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https://github.com/raul23/darth-vader-rpi

A Raspberry Pi project about activating a Darth Vader action figure by turning on LEDs on his suit and lightsaber, and by playing sounds such as some of his famous quotes.
https://github.com/raul23/darth-vader-rpi

darth-vader pygame python python3 raspberry-pi starwars

Last synced: 7 months ago
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A Raspberry Pi project about activating a Darth Vader action figure by turning on LEDs on his suit and lightsaber, and by playing sounds such as some of his famous quotes.

Awesome Lists containing this project

README 

          
======

README

======

.. raw:: html



   


   



.. image:: https://readthedocs.org/projects/darth-vader-rpi/badge/?version=latest

   :target: https://darth-vader-rpi.readthedocs.io/en/latest/?badge=latest

   :alt: Documentation Status



.. image:: https://travis-ci.org/raul23/Darth-Vader-RPi.svg?branch=master

   :target: https://travis-ci.org/raul23/Darth-Vader-RPi

   :alt: Build Status



**Darth-Vader-RPi** is a Python-based Raspberry Pi (RPi) project about

activating a Darth Vader action figure by turning on LEDs on his suit and

lightsaber, and by playing sounds such as some of his famous quotes.



.. raw:: html



   


   

   

   

   
Turning on/off the lightsaber


   



`:star:`



   If you don't have an RPi, don't worry. You can still

   test the script on your own computer because the

   ``darth_vader_rpi`` package uses the `SimulRPi`_ library to simulate I/O

   devices connected to an RPi such as LEDs and push buttons by blinking red

   dots in the terminal and playing sounds when a keyboard key is pressed.

   Almost like testing with a real RPi!



   **Disclaimer:** I also wrote the `SimulRPi`_ library



Introduction

============

The Darth Vader action figure is 11.5 inches tall (which is

`this one from Hasbro`_) and was modified to make it more lifelike by

illuminating the lightsaber, chest control box, and belt. 3 push buttons

are connected to an RPi and control the following sounds and LEDs:



#. Some of his famous quotes

#. The *Imperial march* theme song

#. The lightsaber drawing, hum and retraction sounds

#. The lightbsaber illumination (3 LEDs)



His iconic breathing sound plays in the background almost as soon

as the RPi is run with the ``start_dv`` script.



.. raw:: html



   


   Darth Vader action figure activated

   
Click on the above image for the full video to see the LEDs turning on

   and hear the different sounds produced by pressing the push buttons


   



Connection diagram

==================

Here's how the various LEDs and push buttons are connected to the Raspberry Pi:



.. raw:: html



   


   

   



* The lightsaber is illuminated by 3 LEDs connected in parallel.

* The *Top*, *Middle*, and *Bottom* LEDs illuminate the slots in Darth Vader's

  chest control box. They blink in a specific sequence

  `as specified in the configuration file`_.

* When the *Lightsaber button* is first pressed, it produces the drawing sound,

  illuminates the sword, and a hum sound persists until the *Lightsaber button*

  is turned off. If the button is pressed again, it produces the sound of

  retracting the lightsaber and turns it off.



  **NOTE:** the *Lightsaber button* can be pressed while the *Song button* or

  the *Quotes button* is playing audio since they use different audio channels.

* The *Song button* plays the `Imperial March song by Jacob Townsend`_.

* The *Quotes button* plays famous Darth Vader quotes when pressed. For

  testing purposes, the ``darth_vader_rpi`` package comes with two movie lines:



  * `"I am your father" (YouTube)`_

  * `"Nooooo" (YouTube)`_: it is also used for the `closing sound`_ when the

    ``start_dv`` script exits



  However, you could `add more quotes`_ if you want.



Dependencies

============

* **Platforms:** Linux, macOS

* **Python**: 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8

* **Packages**



  * ``dv_sounds``>=0.1.0a0: for retrieving the sound files (quotes, songs, and

    sound effects)



    - **Ref:** `dv_sounds`_

  * ``pygame``>=1.9.3: for playing sounds



    - **Ref:** `pygame`_

  * ``pynput``>=1.6.8: needed by ``SimulRPi`` for monitoring the keyboard when

    simulating push buttons with keyboard keys, i.e. when running the

    ``start_dv`` script in simulation mode



    - **Ref:** `pynput`_

  * ``SimulRPi`` >=0.1.0a0: for partly faking `RPI.GPIO`_ and simulating I/O

    devices connected to an RPi such as LEDs and push buttons in case that you

    don't have access to an RPi



    - **Ref:** `SimulRPi`_



`:star:`



   At the time of this writing (2020-08-28), I couldn't install ``pygame``

   1.9.6 (the latest stable release) with Python 3.5 and 3.8, on macOS.

   However, the latest pre-release development version (2.0.0.dev10) worked

   well with Python 3.5 and 3.8, on macOS.



.. _installation-instructions-label:



Installation instructions

=========================

.. TODO: IMPORTANT update released version in step 2

.. highlight:: none



1. It is highly recommended to install ``darth_vader_rpi`` in a virtual

   environment using for example `venv`_ or `conda`_.



