Having been inspired by this Blinky Tape blog post by the FT engineering team I thought I’d try to use mine to display some useful information. In this case how the trains and tube are running. So I’ve come up with a couple of python scripts (tested on a Raspberry Pi B+ but should work on other systems if you change the serial port name from /dev/ttyACM0).
Tube
The tube line status indicator uses the fantastic TfL API to get the standard set of statuses (underground, overground, wombling DLR) and displays them with official colours on the tape. The LEDs are static if normal service is occurring and flash if there is any disruption…
Trains
The main line trains indicator uses my Huxley project to access the National Rail live departure boards. Some calculations are performed and if there is disruption to the configured route or trains then the tape gently throbs red…
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Each Friday is PiDay here at Adafruit! Be sure to check out our posts, tutorials and new Raspberry Pi related products. Adafruit has the largest and best selection of Raspberry Pi accessories and all the code & tutorials to get you up and running in no time!