pimoroni-pico/micropython/examples/galactic_unicorn

Galactic Unicorn MicroPython Examples

• About Galactic Unicorn
• Galactic Unicorn and PicoGraphics
• Examples
  • Clock
  • Eighties Super Computer
  • Feature Test
  • Feature Test With Audio
  • Fire Effect
  • Lava Lamp
  • Nostalgia Prompt
  • Rainbow
  • Scrolling Text
• Wireless Examples
  • Cheerlights History
  • Galactic Paint
• Other Examples
  • Launch (Demo Reel)

About Galactic Unicorn

Galactic Unicorn offers 53x11 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!

• 🔗 Galactic Unicorn store page

Galactic Unicorn ships with MicroPython firmware pre-loaded, but you can download the most recent version at the link below (you'll want the galactic-unicorn image).

• MicroPython releases
• Installing MicroPython

Galactic Unicorn and PicoGraphics

The easiest way to start displaying cool stuff on Galactic Unicorn is using our Galactic 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.

• Galactic Unicorn function reference
• PicoGraphics function reference

Examples

Clock

clock.py

Clock example with (optional) NTP synchronization.

Eighties Super Computer

eighties_super_computer.py

Random LEDs blink on and off mimicing the look of a movie super computer doing its work in the eighties.

Feature Test

feature_test.py

Displays some text, gradients and colours and demonstrates button use.

Feature Test With Audio

feature_test_with_audio.py

Displays some text, gradients and colours and demonstrates button use. Also demonstrates some of the audio / synth features.

Fire Effect

fire_effect.py

A pretty, procedural fire effect. Switch landscape = False for vertical fire!

Lava Lamp

lava_lamp.py

A 70s-tastic, procedural rainbow lava lamp.

Nostalgia Prompt

nostalgia_prompt.py

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.

Rainbow

rainbow.py

Some good old fashioned rainbows! You can adjust the cycling speed with VOL + and - and the brightness with LUX + and -.

Scrolling Text

scrolling_text.py

Display scrolling wisdom, quotes or greetz.

Wireless Examples

These examples need WIFI_CONFIG.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).

• micropython/examples/common

Cheerlights History

cheerlights_history.py

Updates one pixel every five minutes to display the most recent #Cheerlights colour. Discover the most popular colours over time, or use it as an avant garde (but colourful) 53 hour clock! Find out more about the Cheerlights API at https://cheerlights.com/

Requires WIFI_CONFIG.py and network_manager.py from the common directory.

Galactic Paint

galactic_paint

Draw on your Galactic Unicorn from another device in real time, over wifi!

Requires WIFI_CONFIG.py from the common directory plus micropython-phew and microdot (install these libraries through Thonny's 'Tools > Manage Packages).

Other Examples

Launch (Demo Reel)

launch

If you want to get the demo reel that Galactic Unicorn ships with back, copy the contents of this launch folder to your Pico W.