[How To] Using the Argon One case for the Pi 4B together with piCorePlayer (7.x)

[carsten_h]

Hello!

In this little How To I will describe what is necessary to use the Fan and the Power button of the Argon One Case for the Raspberry Pi 4B together with a piCorePLayer (7.x) installation.

I assume that the Raspberry Pi 4B is installed inside the case and piCorePlayer (7.x) is installed. Also you know the IP-address or the name of this Pi.

For the first step we need to login to the Pi via ssh. This can be done on the Mac with the normal Terminal.app or on a Windows PC with eg. putty. I will describe her only the way to get to the Pi for a Mac.
So start the Terminal.app, then input:

ssh [email protected]<IP or name of the Pi>

(without the "<" and ">"!)
You will then be asked for the password of the user "tc" which is "piCore" if you didn't change it.

Then we create the daemon file which is later used to watch for the temperature and for the Power button presses:

vi argononed.py

Once it is started (you see only a few lines with "~" and at the end the filename and a few other things) you press "i".

Then you change back to this browser window and select the text of the following python file:

#!/usr/bin/python
import smbus
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import os
import time
from threading import Thread
rev = GPIO.RPI_REVISION
bus = smbus.SMBus(1)
GPIO.setwarnings(False)
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
shutdown_pin=4
GPIO.setup(shutdown_pin, GPIO.IN,  pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_DOWN)
def shutdown_check():
	while True:
		pulsetime = 1
		GPIO.wait_for_edge(shutdown_pin, GPIO.RISING)
		time.sleep(0.01)
		while GPIO.input(shutdown_pin) == GPIO.HIGH:
			time.sleep(0.01)
			pulsetime += 1
		if pulsetime >=2 and pulsetime <=3:
			os.system("pcp rb")
		elif pulsetime >=4 and pulsetime <=5:
			os.system("pcp sd")
def get_fanspeed(tempval, configlist):
	for curconfig in configlist:
		curpair = curconfig.split("=")
		tempcfg = float(curpair[0])
		fancfg = int(float(curpair[1]))
		if tempval >= tempcfg:
			return fancfg
	return 0
def load_config(fname):
	newconfig = []
	try:
		with open(fname, "r") as fp:
			for curline in fp:
				if not curline:
					continue
				tmpline = curline.strip()
				if not tmpline:
					continue
				if tmpline[0] == "#":
					continue
				tmppair = tmpline.split("=")
				if len(tmppair) != 2:
					continue
				tempval = 0
				fanval = 0
				try:
					tempval = float(tmppair[0])
					if tempval < 0 or tempval > 100:
						continue
				except:
					continue
				try:
					fanval = int(float(tmppair[1]))
					if fanval < 0 or fanval > 100:
						continue
				except:
					continue
				newconfig.append( "{:5.1f}={}".format(tempval,fanval))
		if len(newconfig) > 0:
			newconfig.sort(reverse=True)
	except:
		return []
	return newconfig
def temp_check():
	address=0x1a
	prevblock=0
	while True:
		fanconfig = ["65=100", "60=55", "57=30", "55=10", "30=0"]
		tmpconfig = load_config("/home/tc/argononed.conf")
		if len(tmpconfig) > 0:
			fanconfig = tmpconfig
		temp = os.popen("vcgencmd measure_temp").readline()
		temp = temp.replace("temp=","")
		val = float(temp.replace("'C",""))
		block = get_fanspeed(val, fanconfig)
		if block < prevblock:
			time.sleep(30)
		prevblock = block
		try:
			bus.write_byte(address,block)
		except IOError:
			temp=""
		time.sleep(30)
try:
	t1 = Thread(target = shutdown_check)
	t2 = Thread(target = temp_check)
	t1.start()
	t2.start()
except:	
	t1.stop()
	t2.stop()
	GPIO.cleanup()

Then you press "Command-C" (on the PC it would be "Control-C") and change back to the Terminal.app window.
There you simply press "Command-V" (on the PC it would be "Control-V").
Now you should see the python file inside your editor.
Now press "ESC", then ":wq"

Then we create the fan configuration file which is later used to control at which temperature the fan should be set to which fan speed:

vi argononed.conf

Once it is started (you see only a few lines with "~" and at the end the filename and a few other things) you press "i".

