mi-led-interface 1.0.6
Modular interface for controlling the Merkury Innovations LED Matrix Display via BLE.
License: MIT
Requires Python: <4.0,>=3.10
Keywords: ble, bluetooth, led, matrix, hardware

# **M**erkury **I**nnovations Multicolor Matrix **L**ED Display **I**nterfacing Library
---

Whew, what a mouthful, huh? MILI for short, provides automatic, high-level interfacing with the Merkury Innovation's Multicolor Matrix LED Display.

## Why?

I went to Walmart one day, and picked up [this LED panel](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Merkury-innovations-Matrix-LED-Pixel-Display-Color-Changing-LED-Display/5150283693). Naturally, it had an app, and every API developer's worst nightmare is other people's apps to control their technology. So, I started looking into alternatives.

I had come across this [reverse-engineering](https://www.github.com/offe/mi-led-display?tab=readme-ov-file) of the model, specifically how it interfaces over BLE. Out of curiosity, I decided to start tinkering with it too.

While the reverse-engineering was perfect, and the protocol worked as expected, what *didn't* work as expected was trying to interface it like a library... because it wasn't a library. It's a toolkit. So, I decided to use the effort that was already there, and develop a library that plays nicer with developers who want to get things done their way, with their product.

Because of the nature of libraries, I felt it was best to provide an open-source, `pip install` ready iteration, versus the toolkit of scripts that was provided by the initial developer, **offe**. Without them, this project would not be possible. Thank you.

## Download

You can install it from PyPi, using pip:

`pip install mi-led-interface`

...or download it, and built it yourself.

```
git clone https://github.com/the-sluggiest-cat/mi-led-interface.git
cd mi-led-interface
python3 -m venv venv
python3 -m pip install bleak
python3 -m pip install pil
```

## Examples:

```py
from mili.client import PanelClient
from mili.pixels import PixelGrid

# Until the script is stopped, if you have a model of the Matrix LED display close by,
# it will display a 16x16 rendition of "silly_picture.png" in the directory with the running script.
client = PanelClient()
pixel_grid = PixelGrid.from_image("silly_picture.png")
client.show_image(pixel_grid)
```

```py
from mili.client import PanelClient
from mili.pixels import PixelGrid

# This works with animated images, too!
client = PanelClient()
pixel_grid = PixelGrid.from_image("silly_animation.gif")
client.show_image(pixel_grid)
```

```py
from mili.client import PanelClient
from mili.pixels import PixelGrid
from PIL import Image

# You can also use PILlow's images...
client = PanelClient()
image = Image.open("a_pillow.png")
pixel_grid = PixelGrid.from_image(image)
client.show_image(pixel_grid)
```

```py
from mili.client import PanelClient
from mili.pixels import PixelGrid, Pixel
from asyncio import run

# ...or go a little deeper, and represent individual bits and bytes!
def binary_representation(number: int):
    if isinstance(number, int) is False: return "0"*256
    string = bin(number).split("0b")[-1]
    if len(string) >= 256: return "0"*256
    iterations = 256 - len(string)
    returned_string = ""
    for _ in range(iterations):
        returned_string += "0"
    returned_string += string
    return returned_string

async def __main():
    panel_client = PanelClient()

    while True:
        pixel_grid = PixelGrid()
        b_r = binary_representation(floor(time()))
        for index, i in enumerate(b_r):
            pixel_grid.set_pixel(index%16, index//16, Pixel.from_bool(int(i)))
        await panel_client.draw_to_panel(pixel_grid)

run(__main())
```