PI PROJECTS: PiGlow

What is it?

PiGlow is a nifty LED spiral that fits onto the GPIO board of your Pi, then you can create a cool hypnotising light display.  Watch your retinas as the LEDs are extremely bright, like lasers!

How To:

Buy your PiGlow here

Fit it to the GPIO pins

Update your Pi:     
Sudo apt-get update

Upgrade your Pi    

sudo apt-get install python-smbus
Sudo apt-get upgrade

Enable the i2c communication protocols using nano,  Load the LX Terminal up, or the Command line, type

sudo nano /etc/modules

Type the codes below into the file and control x to exit, you will be prompted to save, make sure your do!
  • i2c-dev
  • i2c-bcm2708
Comment out the driver modules from the blacklist ,

sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/raspi-blacklist.conf

# blacklist spi-bcm2708
# blacklist i2c-bcm2708 

Intstall the python libraries and reboot,

sudo apt-get install python-smbus
sudo reboot

Any example script is available here

Coding each LED

I wanted to identify and then program each individual LED then I can create my own customised light patterns

You will require a number of files:

Download the PiGlow Module and save it into the same folder as an PiGlow Python code files you are using.  (from @Boeeerb)

Each LED is numbered as shown in the diagram below.  They can be enabaled with the code pg.led(13, brightness,) , where the brightness is a level between 0 and 200.  BUT watch your eyes!
Picture
LED numbering
Now each LED is controllable you can customise a light pattern, try the LED wheel, a very simple 'Catherine wheel' 


Scratch can also be used to code and control the PiGlow

Details here