Then you change back to this browser window and select the text of the following configuration file:

#
# Argon One Fan Configuration
#
# List below the temperature (Celsius) and fan speed (in percent) pairs
# Use the following form:
# min.temperature=speed
#
# Example:
# 30=0
# 55=10
# 57=30
# 60=55
# 65=100
#
# NOTE: Lines beginning with # are ignored
#
# Start below:
30=0
55=10
57=30
60=55
65=100

Then you press "Command-C" (on the PC it would be "Control-C") and change back to the Terminal.app window.
There you simply press "Command-V" (on the PC it would be "Control-V").
Now you should see the python file inside your editor.
Now press "ESC", then ":wq"

You can now close the Terminal.app, as you have done everything that is needed to be done on the shell.

If you want you can change the temperatures and the corresponding percent values of the fan in the configuration file.
You have there the temperature in °C and after the "=" the percent value of the fan. You can experiment with them.

Now all other things have to be done in a browser, so open one and input:

http://<IP or name of your Pi>

(without the "<" and ">"!)

On the piCorePlayer page chose "Main":


At the bottom of the page chose "Beta":


Then chose "Extensions":


On the following page wait until all the five green checkmarks appear and then chose "Available":


There you have to chose first:
rpi-vc.tcz
then press on "Load", then you have to chose:
i2c-tools.tcz
then press on "Load", then you have to chose:
python3.8-rpi-gpio.tcz
then press "Load" again, then you have to chose:
python3.8-smbus.tcz
then press "Load" again.

If some of these extension are already installed, it is OK, you don't have to load them again.

Then you have to chose "Tweaks" at the top:


Read further in the next message.

[carsten_h]

On that page input the following "User Commands" into the appropriate fields:

User Command #1: modprobe i2c-dev
User Command #2: python3 /home/tc/argononed.py

And now press "Save" (at this place the argononed.py script and the argononed.conf file are also saved to the bootdevice):


Now "Reboot" via the Main page and now everything should be working:


Short press (ca. 3 seconds) of the Power button: Shutdown
Double press of the Power button: Reboot
Long press of the Power button: Hard switching the Pi off

The fan should be working also, when the temperature reaches the values of the table in the python script/the configuration file if there is one.

If you later make changes to the script argononed.py or to the argononed.conf file, you have to use the button "Backup" on the Main page again, to save the changes to your bootdevice!


If you make changes to the argononed.conf file, they will be loaded after 30 seconds and you will hear the changes in fanspeed directly.

Here is one addition of @chill:
If you want that every time the Shutdown or the Reboot is done via the power button the actual configuration of piCorePlayer is saved, you can change theses lines at the beginning of the argononed.py script:

def shutdown_check():
	while True:
		pulsetime = 1
		GPIO.wait_for_edge(shutdown_pin, GPIO.RISING)
		time.sleep(0.01)
		while GPIO.input(shutdown_pin) == GPIO.HIGH:
			time.sleep(0.01)
			pulsetime += 1
		if pulsetime >=2 and pulsetime <=3:
			os.system("pcp rb")
		elif pulsetime >=4 and pulsetime <=5:
			os.system("pcp sd")

into:

def shutdown_check():
	while True:
		pulsetime = 1
		GPIO.wait_for_edge(shutdown_pin, GPIO.RISING)
		time.sleep(0.01)
		while GPIO.input(shutdown_pin) == GPIO.HIGH:
			time.sleep(0.01)
			pulsetime += 1
		if pulsetime >=2 and pulsetime <=3:
			os.system("pcp br")
		elif pulsetime >=4 and pulsetime <=5:
			os.system("pcp bs")

[mherger]

[How To] Using the Argon One case for thePi 4B together with piCorePlayer (7.x)

> In this little How To I will describe what is necessary to use the Fan
> and the Power button of the Argon One Case for the Raspberry Pi 4B
> together with a piCorePLayer (7.x) installation.

