gunghogeoduck/rpy-calculator
1
0
Fork 0
Code Issues Pull requests Projects Releases Wiki Activity
No description
13 commits 1 branch 0 tags 43 KiB
Find a file
Exact
Daniel Marsee c148340e2a Fixed a typo in "tmpboot"
2018-10-04 16:55:00 -09:00
calcsetup.sh Fixed a typo in "tmpboot" 2018-10-04 16:55:00 -09:00
LICENSE Add LICENSE 2018-09-26 09:33:30 -09:00
README.md Update README.md 2018-09-26 10:03:53 -09:00

README.md

rpy-calculator

We are making a calculator out of a Raspberry Pi and an LCD screen! It'll boot straight into a Python interpreter for use as a desktop calculator, the way the original Python was intended to be used.

Purpose

Python makes for a great scriptable calculator! It would be super cool to make a compact calculator that presents the user with a Python interpreter to use for solving complex problems. CW still has one year of college left, and since he loves Python so much, he wants to ditch his graphic calculator in favor of it! Also, it'll just be fun to play with some hardware for a change!

Methodology

This project will attempt to construct as compact of a device as possible while still retaining usability of input and graphing capabilities. In order to do this, a Raspberry Pi Zero will be used along with a 3.5" LCD screen that attaches using the SPI interface of the GPIO on the PiZ. A separate, wireless handheld keyboard will be used for input.

Materials

This will be a work-in progress list.

  • Raspberry Pi Zero
  • 4GB (minimum) microSD card Class 10
  • Any 40-pin TFT display
  • Adafruit DPI TFT Kippah
  • 2x AA battery holder
  • 2x AA batteries
  • 5V boost converter circuit
  • SPST power switch
  • USB OTG Cable
  • iPazzPort Wireless Mini Handheld Keyboard
  • 3D printed case (Design will be provided)

Usage

An Internet connection will be needed to run some of the commands included in the preparation script. It's recommended that a Raspberry Pi Zero W is used to connect to Internet. However, I have a few issues with creating an IoT calculator, so an alternative is to use a Raspberry Pi 1 B+ to do the package installation. An alternative to the alternative is to boot once on the Zero, then insert the MicroSD into a PC and copy the required .deb files into a directory on the SD, then install them locally again when booted back into the Zero. If I tried really hard, I might be able to make a custom Raspbian image that's all preconfigured and you won't have to worry about it.

Anyway, after getting the packages installed, simply run the "calcsetup.sh" script. It'll create needed config files. It'll also ask for your root password when needed - Just a heads up.

Assembly

This section will be updated when the physical layout is finalized.