RGB Bluetooth LE light bulbs (a.k.a. “smart bulbs”) for household light sockets are really neat-o, allowing you to create custom lighting effects for your room. Typically, these are controlled with a mobile device app, but we think it’s much more fun to build our own custom remote, and use physical sliders to mix colors!
Using CircuitPython, running on the nRF52840-based Circuit Playground Bluefruit (CPB), makes it all possible. We can send the same commands over Bluetooth LE (BLE) from the CPB as you would normally from your mobile device, the proprietary MagicLight app, and a whole lot more!
We’ll harness the Circuit Playground Bluefruit board’s buttons, slide switch, on-board NeoPixels, and speaker to act as RGB color value indicators, connection state UI, two-position dimmer switch, and momentary light blinkers!
Plus, the guide includes an introduction to Understanding BLE, including GAP, GATT, peripherals, centrals, servers, clients, services, characteristics and more!
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Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!
Python for Microcontrollers – Adafruit Daily — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: Open Hardware is In, New CircuitPython and Pi 5 16GB, and much more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
EYE on NPI – Adafruit Daily — EYE on NPI Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey
