06
# Library:
#  https://github.com/adafruit/micropython-adafruit-is31fl3731

import is31fl3731
from machine import I2C
from time import sleep_ms
from random import seed, randint

i2c = I2C(1)  # RP2040 specific: scl=7, sda=6
display = is31fl3731.CharlieWing(i2c)

seed(None)
while True:
    for y in range(7):
        for x in range(15):
            # color can be 0..255, but LEDs get hot if too bright
            display.pixel(x, y, color=8*randint(0, 15))
    sleep_ms(9)  # update display roughly once per second

Since you are using an ESP8266 Feather, the example from the docs should probably work straight off:

Code: Select all

import is31fl3731
from machine import I2C, Pin
i2c = I2C(Pin(5), Pin(4))
display = is31fl3731.CharlieWing(i2c)
display.fill(127)

[TitaniumCoder477]

That worked!! You're awesome! I am going to have so much fun with this now. I was worried I had bought two incompatible things and had unwittingly bitten off more than I could chew.

Yeah, about that fork... I wasn't even aware of it until this week when I was trying to figure this out and stumbled across https://learn.adafruit.com/getting-star ... cuitpython. Thank you again for the help!

[scruss]

You're welcome!

If you want to display text, you might find micropython-adafruit-bitmap-font useful too. One thing I found is that, even though bitmapfont.py can go in your board's /lib folder, the font5x8.bin must be in the same folder as the script calling it. If you get a ENOENT error, that's likely the problem