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https://github.com/robcranfill/practicemonitor

A FitBit for MIDI keyboards
https://github.com/robcranfill/practicemonitor

iot midi midi-keyboard

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A FitBit for MIDI keyboards

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README 

        
# Pi Practice Monitor

*Like a FitBit for (MIDI) keyboard players*



## Goal

A bit of hardware (plus software/firmware, of course) that I can plug into a

MIDI keyboard (via USB) that will monitor my keyboard practice. At a minimum, show

elapsed time for the week's practice. But other interesting stats are possible.



First, implement a Minimum Viable Product; add bells and whistles later (what a concept!).



Eventually create a front-end – app? website? – to slice and dice the data.

Add social features?



## Main Hardware

We need something that can act as a MIDI/USB "host". This seems to be problematic

for anything smaller than a Raspberry Pi Zero, which is what I'm using now (Zero2W).

I was hoping to use a Pi Pico or the like, but USB Host capability is currently poorly

supported (in CircuitPython anyway). 



## Software

* Full RPi Python (3.11.x) code

  * with Adafruit Blinka (see 'Installation' below) and a bunch of other stuff!

* Also some udev rules & scripts to run it all

* If we ever move to a smaller device, CircuitPython will probably be necessary.



## Display

Now using an [Adafruit 1.3: TFT display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4484) - looks nice! 

Except it's *slow*! Either find a workaround or find a replacement display. 

My first instance of this part has developed visible defects. Are they fragile? short lived?



## Minimum Viable Product

Need to define this and implement it first! Nothing fancy!!



## Stretch Goals (post MVP)

* Data collection, storage, presentation

 * Use [Adafruit IoT](https://io.adafruit.com/robcranfill/overview) ?

   * Device sends session data updates to cloud

   * Phone/desktop app queries cloud and shows data analysis



## Issues

* Power-down safety

 This is the second reason, after cost, that I'd prefer a Pico - how to make it safe to 

 simply power down the device? 

  * One solution: Make RPi Linux filesystem read-only. See https://learn.adafruit.com/read-only-raspberry-pi

    * Can I make some of it R/W? For persistence? Needed??

  * Workaround: GUI menu for shutdown

 * https://github.com/RobCranfill/practiceMonitor/security/dependabot/1

 * Alternate display 

  

Since the display of the elapsed session time seems problematic (doesn't update nicely) 

can we show something else? Like just a "Session in progress" screen? But that doesn't encourage 

extending a session ("I see I have practiced for 17 minutes - can I make it to 20?").



## Installation

* Python 3.11.2 used

* Runs in a 'venv':

  * python -m venv zenv --system-site-packages

  * source zenv/bin/activate

* Python libs

  * Blinka:

    * pip3 install --upgrade adafruit-python-shell

    * wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/adafruit/Raspberry-Pi-Installer-Scripts/master/raspi-blinka.py

    * sudo -E env PATH=$PATH python3 raspi-blinka.py

  * sudo apt-get install python-dev

  * pip install -f requirements.txt

* Misc

  * sudo apt-get install fonts-dejavu

  * Why did I have do do the following? (Did I have to??)

  * python3 -m pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall adafruit-blinka

  

* The following are no longer needed, since we use the above requirements file. Delete after verification!

  

* Linux softare

  * RTMIDI backend for Mido

    * pip install --pre python-rtmidi

    * pip install mido[ports-rtmidi]

    * sudo apt-get install libasound2-dev

    * sudo apt-get install libjack-dev

 * Adafruit Blinka

as per https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-raspberrypi-linux/installing-circuitpython-on-raspberry-pi

 * PIL

  * pip install pillow

   * Adafruit Libs

     * pip install adafruit-circuitpython-rgb-display

     * IOT (Internet of Things) 

       * pip3 install adafruit-io

       * see https://learn.adafruit.com/welcome-to-adafruit-io/python-and-adafruit-io



## Linux service

* TODO:

  * Use syslog (or whatever)

  * Done:

    * How to check if service already running? (For running from command line)



* Notes

  * script at /lib/systesmd/system/pmz.service

    * sudo cp pmz.service /lib/systemd/system/

    * sudo chmod 644 /lib/systemd/system/pmz.service

  * sudo systemctl daemon-reload

  * sudo systemctl [enable|disable|start|stop|status] pmz.service



## Workflow Revisited

 * Attach PiZero2W via USB MIDI cable (& OTC connector) to MPKmini; via USB to power brick.

 * Wait until 'ping pizero2w.local' returns a hit.

 * On PC, run './mountsmb.sh' to mount SMB share, start Code pointing to SMB share.

 * Use Termius (or whatever) to SSH to pizero2w.local.

 * On PiZero2w, run 'source zenv/bin/activate' to start venv for PMon.

 * Scripts on pmz:

   * pmz.sh - runs the code in the forground, for development

   * mountsmb.sh - as above

   * check_pm_service.sh - sees if PMon is running in background; bad things happen if you try to run code twice.

   * runPMZ.sh - script that runs the PMon as a service, for running standalone.

     * Document above at "Linux Service"



## To Do

 * USE GITHUB 'ISSUES' FOR THIS.

 * Completed:

   * Handle no MIDI device attached - including displaying msg on LCD

   * Handle SIGTERM/INT &c (blank screen, etc)

   * Show MIDI device name on LCD

   * LCD display - backlight off doesn't work

   * Clear/poweroff display when done

   * Auto-select appropriate MIDI device

   * Create stand-alone command to turn off backlight; use it.