SparkFun Qwiic OLED - Python Package

The SparkFun Qwiic OLED Module provides a simple and cost effective solution for adding OLED capabilities to your project. Implementing a SparkFun Qwiic I2C interface, these sensors can be rapidly added to any project with boards that are part of the SparkFun Qwiic ecosystem.

This repository implements a Python package for the SparkFun Qwiic OLED. This package works with Python, MicroPython and CircuitPython.

Contents

• About
• Getting Started
• Installation
• Supported Platforms
• Documentation
• Examples

About the Package

This python package enables the user to access the features of the OLED via a single Qwiic cable. This includes displaying a splashscreen, drawing shapes, writing different fonts, moving the cursor and more. The capabilities of the OLED are each demonstrated in the included examples.

New to qwiic? Take a look at the entire SparkFun qwiic ecosystem.

Supported SparkFun Products

This Python package supports the following SparkFun qwiic products on Python, MicroPython and Circuit python.

• SparkFun OLED Sensor - OLED

Supported Platforms

Python	Platform	Boards
Python	Linux	Raspberry Pi , NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano via the SparkFun Qwiic SHIM
MicroPython	Raspberry Pi - RP2, ESP32	SparkFun RP2040 Thing+, SparkFun RP2350 Thing+, SparkFun ESP32 Thing+
CircuitPython	Raspberry Pi - RP2, ESP32	SparkFun RP2040 Thing+, SparkFun RP2350 Thing+, SparkFun ESP32 Thing+

Note

The listed supported platforms and boards are the primary platform targets tested. It is fully expected that this package will work across a wide variety of Python enabled systems.

Installation

The first step to using this package is installing it on your system. The install method depends on the python platform. The following sections outline installation on Python, MicroPython and CircuitPython.

Python

PyPi Installation

The package is primarily installed using the pip3 command, downloading the package from the Python Index - "PyPi".

Note - the below instructions outline installation on a Linux-based (Raspberry Pi) system.

First, setup a virtual environment from a specific directory using venv:

python3 -m venv path/to/venv

You can pass any path as path/to/venv, just make sure you use the same one for all future steps. For more information on venv click here.

Next, install the qwiic package with:

path/to/venv/bin/pip3 install sparkfun-qwiic-oled

Now you should be able to run any example or custom python scripts that have import qwiic_oled by running e.g.:

path/to/venv/bin/python3 example_script.py

MicroPython Installation

If not already installed, follow the instructions here to install mpremote on your computer.

Connect a device with MicroPython installed to your computer and then install the package directly to your device with mpremote mip.

mpremote mip install github:sparkfun/qwiic_oled_base_py

If you would also like to install the examples for this repository, issue the following mip command as well:

mpremote mip install github:sparkfun/qwiic_oled_base_py@examples

CircuitPython Installation

If not already installed, follow the instructions here to install CircUp on your computer.

Ensure that you have the latest version of the SparkFun Qwiic CircuitPython bundle.

circup bundle-add sparkfun/Qwiic_Py

Then, connect a device with CircuitPython installed to your computer and then install the package directly to your device with circup.

circup install --py qwiic_oled

Note

This library requires a decent stack size in order to run. In a file named "settings.toml" in the base directory on your CircuitPython board, add the following line: CIRCUITPY_PYSTACK_SIZE=12288. If you don't perform this step you will likely get "pystack exhausted" errors when trying to use these modules.

If you would like to install any of the examples from this repository, issue the corresponding circup command from below. (NOTE: The below syntax assumes you are using CircUp on Windows. Linux and Mac will have different path seperators. See the CircUp "example" command documentation for more information)

circup example qwiic_oled\ex1_splash_screen
circup example qwiic_oled\ex2_hello_world
circup example qwiic_oled\ex3_demo
circup example qwiic_oled\ex4_cube
circup example qwiic_oled\ex5_micro_bitmap

Example Use

Below is a quickstart program to print readings from the OLED.

See the examples directory for more detailed use examples and examples/README.md for a summary of the available examples.

import qwiic_oled
import time
import sys


userOLED = qwiic_oled.QwiicMicroOled()   # Micro OLED             https://www.sparkfun.com/products/14532

def runExample():

    print("\nOLED Display - Splash screen example\n")
    myOLED = userOLED

    if not myOLED.connected:
        print("The OLED Display isn't connected to the system. Please check your connection", \
            file=sys.stderr)
        return

    myOLED.begin()

    myOLED.clear(myOLED.ALL) #  Clear the display's memory (gets rid of artifacts)
  
    myOLED.display()  #  Display buffer contents
    time.sleep(3)

    myOLED.clear(myOLED.PAGE)  #  Clear the display's buffer

    myOLED.display()
    time.sleep(3)

    qwiic_oled.oled_logos.add_logo(myOLED._screenbuffer)

    myOLED.display()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    try:
        runExample()
    except (KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit) as exErr:
        print("\nEnding OLED bitmap Example")
        sys.exit(0)