Welcome to the Flipdot Sign API! This repository contains a lightweight HTTP server for pushing JSON-serialized numpy arrays directly to the Hanover flipdot display. This project is designed to be simple, efficient, and user-friendly, allowing you to interface easily with the flipdot display using Python 3. 🚀
The Flipdot Sign API allows users to send pixel data to a Hanover flipdot display through a dedicated API endpoint (/api/dots
). This API leverages the pyflidot
library for communication with the display. By posting a JSON-encoded numpy array, users can control what is displayed on the flipdot.
- Easy-to-use JSON API for sending pixel data.
- Built-in simulator for debugging without physical hardware.
- Docker support for easy deployment and management.
- Configuration via a straightforward INI file format.
- Python 3.12 or higher installed.
- Docker (optional, but recommended for easier setup).
-
Clone the Repository
git clone https://github.com/harperreed/flipdot-server.git cd flipdot-server
-
Edit the Configuration File Copy the example configuration and update it according to your setup:
cp config.ini.example config.ini vi config.ini
Ensure you have the correct values for:
[SERVER] HOST = 0.0.0.0 PORT = 8080 [FLIPDOTSIGN] COLUMNS = 96 ROWS = 16 ADDRESS = 1 USB = "/dev/ttyUSB0" SIMULATOR = True
-
Run the Server
- Option 1: Local Installation
pip3 install -r requirements.txt python3 app.py
- Option 2: Using Docker Ensure your Docker service is running, then execute:
docker-compose build docker-compose up
If connecting to a USB serial adapter, edit
docker-compose.yml
to uncomment and modify the device entry. -
Testing the API You can test the API using cURL:
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d @nparray_test.json http://localhost:8080/api/dots
-
Creating Numpy Arrays To create a numpy array representing the flipdot's pixel matrix, refer to the example code snippet provided in the README.
import numpy as np
import requests
import json
sign_columns = 96
sign_rows = 16
image_array = np.zeros((sign_rows, sign_columns), dtype=bool) # False by default
image_array[0][0] = True # Set a pixel
url = "http://localhost:8080/api/dots"
headers = {'Content-type': 'application/json'}
r = requests.post(url, data=json.dumps(image_array.tolist()), headers=headers)
- Python: The primary programming language.
- aiohttp: Asynchronous web framework for handling requests.
- numpy: To handle pixel data in array format.
- pyflipdot: Library to interface with Hanover flipdot signs.
- Docker: For containerization and easier deployment.
- Markdown2: For rendering README documentation in HTML.
flipdot-server/
├── Dockerfile
├── LICENSE
├── README.md
├── app.py
├── config.ini.example
├── docker-compose.yml
├── flipdot/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ └── simulator.py
├── nparray_test.json
└── requirements.txt
We hope you find this project useful! If you have any suggestions, issues or would like to contribute, don't hesitate to reach out. Let's light up those flipdots! 💡