Quote Clock for Raspberry Pi Zero 2 with E-Paper Display

A Python-based application that displays quotes on a 13.3-inch e-paper HAT (B) device connected to a Raspberry Pi Zero 2. The system includes a web interface for configuration and quote management.

I want to give thanks to JohannesNE as I used their quotes csv.

Features

• Displays quotes and time on an e-paper display
• Web-based settings interface
• Configurable update intervals
• CSV to JSON quote conversion
• Automatic startup on boot
• Test mode for development without hardware

Hardware Requirements

• Raspberry Pi Zero 2 (for production)
• 13.3-inch e-paper HAT (B) (for production)
• MicroSD card with Raspberry Pi OS (for production)
• Internet connection

Software Requirements

• Python 3.7+
• Required Python packages (see requirements.txt)

Installation

0. You may need to create a virutal environment.

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/quote_clock.git
   cd quote_clock

2. Install required packages:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

   When testing locally and not on a raspberry pi install requirements-dev.txt

3. Create a quotes.csv file in the data directory with your quotes:

   HH:MM|H:MM A.M.|Quote|Book|Author|Rating
   13:35|1:35 P.M.|Fletcher checked his watch again...|Sons of Fortune|Jeffrey Archer|sfw
   

Raspberry Pi Setup

1. Enable SPI interface:

   sudo raspi-config

   Navigate to "Interface Options" > "SPI" > "Yes" to enable SPI.

2. Add your user to the gpio group:

   sudo usermod -a -G gpio $USER

   Note: You'll need to log out and back in for this to take effect.

3. Connect the e-paper display to your Raspberry Pi:

   • RST_PIN (17) -> RST
   • DC_PIN (25) -> DC
   • CS_PIN (8) -> CS
   • BUSY_PIN (24) -> BUSY
   • VCC -> 3.3V
   • GND -> GND
   • CLK -> SCLK
   • DIN -> MOSI

4. Run the initial setup:

   python setup.py

5. (Optional) Set up automatic startup:

   sudo cp quote_clock.service /etc/systemd/system/
   sudo systemctl daemon-reload
   sudo systemctl enable quote_clock
   sudo systemctl start quote_clock

Development/Testing Without Raspberry Pi

1. The application includes a mock mode for testing without hardware:

   • Mock GPIO module for testing display functionality
   • Mock SPI module for testing communication
   • Test suite for validating functionality

2. Run the test suite:

   python run_tests.py

3. Test the web interface:

   python web_server.py

   Access the web interface at http://localhost:5001

Usage

On Raspberry Pi

1. Start the web interface:

   python web_server.py

2. Access the web interface at http://<raspberry_pi_ip>:5001

3. Configure your display settings and upload new quotes through the web interface.

Development/Testing

1. Run the test suite:

   python run_tests.py

2. Test the web interface:

   python web_server.py

3. Test display functionality:

   python display_manager.py

Directory Structure

quote_clock/
├── data/
│   ├── quotes.csv
│   └── quotes.json
├── images/
│   └── generated/
├── static/
│   ├── css/
│   └── js/
├── templates/
├── tests/
│   ├── RPi/
│   │   └── GPIO/
│   │       └── GPIO.py
│   ├── mock_config.py
│   ├── mock_spi.py
│   └── test_*.py
├── requirements.txt
├── README.md
├── setup.py
├── web_server.py
├── quote_generator.py
├── display_manager.py
└── run_tests.py

Troubleshooting

Raspberry Pi Issues

1. SPI not working:

   • Verify SPI is enabled: ls /dev/spi*
   • Check user permissions: groups $USER
   • Verify connections are correct

2. Display not responding:

   • Check power supply (3.3V)
   • Verify all connections
   • Check GPIO permissions

3. Web interface not accessible:

   • Verify the server is running
   • Check firewall settings
   • Ensure correct IP address

Development Issues

1. Tests failing:

   • Check Python version (3.7+ required)
   • Verify all dependencies are installed
   • Check mock configuration

2. Web interface issues:

   • Check port 5001 is available
   • Verify all dependencies are installed
   • Check browser console for errors

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details