menu.py example program having trouble on i2c RPI-UI

[mrumpler]

Hi,

I just found this great piece of software when searching for usable libraries to use in my PI-project. I own two RPi-UI boards both with i2c as interface.

I changed the code in menu.py to reflect my i2c board like that:

bus = I2C( 1 )
lcd = RPi_Ui_20x4(bus)
lcd.SetPinConfig(1,MCP9700)
lcd.ExtTemp=lcd.Pins[1]
lcd.Contrast(128)
lcd.Backlight(128)
lcd.Cls()

the rest is original.
When i start the demo program the UI screen gets blanked, the differently set contrast and backlight as well as the Cls() works, but when the program tries to show the main menu this happens:

pi@raspbmc:~/bw_library-master/examples$ sudo ./menu.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "./menu.py", line 168, in
menu.Show()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/ui.py", line 99, in Show
self.MenuLoop()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/ui.py", line 135, in MenuLoop
self.Buttons.ReportPressed() #flush register
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/bw.py", line 725, in ReportPressed
v =self.Bus.Read_uInt8(self.Address,0x30)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/bw.py", line 162, in Read_uInt8
return struct.unpack('B',self.Transaction(chr(Address+1)+chr(Register),3)[1][2])[0]
IndexError: string index out of range

Any ideas what happens?
The screen shows Characters that in pieces look like the wanted menu but there are also unwanted characters on the screen.

Any ideas?
Thanks for your help
Mike

Mike,

The library changed at some points, an I was really ill when I did those. Some functions are untested, as is read_uint8, there might be indeed something wrong with the indexes.

I focused on documenting it all first, but I am in the progress of building a project with ui.py (menu class) and will soon hit this. Can you wait for one or two days?

Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPad

Op Nov 10, 2013 om 17:04 heeft mrumpler notifications@github.com het volgende geschreven:

Hi,

I just found this great piece of software when searching for usable libraries to use in my PI-project. I own two RPi-UI boards both with i2c as interface.

I changed the code in menu.py to reflect my i2c board like that:

bus = I2C( 1 )
lcd = RPi_Ui_20x4(bus)
lcd.SetPinConfig(1,MCP9700)
lcd.ExtTemp=lcd.Pins[1]
lcd.Contrast(128)
lcd.Backlight(128)
lcd.Cls()

the rest is original.
When i start the demo program the UI screen gets blanked, the differently set contrast and backlight as well as the Cls() works, but when the program tries to show the main menu this happens:

pi@raspbmc:~/bw_library-master/examples$ sudo ./menu.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "./menu.py", line 168, in
menu.Show()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/ui.py", line 99, in Show
self.MenuLoop()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/ui.py", line 135, in MenuLoop
self.Buttons.ReportPressed() #flush register
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/bw.py", line 725, in ReportPressed
v =self.Bus.Read_uInt8(self.Address,0x30)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/bw.py", line 162, in Read_uInt8
return struct.unpack('B',self.Transaction(chr(Address+1)+chr(Register),3)[1][2])[0]
IndexError: string index out of range

Any ideas what happens?
The screen shows Characters that in pieces look like the wanted menu but there are also unwanted characters on the screen.

Any ideas?
Thanks for your help
Mike

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Mike,

Sorry for the delay.

I have just tested the code on my SPI version of the UI and that works like a charm.
Since I do not have an I2C UI at the moment it is a bit hard to see what is wrong in your situation.

What worries me though is the wrong characters on your display.

On I2C bus read in Transaction I do catch an IOError and return 0,” " (two spaces)

I guess an IOerror is happening…

you can eliminate the catch by editing bw.py.
on line 356, you find def Transaction

in that function remove the Try:, except IOError: and return 0, " „ lines and fix indentation so it will look like:

def Transaction(self, OutBuffer,read=0):
    if read!=0:
       #try:
       return 0,'  '+''.join([chr(m) for m in self.I2cBus.read_i2c_block_data((ord(OutBuffer[0])>>1),ord(OutBuffer[1]))])
        #except IOError:
        #   return 0,"  "
    else:
        self.I2cBus.write_i2c_block_data(ord(OutBuffer[0])>>1  ,ord(OutBuffer[1]), [ord(m) for m in OutBuffer[2:]])           
        return 0,None

go back to the place where you can python setup.py install
to reinstall and see what happens… I guess you will get an IOError

A few things are possible, I already mentioned the cabling with that I mean long wires. Do you have the UI directly on the Pi?

Can you confirm the firmware version which is shown when you power on the UI.

I’m sort of puzzled by this…

Martijn

On 10 Nov 2013, at 17:04 , mrumpler notifications@github.com wrote:

Hi,

I just found this great piece of software when searching for usable libraries to use in my PI-project. I own two RPi-UI boards both with i2c as interface.

