For pimoroni pirate audio device users - python code to unleash the power of your hat

Old_Duffer · January 14, 2021, 12:20pm

Have you tried the GPIO Control plugin, works well for me.
Pin 13 On when playing, Off when paused or stopped.

Old_Duffer · January 14, 2021, 2:18pm

I’m having trouble ‘coming back’ to volumio from airplay. The display and buttons sometimes freeze. Difficult to be certain how to replicate the problem, working on being a bit more helpful.

New build, Pirate audio plugin.

spinkman · January 14, 2021, 4:15pm

userconfig

### Start of parameters for pirateaudio plugin ###
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dac
gpio=25=op,dh
dtparam=spi=on
### Fix for Button X, Y of pirate audio ###
gpio=16=pu
gpio=20=pu
gpio=13=op,dl
### End of parameters for pirateaudio plugin ###
### Start of parameters for pirateaudio plugin ###
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dac
gpio=25=op,dh
dtparam=spi=on
### Fix for Button X, Y of pirate audio ###
gpio=16=pu
gpio=20=pu
### End of parameters for pirateaudio plugin ###
# Add your custom config.txt options to this file, which will be preserved during updates

config.txt

initramfs volumio.initrd
gpu_mem=32
max_usb_current=1
dtparam=audio=on
audio_pwm_mode=2
dtparam=i2c_arm=on
disable_splash=1
hdmi_force_hotplug=1
dtparam=spi=on
include userconfig.txt

#### Volumio i2s setting below: do not alter ####
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dac

looks like the update added to the bottom of the userconfig. might need to clean that up. i’m not sure what GPIO the ‘Y’ button uses. will have to troubleshoot after work
thanks all!

spinkman · January 14, 2021, 5:31pm

I did find this pinout site that mentions

On older boards you might find button Y on GPIO 20. On newer boards this has been moved to GPIO 18 to free up PCM Data-in.

no mention of GPIO 18 in the userconfig.txt

I tried updating userconfig.txt
gpio=18=pu
that didn’t work

then I found GitHub - pimoroni/pirate-audio: Examples and documentation for the Pirate Audio range of Raspberry Pi add-ons that mentions the Y button is on GPIO 24 and that broke things more…

putting it all back… going back to work hehehe

AxLED · January 14, 2021, 7:24pm

@spinkman test_gpio.zip (1,0 KB)
@sidrakes

lets start debugging.
Attached you will find the file test_gpio.py

unpack the zip
copy this file to your pi
make it executable by sudo chmod +x test_gpio.py (in the folder where test_gpio.py is located)
stop pirateaudio plugin via volumio GUI
start test script by python test_gpio.py
press your buttons, the script should output the GPIO number

If not all 4 buttons are working, try to change line 20 of test_gpio.py with a different GPIO number for the button which didnt work.

If you can tell me the gpio your hat uses, i try to guide you to a solution.

@spinkman
@sidrakes
about the output of your /boot/userconfig.txt. The values shouldn’t be twice.
The right values/content should be:

### Start of parameters for pirateaudio plugin ###
dtoverlay=hifiberry-dac
gpio=25=op,dh
dtparam=spi=on
### Fix for Button X, Y of pirate audio ###
gpio=16=pu
gpio=20=pu
gpio=13=op,dl
### End of parameters for pirateaudio plugin ###

Explanation:

gpio 25 is to make the pirate audio hat work at all
gpio 16 and 20 ar to set pull ups for button X an Y
gpio 13 is for controlling backlight led

AxLED

spinkman · January 15, 2021, 3:05am

@AxLED

volumio@ohc-speaker:~$ python test_gpio.py
buttons.py - Detect which button has been pressed
This example should demonstrate how to:
1. set up RPi.GPIO to read buttons,
2. determine which button has been pressed
Press Ctrl+C to exit!

Button press detected on pin: 6 label: B
Button press detected on pin: 5 label: A
Button press detected on pin: 16 label: X
initalisiere Shutdown

The Y button didn’t detect/show anything, no matter what order. I even reboot and tried again.
The button does work. I confirmed using the Mopidy build I had before and I tested it with another SD card.

I replaced my userconfig.txt with yours, rebooted, re-enabled the pirateaudio plugin. no dice. Y still doesn’t work. Eagerly looking forward to a solution! and perhaps I might fiddle with putting the back light on a timer or a timeout… but one thing at a time.

AxLED · January 15, 2021, 6:38am

@spinkman

so your button Y is not working (so far), and it isn’t pin 20 (and not 5,6,16)
Your hat: pirate audio amp 3W

Please try the following:

stop pirateaudio plugin via volumio GUI
change line 20 in test_gpio from BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 20] to BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 18]
change line in /boot/userconfig.txt from gpio=20=pu to gpio=18=pu
start test script by python test_gpio.py in commandline
press your buttons, the script should output the GPIO number

AxLED

spinkman · January 15, 2021, 7:05am

@AxLED

My hat: Pirate Audio 3w

Changed button 20 to 18.
output

volumio@ohc-speaker:~$ python test_gpio.py
buttons.py - Detect which button has been pressed
This example should demonstrate how to:
1. set up RPi.GPIO to read buttons,
2. determine which button has been pressed
Press Ctrl+C to exit!

