Me Here ec43c694a1 PM_K-1 CircuitPython: circle pad grid, small labels, dimmer LED, faster SPI

From on-board feedback (works well; minor tweaks):
  - Pad grid uses circles now: big circle on each beat (division), small on the
    subdivisions (vectorio.Circle — native, no extra cost), coloured/lit as before.
  - Lane labels use a new small font (font_s.bin, ~12px via gen_font.py) so they're
    half-size and show more of the voice name (e.g. 'hatClos').
  - LED was blinding -> LED_BRIGHTNESS scale (default 0.15) applied on every write.
  - Residual tearing -> SPI back to 62.5 MHz (vendor speed; smaller tear window on a
    panel with no tearing-effect pin). Both are CONFIG flags.
Verified by rendering the full scene headless. font_s.bin added to gen_font.py + bundle.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

2026-05-28 22:07:00 -05:00

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PM_K‑1 "Kit" — CircuitPython edition (USB drive + editor)

The CircuitPython firmware for the 52Pi EP‑0172 Pico kit. Unlike the MicroPython version (../pico/main.py), this makes the Pico mount as a USB drive (CIRCUITPY) that carries the firmware and your tracks — so you can edit on the web and reprogram it without Thonny. It runs the same program‑string language as https://metronome.varasys.io.

Status: experimental, phase 1. This drives the screen/touch/joystick/buzzer and reads your grooves from programs.json. The editor's one‑click "Save to device" and USB‑MIDI audio‑to‑computer are landing in later phases. The simpler MicroPython firmware (../pico/main.py) remains the rock‑solid fallback — and the Pico can't be bricked (BOOTSEL → drag a MicroPython .uf2 back).

Install

Flash CircuitPython: hold BOOTSEL, plug in, and drop the CircuitPython .uf2 for your board onto the RPI‑RP2 drive (https://circuitpython.org/board/raspberry_pi_pico/ — or the Pico 2 / W build). It reboots and a CIRCUITPY drive appears.
Copy everything from the bundle onto CIRCUITPY (drag‑and‑drop — it's a normal drive now):
- code.py (this firmware — runs on boot)
- programs.json (your grooves)
- font_s.bin, font_m.bin, font_l.bin (the anti‑aliased fonts — kept as files to save RAM)
It starts immediately. Editing programs.json (or re‑saving it from the editor) makes CircuitPython auto‑reload with the new tracks.

Controls (same as the MicroPython build)

Touch: on‑screen ◀◀ / ▶ / ▶▶ (prev · play/stop · next) and − / TAP / +.
Joystick: up/down = tempo, left/right = previous/next groove.
Button A (GP15) play/stop · Button B (GP14) tap tempo.
RGB LED flashes each beat; buzzer clicks (accent/normal/ghost).

programs.json

{ "title": "PolyMeter",
  "programs": [ { "name": "Four on the floor", "prog": "t120;kick:4;snare:4=.x.x;hatClosed:4/2" } ] }

Each prog is a program string from the web editor. Add/replace entries and save — the device reloads.

Calibration (flip flags at the top of `code.py`)

Red/blue swapped: flip MADCTL between 0x48 (default) and 0x40.
Colours look negative: toggle INVERT_COLORS.
Taps land wrong: set TOUCH_DEBUG = True, watch the serial output, then set TOUCH_SWAP_XY / TOUCH_INVERT_X / TOUCH_INVERT_Y.
Joystick reversed: toggle JOY_INVERT_X / JOY_INVERT_Y.
LED too bright / too dim: change LED_BRIGHTNESS (0..1, default 0.15).
Screen tearing: the SPI panel has no tearing-effect sync; SPI_BAUD (default 62.5 MHz) is pushed fast to minimise it — lower it only if the display is unstable.
Screen blank / garbled: the panel lot may differ; drop SPI_BAUD, and if it's a 240×320 ILI9341 instead of the 320×480 ST7796, the init/size need changing (this targets the 320×480 you have).
RGB LED is driven by the core neopixel_write module — no library to install. If it stays dark, your CircuitPython build is unusually missing that module (everything else still works).

If code.py ever errors, CircuitPython prints the traceback on the screen and over USB serial — copy that to me and I'll fix it.

The fonts are the same baked anti‑aliased blobs as the MicroPython build (see ../pico/gen_font.py).

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