2. Make sure to update *pip*::



   $ pip install --upgrade pip



3. Install the package ``darth_vader_rpi`` (released version **0.1.0a0**) with

   *pip*::



   $ pip install git+https://github.com/raul23/Darth-Vader-RPi@v0.1.0a0#egg=Darth-Vader-RPi



   It will install the dependencies if they are not already found in your system.



`:warning:`



   Make sure that *pip* is working with the correct Python version. It might be

   the case that *pip* is using Python 2.x You can find what Python version

   *pip* uses with the following::



      $ pip -V



   If *pip* is working with the wrong Python version, then try to use *pip3*

   which works with Python 3.x



`:information_source:`



   To install the **bleeding-edge version** of the ``darth_vader_rpi`` package::



      $ pip install git+https://github.com/raul23/Darth-Vader-RPi#egg=Darth-Vader-RPi



   However, this latest version is not as stable as the released version but you

   get the latest features being implemented.



**Warning message**



If you get the warning message from *pip* that the ``start_dv`` script is

not defined in your *PATH*::



      WARNING: The script start_dv is installed in '/home/pi/.local/bin' which is not on PATH.



Add the directory mentioned in the warning to your *PATH* by editing your

configuration file (e.g. *.bashrc*). See this `article`_ on how to set *PATH*

on Linux and macOS.



**Test installation**



1. Test your installation by importing ``darth_vader_rpi`` and printing its version::



   $ python -c "import darth_vader_rpi; print(darth_vader_rpi.__version__)"



2. You can also test that the dependencies were installed correctly::



   $ python -c "import dv_sounds, pygame, pynput, SimulRPi"



Usage

=====

Script ``start_dv``

-------------------

Once the ``darth_vader_rpi`` package is installed, you should have access to

the ``start_dv`` script which turns on LEDs and plays sound effects on a

Raspberry Pi (RPi).



Run the script on your **RPi** with `default values`_ for the GPIO channels

and other settings::



   $ start_dv



If you want to test the script on your **computer** (use the **-s** flag for

simulation)::



   $ start_dv -s



`:information_source:`



   Both previous commands will use the default values from the

   `configuration file`_ (e.g GPIO channel numbers, channel volume).



   Check `Change default settings`_ on how to modify these values.



`:star:`



   In order to stop the ``start_dv`` script at any moment, press

   ``ctrl`` + ``c``.



List of options

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

To display the script's list of options and their descriptions::



   $ start_dv -h



* ``--version``: show program's version number and exit

* ``-q, --quiet``: Enable quiet mode, i.e. nothing will be printed. (default: False)

* ``-s, --simulation``: Enable simulation mode, i.e. ``SimulRPi.GPIO`` will be used for simulating ``RPi.GPIO``. (default: False)

* ``-v, --verbose``: rint various debugging information, e.g. print traceback when there is an exception. (default: False)



Edit a configuration file:



* ``-e cfg_name, --edit cfg_name``: Edit a configuration file. Provide **log_cfg** for the logging 

  config file or **cfg** for the main config file. (default: None)



* ``-a APP, --app-name APP``: Name of the application to use for editing the file. If no name is 

  given, then the default application for opening this type of file will be used. (default: None)



Simulating on your computer

---------------------------

If you don't have access to a Raspberry Pi (RPi) and want to try out the

``start_dv`` script, you can run it with the **-s** flag. It will make use

of the `SimulRPi`_ library to simulate LEDs and push buttons connected to an

RPi by blinking red dots in the terminal and monitoring pressed keyboard keys::



   $ start_dv -s



**NOTE:** the last command makes use of default values. See

`Change default settings`_ on how to change these values.



Here's how the keyboard keys are related **by default** to push buttons

connected to an RPi:



* ``cmd_l``   -----> lightsaber button

* ``alt_l``   -----> song button

* ``alt_r``  -----> quotes button



Check `Change keymap`_ if you want to change this default key-to-channel

mapping.



Here is a video of what it looks like in a terminal when running the

``start_dv`` script on a computer instead of an RPi:



.. raw:: html



   


   LEDs and buttons simulation in a terminal [Darth-Vader-RPi project]

   
Click on the above image for the full video


   



How to uninstall

================

To uninstall **only** the package ``darth_vader_rpi``::



   $ pip uninstall darth_vader_rpi



To uninstall the package ``darth_vader_rpi`` and its dependencies::



   $ pip uninstall darth_vader_rpi dv_sounds pygame pynput simulrpi



You can exclude from the previous command-line those dependencies that you don't

want to uninstall.



`:information_source:`



   When uninstalling the ``darth_vader_rpi`` package, you might be informed

   that the configuration files *logging_cfg.json* and *main_cfg.json* won't be

   removed by *pip*. You can remove those files manually by noting their paths

   returned by *pip*. Or you can leave them so your saved settings can be

   re-used the next time you re-install the package.