Button press detected on pin: 5 label: A
Button press detected on pin: 6 label: B
Button press detected on pin: 16 label: X
initalisiere Shutdown
Button press detected on pin: 6 label: B
Button press detected on pin: 6 label: B
Button press detected on pin: 16 label: X
initalisiere Shutdown
Button press detected on pin: 5 label: A

The difference this time is that after the X button is pressed, I’m able to continue to press other buttons. still no Y button tho…

spinkman · January 15, 2021, 7:17am

Oh!
success!!
Changed button 18/20 to 24

Button press detected on pin: 5 label: A
Button press detected on pin: 6 label: B
Button press detected on pin: 16 label: X
initalisiere Shutdown    
Button press detected on pin: 24 label: Y
Button press detected on pin: 24 label: Y

so, it is back to the link I posted that mentions the Y button is on GPIO 24 but I didn’t understand how to assign the button… I’ll play around some more.

AxLED · January 15, 2021, 4:12pm

@spinkman

thanks for your response, so your Y button is 24.
Your hat: pirate audio amp 3W

Please try the following:

stop pirateaudio plugin via volumio GUI
change directory to path /data/plugins/miscellanea/pirateaudio
change line 80 in display.py from BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 20] to BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 24]
change line 436 in display.py from if pin == 20: to if pin == 24:
change line in /boot/userconfig.txt from gpio=20=pu to gpio=24=pu
reboot your pi
activate pirateaudio plugin via volumio GUI

AxLED

spinkman · January 15, 2021, 4:38pm

100% success!

change line 80 in display.py from BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 20] to BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 24]
change line 436 in display.py from if pin == 20: to if pin == 24:
change line 458 in display.py from for x in [5, 6, 16, 20]: to for x in [5, 6, 16, 24]:

I had already changed line 80 in testing but didn’t venture that far down in display.py
Thank you @AxLED for your support. much appreciated.

Old_Duffer · January 17, 2021, 4:43pm

In my attempts to free up some GPIO pins by wiring the Pimoroni to the pi rather than plugging it into the pi socket I used this diagram from the web (although I can’t remember where I found it)

However, after much fiddling, I found that my board also needs pin 17 (3.3v) to work. Hope this saves someone some time!

ijskegel · January 18, 2021, 1:18pm

For info: the image above can be found at Pirate Audio 3W Amp at Raspberry Pi GPIO Pinout.

KingQuestable · January 20, 2021, 12:36pm

Hey @AxLED thanks for your great work. Does your plugin also works with the pirateaudio headphone Amp?

AxLED · January 20, 2021, 6:43pm

@KingQuestable

yes the plugin should work on pirate audio headphone amp as well.
According to https://pinout.xyz/pinout/pirate_audio_headphone_amp# there are two versions, which use different GPIO for Y Button. So the worst thing could happen, that Y Button is not working (so far).
But here are the good news, i am working on a update for the plugin, where you can choose the GPIO Pin for Y Button via volumio GUI.

AxLED

KingQuestable · January 20, 2021, 9:31pm

Hey @AxLED,

thanks for the fast reply. I set up a new volumio with the pirate headphone dac and installed your plugin. Works great! Thanks for your work

Only problem I have found, is that Button Y isn’t working as you mentioned. I have tested the GPIOs with your test_gpio.py and it seems that my hat also uses gpio 24, like the one from @spinkman.
Unfortunately the steps you mention above:

stop pirateaudio plugin via volumio GUI
change directory to path /data/plugins/miscellanea/pirateaudio
change line 80 in display.py from BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 20] to BUTTONS = [5, 6, 16, 24]
change line 436 in display.py from if pin == 20: to if pin == 24:
change line in /boot/userconfig.txt from gpio=20=pu to gpio=24=pu
reboot your pi
activate pirateaudio plugin via volumio GUI

doesn’t work for me. I have double checked the lines, but Button Y still doesn’t work after a reboot. Have you any suggestions how i can fix the problem?

AxLED · January 20, 2021, 10:21pm

@KingQuestable

did test_gpio.py show 24 for your Y button ?
If yes, try to deactived and activate pirateaudio plugin via GUI (no reboot).
Is there any other hardware attached to the GPIOs?
Which plugins are installed?

Can you attach the following files:

display.py
userconfig.txt
/boot/config.txt

So i can have a look at it.

AxLED

spinkman · January 20, 2021, 10:34pm

Did you get the one on line 458?

KingQuestable · January 20, 2021, 10:53pm

@spinkman Aaah thanks! I have missed that line. Thanks a lot.

@AxLED so now the buttons are working well.
I just have the spotify plugin installed. When I use the buttons to navigate to a song in spotify, I can’t play it. So the A button seems to not work here. Is this a known bug oder does this suppose to be working?

AxLED · January 20, 2021, 10:54pm

Yes, spinkman is right,

in addition to the modifications you did, you have to:

change line 458 in display.py from for x in [5, 6, 16, 20]: to for x in [5, 6, 16, 24]:

AxLED