Sense HAT API

The main class which is used to interact with the Sense HAT emulator is SenseHat. This provides accesss to all sensors, the LED pixel display, and the joystick. It is recommended that you import the library using the following idiom:

from sense_emu import SenseHat

This way, when you wish to deploy your code on an actual Sense HAT the only change you need to make is to this line, changing it to:

from sense_hat import SenseHat

SenseHat

class sense_emu.SenseHat(imu_settings_file='RTIMULib', text_assets='sense_hat_text')[source]

The main interface the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT.

This class provides properties to query the various sensors on the Sense HAT (temp, pressure, humidity, gyro, etc.) and methods to control the LED “screen” on the HAT (set_pixel(), set_pixels()).

The imu_settings_file parameter specifies the base name of the configuration file used to calibrate the sensors on the HAT. An “.ini” suffix will be implicitly added to this filename. If a file with the resulting name is present in ~/.config/sense_hat, it will be used in the configuration. Otherwise, the file will be located within /etc, and will be copied to ~/.config/sense_hat before use.

The text_assets parameter provides the base name of the PNG image and text file which will be used to define the font used by the show_message() method.

clear(*args)[source]

Clears the LED matrix with a single colour, default is black / off

e.g. ap.clear() or ap.clear(r, g, b) or colour = (r, g, b) ap.clear(colour)

flip_h(redraw=True)[source]: Flip LED matrix horizontal

flip_v(redraw=True)[source]: Flip LED matrix vertical

gamma_reset()[source]: Resets the LED matrix gamma correction to default

get_accelerometer()[source]: Gets the orientation in degrees from the accelerometer only

get_accelerometer_raw()[source]: Accelerometer x y z raw data in Gs

get_compass()[source]: Gets the direction of North from the magnetometer in degrees

get_compass_raw()[source]: Magnetometer x y z raw data in uT (micro teslas)

get_gyroscope()[source]: Gets the orientation in degrees from the gyroscope only

get_gyroscope_raw()[source]: Gyroscope x y z raw data in radians per second

get_humidity()[source]: Returns the percentage of relative humidity

get_orientation_degrees()[source]: Returns a dictionary object to represent the current orientation in degrees, 0 to 360, using the aircraft principal axes of pitch, roll and yaw

get_orientation_radians()[source]: Returns a dictionary object to represent the current orientation in radians using the aircraft principal axes of pitch, roll and yaw

get_pixel(x, y)[source]: Returns a list of [R,G,B] representing the pixel specified by x and y on the LED matrix. Top left = 0,0 Bottom right = 7,7

get_pixels()[source]: Returns a list containing 64 smaller lists of [R,G,B] pixels representing what is currently displayed on the LED matrix

get_pressure()[source]: Returns the pressure in Millibars

get_temperature()[source]: Returns the temperature in Celsius

get_temperature_from_humidity()[source]: Returns the temperature in Celsius from the humidity sensor

get_temperature_from_pressure()[source]: Returns the temperature in Celsius from the pressure sensor

load_image(file_path, redraw=True)[source]: Accepts a path to an 8 x 8 image file and updates the LED matrix with the image

set_imu_config(compass_enabled, gyro_enabled, accel_enabled)[source]: Enables and disables the gyroscope, accelerometer and/or magnetometer input to the orientation functions

set_pixel(x, y, *args)[source]

Updates the single [R,G,B] pixel specified by x and y on the LED matrix Top left = 0,0 Bottom right = 7,7

e.g. ap.set_pixel(x, y, r, g, b) or pixel = (r, g, b) ap.set_pixel(x, y, pixel)

set_pixels(pixel_list)[source]: Accepts a list containing 64 smaller lists of [R,G,B] pixels and updates the LED matrix. R,G,B elements must intergers between 0 and 255

set_rotation(r=0, redraw=True)[source]: Sets the LED matrix rotation for viewing, adjust if the Pi is upside down or sideways. 0 is with the Pi HDMI port facing downwards

show_letter(s, text_colour=[255, 255, 255], back_colour=[0, 0, 0])[source]: Displays a single text character on the LED matrix using the specified colours

show_message(text_string, scroll_speed=0.1, text_colour=[255, 255, 255], back_colour=[0, 0, 0])[source]: Scrolls a string of text across the LED matrix using the specified speed and colours

property stick: A SenseStick object representing the Sense HAT’s joystick.

SenseStick

class sense_emu.SenseStick[source]

Represents the joystick on the Sense HAT.

get_events()[source]: Returns a list of all joystick events that have occurred since the last call to get_events(). The list contains events in the order that they occurred. If no events have occurred in the intervening time, the result is an empty list.

wait_for_event(emptybuffer=False)[source]

Waits until a joystick event becomes available. Returns the event, as an InputEvent tuple.

If emptybuffer is True (it defaults to False), any pending events will be thrown away first. This is most useful if you are only interested in “pressed” events.

property direction_any

The function to be called when the joystick is used. The function can either take a parameter which will be the InputEvent tuple that has occurred, or the function can take no parameters at all.

This event will always be called after events associated with a specific action. Assign None to prevent this event from being fired.

property direction_down

The function to be called when the joystick is pushed down. The function can either take a parameter which will be the InputEvent tuple that has occurred, or the function can take no parameters at all.