ASL-Display: AllStarLink Display Driver

This repository contains a Python script (display_driver.py) that enables a Raspberry Pi with an Adafruit Mini PiTFT (ST7789 display) to serve as a controller for AllStarLink nodes. It shows system IP, uptime, connected nodes, and favorites, with button-based navigation for connecting/disconnecting nodes. The accompanying install script (installdisplay.sh) automates the setup process, including dependency installation, virtual environment creation, and systemd service configuration for automatic startup on boot.

NEW: Simple install instructions on my website https://g1lro.uk/?p=848

Features

• Real-Time Display: Shows local IP address, system uptime, connected AllStarLink nodes (up to 3), and a favorites menu for quick connections (up to 6 nodes).
• Button Controls:
  • Button A: Move Cycles through selections (e.g., favorites or nodes).
  • Button B: Do Connects/disconnects nodes, switches to favorites mode, or exits.
• Automatic Updates: Display refreshes every 1 second; node status updates every 5 seconds.
• Favorites Support: Load node names and numbers from a simple text file (favourites.txt).
• Error Handling: Graceful handling for display, font, favorites file, and Asterisk commands.
• Debug Output: Prints to console for button presses, node connections, and errors.

Hardware Requirements

• Raspberry Pi (tested on Raspberry Pi OS, Debian-based).
• Adafruit Mini PiTFT or equivalent ST7789-based 240x240 display.
• Also available from AliExpress
• Wiring (expected standard on this model):
  • CS: GPIO CE0 (pin 24)
  • DC: GPIO D25 (pin 22)
  • Backlight: GPIO D22 (pin 15)
  • Reset: Not connected (None)
  • SPI: MOSI (pin 19), SCLK (pin 23)
• Buttons: Connected to GPIO D23 (pin 16) for Button A and GPIO D24 (pin 18) for Button B.
• AllStarLink hardware setup with Asterisk installed.

Software Requirements

• Python 3 (installed via apt).
• Raspberry Pi OS or similar (Debian-based).
• AllStarLink with Asterisk for node management.
• SPI interface enabled (handled by the install script).

Installation

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/G1LRO/ASL-Display.git
   cd ASL-Display
   

2. Download or Copy Files:

   • Ensure display_driver.py and installdisplay.sh are in /home/admin/.
   • Alternatively, download from g1lro.uk (script) and place in /home/admin/.

3. Make the Install Script Executable:

   chmod +x installdisplay.sh
   

4. Run the Install Script:

   ./installdisplay.sh
   

   • The script will:
     • Update the system and install dependencies (Python libraries like Pillow, Adafruit RGB Display).
     • Enable SPI.
     • Create a virtual environment (/home/admin/myenv).
     • Add the user to the gpio group for hardware access.
     • Verify Asterisk installation.
     • Create a sample favourites.txt.
     • Set up a systemd service (display_driver.service) to run the script on boot.
     • Test run the script and log output to /tmp/display_driver_test.log.

5. Reboot the Raspberry Pi:

   sudo reboot
   

   • The display should come to life after reboot, showing IP, uptime, favorites, and nodes.

Configuration

• Node Number: Open display_driver.py and edit node_number = "58175" to your AllStarLink node ID.
• Favorites File: Edit /home/admin/favourites.txt with one entry per line in Name,NodeNumber format (e.g., Hub,12345). Limited to 6 entries.
• Manual Test: Activate the virtual environment and run:

  source /home/admin/myenv/bin/activate
  python display_driver.py
  

• Systemd Service Management:
  • Status: sudo systemctl status display_driver.service
  • Logs: journalctl -u display_driver.service -b
  • Restart: sudo systemctl restart display_driver.service
  • Stop: sudo systemctl stop display_driver.service
  • Disable auto-start: sudo systemctl disable display_driver.service

Troubleshooting

• Blank Display:

  • Check hardware connections and SPI status (lsmod | grep spi_bcm2835).
  • Verify service logs for errors (journalctl -u display_driver.service -b).
  • Test hardware with the simple script below.

• Asterisk Errors: Ensure AllStarLink is running and test commands like sudo asterisk -rx "rpt lstats 58175". Add passwordless sudo if needed (see script comments).

• Font or Favorites Errors: Confirm files exist (ls /usr/share/fonts/truetype/dejavu/DejaVuSans.ttf and /home/admin/favourites.txt).

• Button Not Working: Verify wiring and GPIO group membership (groups | grep gpio).

• Simple Hardware Test Script (save as test_display.py):

  #!/home/admin/myenv/bin/python
  import digitalio
  import board
  from adafruit_rgb_display import st7789
  from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
  cs_pin = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.CE0)
  dc_pin = digitalio.DigitalInOut(board.D25)
  reset_pin = None
  spi = board.SPI()
  disp = st7789.ST7789(spi, cs=cs_pin, dc=dc_pin, rst=reset_pin, baudrate=24000000, width=240, height=240, x_offset=0, y_offset=80)
  image = Image.new("RGB", (240, 240))
  draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
  draw.rectangle((0, 0, 240, 240), fill=(255, 0, 0))  # Red screen
  disp.image(image, 180)

  Run: source /home/admin/myenv/bin/activate && python test_display.py. A red screen confirms hardware setup.

• Install Script Stuck: If locked on apt (e.g., "Waiting for cache lock"), wait or kill the blocking process (see logs with ps aux | grep apt).

License

This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Portions based on Adafruit code are under MIT. Retain all copyright notices in modifications or distributions.

Credits

• Inspired by Adafruit's RGB display examples.
• Developed by GU1LRO for non-commercial ham radio use.
• Original script available at g1lro.uk.

Contributions welcome! Open an issue for bugs or feature requests, or submit a pull request.