I changed the code in menu.py to reflect my i2c board like that:

bus = I2C( 1 )
lcd = RPi_Ui_20x4(bus)
lcd.SetPinConfig(1,MCP9700)
lcd.ExtTemp=lcd.Pins[1]
lcd.Contrast(128)
lcd.Backlight(128)
lcd.Cls()

the rest is original.
When i start the demo program the UI screen gets blanked, the differently set contrast and backlight as well as the Cls() works, but when the program tries to show the main menu this happens:

pi@raspbmc:~/bw_library-master/examples$ sudo ./menu.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "./menu.py", line 168, in
menu.Show()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/ui.py", line 99, in Show
self.MenuLoop()
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/ui.py", line 135, in MenuLoop
self.Buttons.ReportPressed() #flush register
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/bw.py", line 725, in ReportPressed
v =self.Bus.Read_uInt8(self.Address,0x30)
File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/BitWizard/bw.py", line 162, in Read_uInt8
return struct.unpack('B',self.Transaction(chr(Address+1)+chr(Register),3)[1][2])[0]
IndexError: string index out of range

Any ideas what happens?
The screen shows Characters that in pieces look like the wanted menu but there are also unwanted characters on the screen.

Any ideas?
Thanks for your help
Mike

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[mrumpler]

Retried and also on a fresh raspbian installation. Also tried the second UI I have. Still the same problems....
How can we get a grip on that?

thanx
Mike

[allebone]

I've got the 1.3v RPI UI, i2c, as well. I haven't gotten a good use out of it yet, so I am very excited to see if this can get worked out. If I can provide any more information, I can as well.

[rewolff]

Guys, to separate software problems from hardware problems: are you able to use bw_tool to get something on the display?

[allebone]

Ok, I can now get some progress using the bw_tool. It may have been part anomaly and part user incompetence. It was spitting out crazy characters and tacking on my messages instead of displaying them properly. However, I totally powered off, and removed the board, replaced, and now it will at least let me run the CPU load script you had somewhere on the Wiki. I guess my problem now is, RTC gives me permission denied when I try the steps. Also, I have NO clue how to properly output to the screen using the bw_tool. I think I have no good reference for what should be hex or what should be decimal (or text). I can only get both lines populated with text by clearing the screen and inputting them one at a time. Or is that right? I'm certainly not saying everything isn't working as prescribed, but I just don't know how to go about it. I'm working on a basic status for now, something like "Loading..." during boot or Rc.d, then change to Application name once its booted, then IP on second line, maybe rotating between IP, load, and clock.

Since I have 1.3UI is it correct to assume that I cannot change the booting message and scroll text across the screen when bigger than 16 characters?

[rewolff]

If you need a newer firmware mail me. We'll see if we can get your board field-upgraded.

I might have written the RTC install steps when logged in as root. Try "sudo -s" before starting the steps on the wiki.

In shell scripts I always start out with the command-used-to-contact-my-device (this saves me typing it over and over again, but also makes it easy to adapt to a typo in this part).
ui='bw_tool -I -D/dev/i2c-1 -a 94'
Then I can easily... clear the screen:
$ui -w 10:0
or move to line 2..
$ui -w 11:20
or display a text:
$ui -t "hello there"
....

[allebone]

amazing, that worked for the RTC and the lines. This should help me get started on the scripting I needed.

Any chance on a field upgrade for the firmware, however?

Thanks,

Bryan

On Dec 29, 2013, at 3:24 PM, rewolff notifications@github.com wrote:

If you need a newer firmware mail me. We'll see if we can get your board field-upgraded.

I might have written the RTC install steps when logged in as root. Try "sudo -s" before starting the steps on the wiki.

In shell scripts I always start out with the command-used-to-contact-my-device.
ui='bw_tool -I -D/dev/i2c-1 -a 94'
Then I can easily... clear the screen:
$ui -w 10:0
or move to line 2..
$ui -w 11:20
or display a text:
$ui -t "hello there"
....

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Bryan Allebone
bryan.allebone@yahoo.com

There might be a small quirck in the I2c code, not sure.
Soon I will have a I2C ui and I will test.

Menu.py is something written with specific hardware in mind on SPI.

have you tried to communicate with the UI like:

from BitWizard.bw import *

i = I2c(1)
ui=RPi_Ui_20x4(i)
ui.Cls()
ui.Print(’Test’)

?

On 30 Dec 2013, at 00:21 , Bryan Allebone notifications@github.com wrote:

amazing, that worked for the RTC and the lines. This should help me get started on the scripting I needed.

Any chance on a field upgrade for the firmware, however?

Thanks,

Bryan

On Dec 29, 2013, at 3:24 PM, rewolff notifications@github.com wrote:

If you need a newer firmware mail me. We'll see if we can get your board field-upgraded.

