I2C OLED Controller for Raspberry Pi

Python library to enable 128x32 pixel OLED for Raspberry Pi (both 32 and 64-bit) that utilize the SSD1306 chipset. This works as a standalone service and can run on a standard Raspberry Pi running Raspian.

This addon leverages the original Adafruit Python SSD1306 and GPIO libraries, which have been deprecated. However, I have taken the nessassary parts out of this and bundled them into this I2C module avoiding the need for GPIO and relying on the Raspberry Pi's I2C setup.

Some Teaser Screenshots

Welcome	HA Splash	CPU	Memory	Storage	Network	Exit Screen

Custom Screen & Static Text Variables

As well as the above screens, you can configure a static custom screen which can be fixed or animated.

If the configured text is greater than the screen size, it will scroll across the screen unless you configure it to display as lines.

Scrolling animations also supports configurable apmlitude enabling the text to wave up and down as it scrolls.

This screen can take variables to help personalise your view:

"Static_Screen_Text": "Today is {datetime}, running hassio verion {hassio.os.version} on {hostname} with IP {ip}"

The following variables are supported

Variable	Description
{datetime}	Displays the current datetime based on the defined format specified in the DateTime_Format config option.
{hostname}	Displays the current hostname of the host device
{ip}	Displays the host device IP
{hassio.info.property}	Fetches a specified property from Home Assistants supervisor API (e.g. http://supervisor/os/info). You can state the namespace and property which will populate with the responding value. This must be fixed with hassio first, followed by the namespace (e.g. os, network etc), then the property e.g. hassio.os.latest_version will call http://supervisor/os/info and display the latest_version value.

Home Assistant Support

This repository has been broken out to work as a standalone service and will work on a standard Raspberry Pi running Raspian. Any screens which are dependent on Home Assistant (e.g. Splash) will be automatically disabled.

The Home Assistant add-on that uses this can be accessed from HomeAssistant_Addons

Hardware Setup

You can use 0.91 Inch 128x32 I2C module, as long as it is registered on /dev/i2c-1 which is the Rasperry Pi default.

I purchased this MakerHawk I2C OLED Display Module I2C Screen Module 0.91" 128x32 I2C

Pin	Details
1	Power (3.3V / VCC)
3	SDA (I2C Data)
5	SCL (I2C Clock)
14	Ground (0V)

Installation

Enable I2C on the Raspberry Pi

sudo raspi-config
# Interface Options > I2C

One-Step Automated Install

---

Those who want to get started quickly and conveniently may install the RPI_I2C_OLED using the following command:

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/crismc/rpi_i2c_oled/v1.0.4/basic-install.sh | sudo bash

This will download the latest release, and install it as a service. Once run, you can control the oled service by the following:

sudo service oled start
sudo service oled stop
sudo service oled restart

Installing From Source

---

Initial apt-get installs:

sudo apt-get install i2c-tools git vim

Test I2C device is working:

$ i2cdetect -y 1

Install Python3 dependencies

sudo apt-get install python3-dev python3-smbus python3-pil

Checkout this code

git clone git@github.com:crismc/rpi_i2c_oled.git
cd rpi_i2c_oled

Test OLED

cd rpi_i2c_oled
python3 display.py

Running as a Service

---

Copy the repo file to /etc:

sudo cp -ri ../rpi_i2c_oled /etc

Create a sym link of the service file in /etc/systemd/system, and reload it

sudo ln -s /etc/rpi_i2c_oled/oled.service /etc/systemd/system/oled.service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Test it out

sudo service oled start
sudo service oled stop
sudo service oled restart

Start on boot

sudo systemctl enable oled.service

Configuration Options

You can modify the display of the content by editing the options.json file.

By default the options.json is loaded from the same directory as the display.py.