   **Example:**



   .. code-block:: console



      $ pip uninstall darth-vader-rpi

      Found existing installation: Darth-Vader-RPi 0.1.0a0

      Uninstalling Darth-Vader-RPi-0.1.0a0:

        Would remove:

          /Users/test/miniconda3/envs/rpi_py37/bin/start_dv

          /Users/test/miniconda3/envs/rpi_py37/lib/python3.7/site-packages/Darth_Vader_RPi-0.1.0a0.dist-info/*

          /Users/test/miniconda3/envs/rpi_py37/lib/python3.7/site-packages/darth_vader_rpi/*

        Would not remove (might be manually added):

          /Users/test/miniconda3/envs/rpi_py37/lib/python3.7/site-packages/darth_vader_rpi/configs/logging_cfg.json

          /Users/test/miniconda3/envs/rpi_py37/lib/python3.7/site-packages/darth_vader_rpi/configs/main_cfg.json

      $ rm -r /Users/test/miniconda3/envs/rpi_py37/lib/python3.7/site-packages/darth_vader_rpi



Credits

=======

Sounds

------

- **Darth Vader quotes:**



  - `"I am your father" (YouTube)`_

  - `"Nooooo" (YouTube)`_

- **Music:**



  - `Imperial March song by Jacob Townsend`_ is licensed under a

    `Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) License`_



    **NOTE:** The original song file was reduced under 1 MB by removing the

    first 7 seconds (no sound) and the last 2 minutes and 24 seconds.

- **Sound effects:**



  - `Darth Vader breathing sound (YouTube)`_

  - `Darth Vader's lightsaber sound effect (YouTube)`_

  - `Darth Vader's lightsaber retraction sound effect (YouTube)`_



Others

------

- **Schematic:**



  - `Scheme-it`_ from *Digi-Key Electronics* is an online schematic and

    diagramming tool that allows anyone to design and share electronic circuit

    diagrams.

- **Slot LEDs sequences:**



  - `Empire Strikes Back chest box light sequence (YouTube)`_



Resources

=========

* `Darth-Vader-RPi documentation`_

* `Darth-Vader-RPi Changelog`_



References

==========

* `dv_sounds`_: a package for downloading the various sounds needed for the

  ``Darth-Vader-RPi`` project, e.g. ligthsaber sound effects.

* `pygame`_: a Python library to write multimedia software, such as games,

  built on top of the SDL library.

* `RPI.GPIO`_: a module to control RPi GPIO channels.

* `SimulRPi`_: a package that partly fakes ``RPi.GPIO`` and simulates some I/O

  devices on a Raspberry Pi. It makes use of the `pynput`_ library for

  monitoring the keyboard for any pressed key.



.. URLs



.. 0. default_main_cfg

.. _as specified in the configuration file:

   https://github.com/raul23/archive/blob/master/SimulRPi/v0.1.0a0/default_main_cfg.json#L51

.. _configuration file: https://github.com/raul23/archive/blob/master/SimulRPi/v0.1.0a0/default_main_cfg.json#L1

.. _default values: https://github.com/raul23/archive/blob/master/SimulRPi/v0.1.0a0/default_main_cfg.json#L1



.. 1. External links (darth-vader-rpi.readthedocs.io)

.. _add more quotes: https://darth-vader-rpi.readthedocs.io/en/v0.1.0a0/change_default_settings.html#add-darth-vader-quotes-label

.. _closing sound: https://darth-vader-rpi.readthedocs.io/en/v0.1.0a0/change_default_settings.html#change-closing-sound-label

.. _Change default settings: https://darth-vader-rpi.readthedocs.io/en/v0.1.0a0/change_default_settings.html

.. _Change keymap: https://darth-vader-rpi.readthedocs.io/en/v0.1.0a0/change_default_settings.html#change-keymap-label

.. _Darth-Vader-RPi Changelog: https://darth-vader-rpi.readthedocs.io/en/latest/changelog.html



.. 2. External links (others)

.. _article: https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19062-01/sun.mgmt.ctr36/819-5418/gaznb/index.html

.. _conda: https://docs.conda.io/en/latest/

.. _dv_sounds: https://github.com/raul23/DV-Sounds

.. _pygame: https://www.pygame.org/

.. _pynput: https://pynput.readthedocs.io

.. _this one from Hasbro: https://amzn.to/3hIw0ou

.. _venv: https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html#module-venv

.. _Darth-Vader-RPi documentation: http://darth-vader-rpi.rtfd.io/

.. _"I am your father" (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuJEYdOFEP4

.. _Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/

.. _Darth Vader breathing sound (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d28NrjMPERs

.. _Darth Vader's lightsaber retraction sound effect (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6buyGJF46k

.. _Darth Vader's lightsaber sound effect (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bord-573NWY

.. _Empire Strikes Back chest box light sequence (YouTube): https://youtu.be/E2J_xl2MbGU?t=333

.. _Imperial March song by Jacob Townsend: https://soundcloud.com/jacobtownsend1/imperial-march

.. _"Nooooo" (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZscVhFvD6iE

.. _RPi.GPIO: https://pypi.org/project/RPi.GPIO/

.. _Scheme-it: https://www.digikey.com/en/resources/design-tools/schemeit

.. _SimulRPi: https://pypi.org/project/SimulRPi/