I might have written the RTC install steps when logged in as root. Try "sudo -s" before starting the steps on the wiki.

In shell scripts I always start out with the command-used-to-contact-my-device.
ui='bw_tool -I -D/dev/i2c-1 -a 94'
Then I can easily... clear the screen:
$ui -w 10:0
or move to line 2..
$ui -w 11:20
or display a text:
$ui -t "hello there"
....

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub.

Bryan Allebone
bryan.allebone@yahoo.com
—
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[XXL-Wing]

For more information:

it is the same with two displays (i have two of them) and on two different PI's...
bw_tool can be used to bring meaningful stuff onto the screen :-)

[mrpopoff]

Hello, everybody!
Looks like i2c readings via python's module smbus.SMBus.read_i2c_block_data are very unstable, generating IOError exceptions. Writing to RPi UI is stable.

[rewolff]

mrpopoff
if you can provide me with a "howto" to see the ioerrors, I'll put the logic analyser to work and see if I can diagnose the problem. Hopefully that will help mmoeling fix the problem.

I see Some weird behaviour too. This started after The last firmware/kernel update as iT seems.
I have to start my programs twice before they work... I am investigating.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPad

Op Feb 11, 2014 om 10:13 heeft rewolff notifications@github.com het volgende geschreven:

mrpopoff
if you can provide me with a "howto" to see the ioerrors, I'll put the logic analyser to work and see if I can diagnose the problem. Hopefully that will help mmoeling fix the problem.

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[mrpopoff]

Here is my SMBus test script (https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/104580372/RaspberryPi/BitWizard/smb_test.py), idea is taken from btw_library, reading buttons pushed:

Hello!
creating bus...
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, True]
[False, False, False, False, True, False]
[False, False, False, False, True, False]
[False, False, False, True, False, False]
[False, False, True, False, False, False]
False, True, True, False, False, False read_i2c_block_data I/O error(5): Input/output error
[False, True, False, False, False, False]
[True, False, False, False, False, False]
True, False, False, False, False, False read_i2c_block_data I/O error(5): Input/output error
[False, False, False, False, True, True]
[False, False, False, False, True, True]
[False, False, False, False, True, True]
[False, False, False, True, True, False]
[False, False, False, True, True, False]
[False, False, False, True, True, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[True, True, False, False, False, False]
True, True, False, False, False, False read_i2c_block_data I/O error(5): Input/output error
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
closing bus...
Bye bye!

I have not seen this behaviour before.
It seems to me that this is below the python code. The smbus seems stable to me.

Could this be rpi, i2c bus wiring or board firmware? What happens if you add a sleep in The Main loop?

On The top, add:
From time import sleep

And in The Main loop (while True) At the end:
sleep(.1) for a 100ms sleep.

Verstuurd vanaf mijn iPad

Op Feb 11, 2014 om 12:29 heeft mrpopoff notifications@github.com het volgende geschreven:

Here is my SMBus test scrit, idea is taken from btw_library:

#!/usr/bin/python
import struct
from time import sleep
from smbus import SMBus

print "Hello!"

print "creating bus..."

open Linux device /dev/ic2-1

i2c = SMBus(1)
address = 0x4a

Read i2c bus with retries

def DoTransaction(read=0):
for attempt in range(0,5):
try:
if read!=0:
return 0,' '+''.join([chr(m) for m in i2c.read_i2c_block_data(address,0x30)])
else:
return 0,None
except IOError as err:
print "({0}) read_i2c_block_data I/O error({1}): {2}".format(attempt, err.errno, err.strerror)
continue
return 0,None
try:

Register = i2c.read_i2c_block_data(address,0x10)

print Register

while True:
Transaction = DoTransaction(3)
#print Transaction
v = struct.unpack('B', Transaction[1][2])[0]
#print v
Buttons = []
for i in range (0, 6):
Buttons.append(v & 2i == 2i)
print Buttons
sleep(1)
finally:
print "closing bus..."
i2c.close()
print "Bye bye!"

Output:
Hello!
creating bus...
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, True]
[False, False, False, False, True, False]
[False, False, False, False, True, False]
[False, False, False, True, False, False]
[False, False, True, False, False, False]
False, True, True, False, False, False read_i2c_block_data I/O error(5): Input/output error
[False, True, False, False, False, False]
[True, False, False, False, False, False]
True, False, False, False, False, False read_i2c_block_data I/O error(5): Input/output error
[False, False, False, False, True, True]
[False, False, False, False, True, True]
[False, False, False, False, True, True]
[False, False, False, True, True, False]
[False, False, False, True, True, False]
[False, False, False, True, True, False]
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
[True, True, False, False, False, False]
True, True, False, False, False, False read_i2c_block_data I/O error(5): Input/output error
[False, False, False, False, False, False]
closing bus...
Bye bye!

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