Note: The keys are case insensitive

If you want to change this location, simply pass in the path to the desired config using the flags -c or --config:

python3 display.py -c /path/to/options.json

or

python3 display.py --config /path/to/options.json

Name	Type	Requirement	Description	Default
i2c_bus	int	Required	I2C bus number. /dev/i2c-[bus number]	1
Temperature_Unit	string	Required	Display the CPU temperature in C or F	C
Rotate	int	Optional	Rotates the screen by the number of degrees provided counter clockwise around its centre (e.g. 180 displays the screen upside down).	0
Show_Icons	boolean	Optional	Show icons for each screen	true
Show_Hint	boolean	Optional	Show hint for each screen (instead of icon)	false
Compact	boolean	Optional	Show data in a more compact form	false
Default_Duration	int	Required	How long in seconds to display each screen by default. Ignored if specified on specific screen	10
DateTime_Format	string	Optional	Format of the {datetime} static text variable	%d/%m/%Y %H:%M:%S
Graceful_Exit_Text	string	Optional	Text to display when the service is exited. Accepts same variables as the custom screen.	Exited at {datetime}
Static_Screen_Text	string	Optional	Text to display when the Show_Static_Screen is enabled. Accepts all static text variables.	Hassio verion {hassio.os.version} on {hostname} with IP {ip}
Static_Screen_Text_NoScroll	boolean	Optional	Disable the scrolling animation if the static text its too large to fit. If set to true, make a best effort to stack the text as centered lines	false
Scroll_Amplitude	int	Optional	Amount of wave action the scrolling animation text has. The bigger the number, the bigger the wave.	6
Show_Static_Screen	boolean	Required	Show the static screen with the specified custom text	false
Show_Welcome_Screen	boolean	Required	Show the animated Welcome to hostname screen	true
Welcome_Screen_Text	string	Optional	Text to display when the Show_Welcome_Screen is enabled. Accepts all static text variables.	Welcome to {hostname}
Show_Splash_Screen	boolean	Required	Show the Home Assistant core and version screen. I you're not using Home Assistant, leave this false	false
Show_Network_Screen	boolean	Required	Show the Network Information screen	true
Show_CPU_Screen	boolean	Required	Show the CPU Information screen	true
Show_Memory_Screen	boolean	Required	Show the Memory Information screen	true
Show_Storage_Screen	boolean	Required	Show the Storage Information screen	true
Screenshot	boolean or string	Optional	Saves a screenshot of the screen to the specified path, or to './img/examples/' if set to True	false
*_Screen_Limit	int	Optional	Number of times to show the screen in the cycle. Once limit is reached, display will no longer appear	null
*_Screen_Duration	int	Optional	How long in seconds to display the screen	10

Logs & Debugging

As logging is initiated before the party begins, log levels are defined outside of the options.json.

Therefore, to enable debugging, when running display.py add -d or --debug to the command.

e.g.:

$ python3 display.py -d
INFO:Config:Loading config: /etc/rpi_i2c_oled/options.json
INFO:Config:Home Assistant is not supported on this instance
INFO:Config:'welcome' limited to 5 iterations
INFO:__main__:'welcome' is being processed
INFO:Screen:'WelcomeScreen' created
INFO:Screen:'WelcomeScreen' rendering

Compatible Hardware (SSD1306 Chips)

Several examples of SSD1306 driven I2C OLED hardware that should work. This was originally designed specifically to work with the Adafruit SSD1306-based OLED displays. Adafruit invests time and resources providing this open source code, please support Adafruit and open-source hardware by purchasing products from Adafruit!

• Adafruit 128x32 I2C OLED
• Adafruit 0.91" 128x32 I2C OLED - STEMMA QT / Qwiic
• Adafruit PiOLED 128x32 OLED Add-on for Raspberry Pi
• MakerHawk I2C OLED Display Module I2C Screen Module 0.91" 128x32 I2C
• UCTRONICS Raspberry Pi Rack

Credits

• Special thanks to Gareth Cheyne for his initial version of this project.

• Tony DiCola (RIP) and Adafruit Industries for initial implementation details, see original repo: https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Python_SSD1306

• crismc - After the removal of GPIO support from Home Assistant, the referenced addon no longer worked for me, so I took the initial project apart, and smashed it together with the Adafruit I2C libraries removing the GPIO requirements. Additionally, the original build didn't work on 64-bit versions of the Raspberry Pi, nor would it work as a stand alone service.

• Ultronics

See Also

• IC2 OLED Home Assistant Add-On
• Adafruit Python SSD1306 notice to comply with distribution requirement