In the Getting Started with GreatFET tutorial, we blinked one of the built-in LEDs. Now let's learn how to manipulate General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins so that we can interface with external LEDs or other devices!
You'll need a few things to follow this tutorial:
- GreatFET One (also known as Azalea)
- Solderless Breadboard Neighbor for GreatFET (also known as Daffodil) or any breadboard
- a through-hole LED
- a current-limiting resistor (any value from 200 ohms to 2000 ohms should be fine)
Connect the LED
Plug the shorter lead of the LED into pin 1 on header J1 and the longer lead of the LED into a breadboard. Plug one lead of the resistor into the same row of the breadboard, and plug its other lead into pin 4 on header J1.
FIXME photo
Open an interactive Python shell:
gf shell
Select a pin by number:
pin = gf.gpio.get_pin('J1_P4')
Configure the pin as an output:
pin.set_direction(gf.gpio.DIRECTION_OUT)
Turn on the LED:
pin.write(True)
Turn off the LED:
pin.write(False)
Blink the LED:
import time
for i in range(10):
pin.write(not pin.read())
time.sleep(0.2)
Configure the pin as an input:
pin.set_direction(gf.gpio.DIRECTION_IN)
Disconnect the LED and use the resistor to connect pin 4 to pin 1 on header J1. This connects the input to GND (0 V).
pin.read()
The read() method should return False, indicating that a low voltage is connected to the input.
Now disconnect the resistor from pin 1 and connect it to VCC (3.3 V) on pin 2. It should now connect pin 2 to pin 4 on header J1.
pin.read()
The read() method should return True, indicating that a high voltage is connected to the input.