LEDMatrix/README.md

LEDMatrix

A modular LED matrix display system for sports information using Raspberry Pi and RGB LED matrices.

Hardware Requirements

• Raspberry Pi 3 or newer
• Adafruit RGB Matrix Bonnet/HAT
• LED Matrix panels (64x32)

Installation

1. Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/ChuckBuilds/LEDMatrix.git
cd LEDMatrix

2. Install dependencies:

pip3 install --break-system-packages -r requirements.txt

--break-system-packages allows us to install without a virtual environment

Configuration

1. Copy the example configuration:

cp config/config.example.json config/config.json

2. Edit config/config.json with your preferences

API Keys

For sensitive settings like API keys:

1. Copy the template: cp config/config_secrets.template.json config/config_secrets.json

2. Edit config/config_secrets.json with your API keys via sudo nano config/config_secrets.json

3. Ctrl + X to exit, Y to overwrite, Enter to save

Important: Sound Module Configuration

1. Remove unnecessary services that might interfere with the LED matrix:

sudo apt-get remove bluez bluez-firmware pi-bluetooth triggerhappy pigpio

2. Blacklist the sound module:

cat <<EOF | sudo tee /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-rgb-matrix.conf
blacklist snd_bcm2835
EOF

sudo update-initramfs -u

3. Reboot:

sudo reboot

Performance Optimization

To reduce flickering and improve display quality:

1. Edit /boot/firmware/cmdline.txt:

sudo nano /boot/firmware/cmdline.txt

2. Add isolcpus=3 at the end of the line

3. Add dtparam=audio=off at the end of the line

4. Ctrl + X to exit, Y to save

5. Save and reboot:

sudo reboot

Caching System

The LEDMatrix system includes a robust caching mechanism to optimize API calls and reduce network traffic:

Cache Location

• Default cache directory: /tmp/ledmatrix_cache
• Cache files are stored with proper permissions (755 for directories, 644 for files)
• When running as root/sudo, cache ownership is automatically adjusted to the real user

Cached Data Types

• Weather data (current conditions and forecasts)
• Stock prices and market data
• Stock news headlines
• NHL game information
• NBA game information

Cache Behavior

• Data is cached based on update intervals defined in config.json
• Cache is automatically invalidated when:
  • Update interval has elapsed
  • Market is closed (for stock data)
  • Data has changed significantly
• Failed API calls fall back to cached data when available
• Cache files use atomic operations to prevent corruption

Cache Management

• Cache files are automatically created and managed
• No manual intervention required
• Cache directory is created with proper permissions on first run
• Temporary files are used for safe updates
• JSON serialization handles all data types including timestamps

NHL, NBA Scoreboard Display

The LEDMatrix system includes a comprehensive NHL, NBA scoreboard display system with three display modes:

Display Modes

• Live Games: Shows currently playing games with live scores and game status
• Recent Games: Displays completed games from the last 48 hours (configurable)
• Upcoming Games: Shows scheduled games for favorite teams

Features

• Real-time score updates from ESPN API
• Team logo display
• Game status indicators (period, time remaining)
• Power play and penalty information
• Configurable favorite teams
• Automatic game switching
• Built-in caching to reduce API calls
• Test mode for development

Configuration

In config.json, under the nhl_scoreboard section:

{
    "nhl_scoreboard": {
        "enabled": true,
        "test_mode": false,
        "update_interval_seconds": 300,
        "live_update_interval": 60,
        "recent_update_interval": 1800,
        "upcoming_update_interval": 1800,
        "recent_game_hours": 48,
        "favorite_teams": ["TB", "DAL"],
        "logo_dir": "assets/sports/nhl_logos",
        "display_modes": {
            "nhl_live": true,
            "nhl_recent": true,
            "nhl_upcoming": true
        }
    }
}

Running without Sudo (Optional)

To run the display script without sudo, the user executing the script needs access to GPIO pins. Add the user to the gpio group:

sudo usermod -a -G gpio <your_username>
# Example for user 'ledpi':
# sudo usermod -a -G gpio ledpi

Important: You must reboot the Raspberry Pi after adding the user to the group for the change to take effect.

You also need to disable hardware pulsing in the code (see src/display_manager.py, set options.disable_hardware_pulsing = True). This may result in a flickerying display

If configured correctly, you can then run:

python3 display_controller.py

Running the Display

From the project root directory:

sudo python3 display_controller.py

The display will alternate between showing:

• Current time
• Weather information (requires API key configuration)

Development

The project structure is organized as follows:

LEDMatrix/
├── config/                 # Configuration files
│   ├── config.json         # Main configuration
│   └── config_secrets.json # API keys and sensitive data
├── src/                    # Source code
│   ├── config_manager.py   # Configuration loading
│   ├── display_manager.py  # LED matrix display handling
│   ├── clock.py            # Clock display module
│   ├── weather_manager.py  # Weather display module
│   ├── stock_manager.py    # Stock ticker display module
│   └── stock_news_manager.py # Stock news display module
└── display_controller.py   # Main application controller

Project Structure

• src/
  • display_controller.py - Main application controller
  • config_manager.py - Configuration management
  • display_manager.py - LED matrix display handling
  • clock.py - Clock display module
  • weather_manager.py - Weather display module
  • stock_manager.py - Stock ticker display module
  • stock_news_manager.py - Stock news display module
• config/
  • config.json - Configuration settings
  • config_secrets.json - Private settings (not in git)

Fonts

You can add any font to the assets/fonts/ folder but they need to be .ttf and updated in display_manager.py

Systemd Service Installation

The LEDMatrix can be installed as a systemd service to run automatically at boot and be managed easily. The service runs as root to ensure proper hardware timing access for the LED matrix.

Installing the Service

1. Make the install script executable:

chmod +x install_service.sh

2. Run the install script with sudo:

sudo ./install_service.sh

The script will:

• Detect your user account and home directory
• Install the service file with the correct paths
• Enable the service to start on boot
• Start the service immediately

Managing the Service

The following commands are available to manage the service:

# Stop the display
sudo systemctl stop ledmatrix.service

# Start the display
sudo systemctl start ledmatrix.service

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status ledmatrix.service

# View logs
journalctl -u ledmatrix.service

# Disable autostart
sudo systemctl disable ledmatrix.service

# Enable autostart
sudo systemctl enable ledmatrix.service

Convenience Scripts

Two convenience scripts are provided for easy service management:

• start_display.sh - Starts the LED matrix display service
• stop_display.sh - Stops the LED matrix display service

Make them executable with:

chmod +x start_display.sh stop_display.sh

Then use them to control the service:

sudo ./start_display.sh
sudo ./stop_display.sh