README.md
Cosmic Unicorn MicroPython Examples
- About Cosmic Unicorn
- Cosmic Unicorn and PicoGraphics
- Examples
- Wireless Examples
- NumPy examples
- Other Examples
- Other Resources
About Cosmic Unicorn
Cosmic Unicorn offers 32x32 bright RGB LEDs driven by Pico W's PIO in addition to a 1W amplifier + speaker, a collection of system and user buttons, and two Qw/ST connectors for adding external sensors and devices. Woha!
Cosmic Unicorn ships with MicroPython firmware pre-loaded, but you can download the most recent version at the link below (you'll want the cosmic-unicorn image).
Cosmic Unicorn and PicoGraphics
The easiest way to start displaying cool stuff on Cosmic Unicorn is using our Cosmic Unicorn module (which contains a bunch of helpful functions for interacting with the buttons, adjusting brightness and suchlike) and our PicoGraphics library, which is chock full of useful functions for drawing on the LED matrix.
Examples
Clock
Clock example with (optional) NTP synchronization. You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -, and resync the time by pressing A.
Eighties Super Computer
Random LEDs blink on and off mimicing the look of a movie super computer doing its work in the eighties. You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Feature Test
Displays some text, gradients and colours and demonstrates button use. You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Feature Test With Audio
Displays some text, gradients and colours and demonstrates button use. Also demonstrates some of the audio / synth features.
- Button A plays a synth tune
- Button B plays a solo channel of the synth tune
- Button C plays a sinewave (it's frequency can be adjusted with VOL + and -)
- Button D plays a second sinewave (it's frequency can be adjusted with LUX + and -)
- Sleep button stops the sounds
Fire Effect
A pretty, procedural fire effect. Switch between landscape fire and vertical fire using the A and B buttons! You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Lava Lamp
A 70s-tastic, procedural rainbow lava lamp. You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Light Sensor
Reads data from the on board light sensor and displays the brightness level of the environment. The display is by default set to auto brightness i.e reacts to the brightness of the environment.
- Button A turns auto brightness off
- Button B turns auto brightness on
Nostalgia Prompt
A collection of copies of classic terminal styles including C64, MS-DOS, Spectrum, and more. Images and text are drawn pixel by pixel from a pattern of Os and Xs. You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Rainbow
Some good old fashioned rainbows! You can adjust the cycling speed with A and B, stripe width with C and D, hue with VOL + and -, and the brightness with LUX + and -. The sleep button stops the animation (can be started again with A or B).
Scrolling Text
Display scrolling wisdom, quotes or greetz. You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Today
Calendar example with (optional) NTP synchronization. You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -, and resync the date by pressing C.
Wireless Examples
These examples need WIFI_CONFIG.py and network_manager.py (from the common directory) to be saved to your Pico W. Open up WIFI_CONFIG.py in Thonny to add your wifi details (and save it when you're done).
Cheerlights History
Updates one pixel every two minutes to display the most recent #Cheerlights colour. Discover the most popular colours over time, or use it as an avant garde (but colourful) 32 hour clock! Find out more about the Cheerlights API at https://cheerlights.com/
You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Cosmic Paint
Draw on your Cosmic Unicorn from another device in real time, over wifi!
This example needs the micropython-phew and microdot libraries (you can install these using Thonny's 'Tools > Manage Packages').
Exchange Ticker
This example uses the Coinbase open API to collect the current exchange rates of various cryptocurrencies.
Press A to change to a different base exchange currency.
HTTP Text
Display scrolling wisdom, quotes or greetz... from another computer or device!
You can adjust the brightness with LUX + and -.
Requires logging.mpy and tinyweb from micropython/examples/common - copy these into the lib folder on your Pico W. You'll also need index.html to be saved alongside html_text.py.
Weather
Display current weather data from the Open-Meteo weather API.
NumPy examples
The examples in the folder use numpy-like array functions contained in the ulab library for super fast graphical effects.
Other Examples
Launch (Demo Reel)
If you want to get the demo reel that Cosmic Unicorn ships with back, copy the contents of this launch folder to your Pico W.
Other Resources
Here are some cool Cosmic Unicorn community projects and resources that you might find useful / inspirational! Note that code at the links below has not been tested by us and we're not able to offer support with it.