Feature suggestion: LCD display for headless Raspberry PI about fortiusant HOT 22 CLOSED

https://github.com/mattipee/FortiusANT/tree/issue_70_rpi_lcd

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Somewhat in line with #62
Why not make a clsFortiusAntLCD class?

And the idea is sympathetic, but the point is: "# TODO write to I2C LCD panel, for now, just Console output" and how many riders would have a RPI with LCD?

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how many riders would have a RPI with LCD?

Me, for one... ;)

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The best and most reliable answer! Let's go!

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LCD arrives on Monday.

Idea was that a headless RPI-based FortiusANT is a nice, clean solution to getting Fortius and family connected to Zwift etc. Normal smart trainers have no visual interface.

But for a small embedded system like a Raspberry PI, small LCD panels are EVERYWHERE and cheap. Adding the very simplest interface with a few stats is therefore an easy thing to integrate into the codebase, such that any RPI user can plug in an LCD and it already works. I accept the number of users is likely vanishingly small.

I also thought that for the HTTP interface or whatever... actually, with the exception of perhaps some tuning parameters like virtual-speed curves and perhaps grade compensation or rider weight overrides, a simple thing to display remotely is a simple cycle-computer style display. That image could be served over HTTP or put onto an LCD. Same thing, kinda.

The 128x64 pixel LCD panels, or various OLED panels, colour/touch etc. would be nice, too. 128x64 pixels is plenty enough screen real-estate to populate with useful stats.

But I thought 20x4 character interface was a good deal easier to implement than a graphic panel, at least to start with.

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I heard of raspberry through thuisproject, @Alanimus being the first. Give me some links to product & LCD to get some idea. Nice😉

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The unit I have is:
https://www.amazon.nl/Raspberry-Model-Mainboard-Polig-Microsd-Geheugenkaartsleuf/dp/B00LPESRUK/

It needs an SD card, HDMI cable, decent 5V 3A(?) power supply. Bundles and cases are available. Raspberry PI 4 is more powerful, I linked the 3 B+ because it's older, cheaper, slower, and the one I have.

The LCD panel I bought is similar to this one:

https://www.amazon.nl/GeeekPi-Character-Display-Protocol-Raspberry/dp/B07QNKCLJM

Nothing special about that particular link.

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And let's work on the power-curve

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Actually no - that first link I think is an even older model.

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Anyway, you get the idea. It's a little ARM-based single board computer, with onboard Wifi, plus several other ports. It runs Linux.

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And has GPIO pins for controlling several other things, like servos, I2C LCD panels, switches, sensors, etc... A little embedded system development platform.

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nice stuff. I have some laptops (Tacx, Zwift, develop&work) so will not add a Raspberry to the stack.
If you develop, I'll be happy to integrate.
Succes!

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I was thinking about this earlier. I've a spare Pi 1 model B somewhere though eventually I think the Pi Zero might be a smaller cheaper component. They're £4-5 IIRC. Add a small LCD and a tiny case for a nice self contained addon to the trainer rather than using a USB port on a laptop.

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Fun!

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My 2004 display arrived today.

https://www.circuitbasics.com/raspberry-pi-i2c-lcd-set-up-and-programming

• sudo raspi-config # find setting and enable I2C
• sudo apt-get install i2c-tools
• sudo apt-get install python-smbus
• i2cdetect -y 1

Still reviewing I2C LCD Python libraries and their licenses.

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Hi how is the clsFortiusANT_LCD development proceeding?
If any.

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One for the winter. ;)

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OK I will leave that open then.

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I just started working with the software, but I want to set up the RPi standalone as wifi hotspot.
Then connect with my phone to the RPi and have a website running as interface. No need for any wiring.

just need to dive into the software a bit further.

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I have a second Fortius and ordered a RPI4 for that. Learning case & a Fortius to implement.
So ... going through the learning curve :-)

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See #192 (comment)

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Hi @mattipee please refer to #237 where others have proceeded with the small display. I close this issue to avoid duplicates.
Please join in and share some pictures!

Also look at https://github.com/WouterJD/FortiusANT/wiki/Raspberry-page-of-glory

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