PiBoy

Build your own Pip-Boy with some useful features for real-life using your Raspberry Pi.

Features

File Manager App

Provides basic functions for moving, copying and deleting files and directories. Plug in a USB drive as a holo tape.

System App

Can fetch and install updates from the git repository.

Environment App

Provides useful information about your environment like temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity.

Radio App

Actually more like a classic music player. Stay tuned!

Debug App

Shows the last pressed key to help you check the key wiring.

Clock App

It just shows the time on a classic analog clock.

Map App

Supports zooming and moving the map around. Don't get lost in the wasteland.

Hardware

Base:

• Raspberry Pi (full size board with all 40 pins recommended)
• 3.5" SPI display module (with an ILI9486 display driver chip)
• rotary encoder module (KY-040)
• 6x micro push buttons (6 mm x 6 mm)
• perf board/proto board (14x9 holes required)
• wires, general soldering stuff
• rotary encoder knob (optional, choose one you like)
• USB Wi-Fi adapter (optional, if your Pi does not have Wi-Fi onboard)

Modules:

• BME280 environment sensor
• NEO-6M GPS module
• DS3231 RTC clock (optional, but recommended)
• ADS1115 analog-digital converter

Audio:

• PAM8403 amplifier with potentiometer
• 2x Mini Speakers (e.g. Loudity 16 mm or Adafruit Oval 20 mm x 30 mm)
• capacitor ~1000 µF, 25 V (optional, but recommended to stabilize power when turning on the PAM8403)
• potentiometer knob (optional, choose one you like)

Battery power:

• MT3608 power converter
• TP4056 battery charging controller
• 18650 battery cell (others can fit as well)
• toggle switch

Additional parts depending on case version.

NOTE:
Prototype 1 does not support modules, audio and battery power internally.

NOTE:
Prototype 2 supports BME280, NEO-6M, DS3231 and battery power. ADS1115 can be squeezed in as well, but there is no documentation. Audio is not supported internally

Installation

All guides are using Raspberry OS based on Debian Bookworm.

Install system dependencies:

sudo apt install git libopenjp2-7 libportaudio2 libopenblas0 python3-rpi-lgpio fonts-freefont-ttf

Call sudo raspi-config, select Interface Options > SPI and choose Yes to enable SPI. Then select Interface Options > I2C and choose Yes to enable I2C. Then also select Interface Options > Serial Port and choose No in the first pop-up and Yes in the second pop-up. The last pop-up should then inform you, that the serial login shell is disabled and the serial interface is enabled.

Clone repository and go into it:

git clone /~https://github.com/SirLefti/piboy
cd piboy

Create a virtual environment:

python -m venv .venv

Install python dependencies:

.venv/bin/pip install -r requirements-pi.txt

Create a systemd service in /etc/systemd/system/piboy.service:

[Unit]
Description=PiBoy Python Script
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
WorkingDirectory=/home/pi/piboy
ExecStart=/home/pi/piboy/.venv/bin/python -u /home/pi/piboy/piboy.py
StandardOutput=file:/home/pi/piboy/log
StandardError=file:/home/pi/piboy/err
Restart=on-failure
User=pi
Group=pi

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Reload to get the new configuration:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

Activate the new service:

sudo systemctl enable piboy.service

Either restart the Pi or start the service manually:

sudo systemctl start piboy.service

NOTE:
Please refer to the module specific instructions for additional steps to make everything work.

Configuration

On first run, the PiBoy script will create a config.yaml if not found. In that config file, you can configure everything that relates to appearance and wiring. When running on a Raspberry Pi, dev_move must be set to false if not set by default. For development, it must be set to true instead, obviously. This setting automatically loads the right input and display modules. On a Raspberry Pi, ILI9486Display and GPIOInput are being used. For development, TkInteraction or SelfManagedTkInteraction can be used, both implement full input and display functionality.

You can define additional color groups under app_config/modes for your own theme and set the index at app_config/color_mode. The first default color group is the traditional classic green theme, the second is a yellow power armor theme.

This project uses FreeSansBold as default font. If the font cannot be found despite being installed, or you do not want to install it, place the FreeSansBold.ttf in the root directory as a workaround.

Assembly

See instructions for prototype 1.

See instructions for prototype 2.

Module specific instructions

• BME280 environmental sensor
• DS3231 RTC clock
• NEO-6M GPS module
• ADS1115 analog-digital converter
• KY-040 rotary encoder
• Keypad

Post-Install

Wi-Fi connection

You might want to add another Wi-Fi connection, e.g. to your phone, when you are out of your homes Wi-Fi range. Get in the range of the Wi-Fi you want to add and check, if your device can see it:

nmcli dev wifi

If your Wi-Fi is not found immediately, wait a bit and run the command again.

If it was found, you can configure the connection (replace <wifi-ssid> and <wifi-password>):

sudo nmcli dev wifi connect <wifi-ssid> password <wifi-password>

When you were connected via ssh, the connection might reset due to the network change.

Network configurations are saved at /etc/NetworkManager/system-connections. Refer to the documentation of nmcli for further details.

Roadmap

• display driver
• project base
• build documentation / guide
• case
• file manager app
• map app
• radio app
• environment sensors (temperature, humidity, ...)
• GPS module
• battery power
• speaker for radio app
• battery status
• auto-mount usb drives
• improved case

Issues

PyAudio

pyaudio might require system dependencies to be installed. On macOS, install the portaudio dependency with MacPorts:

sudo port install portaudio

Then install the package with pip and pass the directories where to find the dependencies:

CFLAGS="-I/opt/local/include -L/opt/local/lib" .venv/bin/pip install pyaudio