You should try to get this on docs.picoreplayer.org. See

https://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?112996-piCorePlayer-Documentation

--

Michael

[carsten_h]

You should try to get this on docs.picoreplayer.org.

Oh, yes that‘s a good idea! Thank you!
I will try,

[rgro]

Hi Carsten,

I think I screwed something up, but I'm pretty sure I know what I did.

Is there any way I can delete everything and start over?? Also, if I have the extensions already loaded, and user commands already saved, do I need to delete them, too.

Also, when I try again and think it's all done, and picCorePlayer is rebooted, etc., is there any way to verify via SSH that everything installed correctly?

Thanks.

[carsten_h]

is there any way to verify via SSH that everything installed correctly?

You can try to call "sudo modprobe i2c-dev" on the shell. Normally there should nothing be seen. If there is something missing, I would expect an error.

But I found an error I think, the second command should be "sudo python3 /home/tc/argononed.py". I don't know why I had it working without "sudo".

So, if you call this second command also nothing should be visible and it should not come back to the prompt. If you press "Control-c" then, there should be this message:
"Exception ignored in sys.unraisablehook: <built-in function unraisablehook>
KeyboardInterrupt" and you should be back at the prompt.

You can also try if the temperature measurement is working by calling: "sudo vcgencmd measure_temp"
You should get back something like: "temp=42.8'C".

You can look if the file argononed.py is existing with "ll", there should be this line shown: "-rw-r--r-- 1 tc staff 2288 Dec 11 12:20 argononed.py".
And if you call "cat argononed.py" you should see the contents of the file like it is shown in the first post here.

That's all I can think of in the moment.

[rgro]

You can try to call "sudo modprobe i2c-dev" on the shell. Normally there should nothing be seen. If there is something missing, I would expect an error.

But I found an error I think, the second command should be "sudo python3 /home/tc/argononed.py". I don't know why I had it working without "sudo".

So, if you call this second command also nothing should be visible and it should not come back to the prompt. If you press "Control-c" then, there should be this message:
"Exception ignored in sys.unraisablehook: <built-in function unraisablehook>
KeyboardInterrupt" and you should be back at the prompt.

You can also try if the temperature measurement is working by calling: "sudo vcgencmd measure_temp"
You should get back something like: "temp=42.8'C".

You can look if the file argononed.py is existing with "ll", there should be this line shown: "-rw-r--r-- 1 tc staff 2288 Dec 11 12:20 argononed.py".
And if you call "cat argononed.py" you should see the contents of the file like it is shown in the first post here.

That's all I can think of in the moment.

Hi Carsten,

Thanks again. I tried the first four things and here is what I got:

1.) [email protected]:~$ sudo modprobe i2c-dev YES, NOTHING SEEN.

2.) [email protected]:~$ sudo python3 /home/tc/argononed.py
File "/home/tc/argononed.py", line 102
while True:
^
IndentationError: unexpected indent

3.) [email protected]:~$ ^C NOTHING HAPPENED.

4.) [email protected]:~$ sudo vcgencmd measure_temp THIS SEEMS FINE.
temp=36.5'C

5.) Then, I typed in "cat argonone.py" and see this:

[email protected]:~$ cat argononed.py
i
#!/usr/bin/python
import smbus
import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
import os
import time
from threading import Thread
rev = GPIO.RPI_REVISION
if rev == 2 or rev == 3:
bus = smbus.SMBus(1)
else:
bus = smbus.SMBus(0)
GPIO.setwarnings(False)
GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)
shutdown_pin=4
GPIO.setup(shutdown_pin, GPIO.IN, pull_up_down=GPIO.PUD_DOWN)
def shutdown_check():
while True:
pulsetime = 1
GPIO.wait_for_edge(shutdown_pin, GPIO.RISING)
time.sleep(0.01)
while GPIO.input(shutdown_pin) == GPIO.HIGH:
time.sleep(0.01)
pulsetime += 1
if pulsetime >=2 and pulsetime <=3:
os.system("pcp rb")
elif pulsetime >=4 and pulsetime <=5:
os.system("pcp sd")
def get_fanspeed(tempval, configlist):
for curconfig in configlist:
curpair = curconfig.split("=")
tempcfg = float(curpair[0])
fancfg = int(float(curpair[1]))
if tempval >= tempcfg:
return fancfg
return 0
def load_config(fname):
newconfig = []
try:
with open(fname, "r") as fp:
for curline in fp:
if not curline:
continue
tmpline = curline.strip()
if not tmpline:
continue
if tmpline[0] == "#":
continue
tmppair = tmpline.split("=")
if len(tmppair) != 2:
continue
tempval = 0
fanval = 0
try:
tempval = float(tmppair[0])
if tempval < 0 or tempval > 100:
continue
except:
continue
try:
fanval = int(float(tmppair[1]))
if fanval < 0 or fanval > 100:
continue
except:
continue
newconfig.append( "{:5.1f}={}".format(tempval,fanval))
if len(newconfig) > 0:
newconfig.sort(reverse=True)
except:
return []
return newconfig
def temp_check():
fanconfig = ["65=100", "60=55", "57=30", "55=10", "30=0"]
tmpconfig = load_config("etc/argononed.conf")
if len(tmpconfig) > 0:
fanconfig = tmpconfig
address=0x1a
prevblock=0
while True:
temp = os.popen("vcgencmd measure_temp").readline()
temp = temp.replace("temp=","")
val = float(temp.replace("'C",""))
block = get_fanspeed(val, fanconfig)
if block < prevblock:
time.sleep(30)
prevblock = block
try:
bus.write_byte(address,block)
except IOError:
temp=""
time.sleep(30)
try:
t1 = Thread(target = shutdown_check)
t2 = Thread(target = temp_check)
t1.start()
t2.start()
except:
t1.stop()
t2.stop()
GPIO.cleanup()
ck=0
while True:
temp = os.popen("vcgencmd measure_temp").readline()
temp = temp.replace("temp=","")
val = float(temp.replace("'C",""))
block = get_fanspeed(val, fanconfig)
if block < prevblock:
time.sleep(30)
prevblock = block
try:
bus.write_byte(address,block)
except IOError:
temp=""
time.sleep(30)
try:
t1 = Thread(target = shutdown_check)
t2 = Thread(target = temp_check)
t1.start()
t2.start()
except:
t1.stop()
t2.stop()
GPIO.cleanup()
- argononed.py 100/100 100%

[email protected]:~$


I tried to type in "||" (two vertical bars), but it didn't accept this command. Maybe it's not supposed to be vertical bars???

[email protected]:~$ ||
-sh: syntax error: unexpected "||"


Finally, to check and see if I could change the fan settings, I typed in "fanconfig", but this is what came back. What am I doing wrong?

[email protected]:~$ fanconfig
-sh: fanconfig: not found


So, maybe it looks like things are more o.k. than I thought??

Cheers

[carsten_h]

2.) [email protected]:~$ sudo python3 /home/tc/argononed.py
File "/home/tc/argononed.py", line 102
while True:
^
IndentationError: unexpected indent

That looks like the file is not correctly on the Pi. Maybe putty is handling things other than the Terminal.app on the Mac and strips or changes some characters (TAB in spaces).

The other possibility to get that file into the Pi is to use WinSCP. Do you know how to handle this?
The login is the same as in putty and you normally get a two pane view where you copy a file from one side to the other.

I tried to type in "||" (two vertical bars), but it didn't accept this command. Maybe it's not supposed to be vertical bars???

No, these are two l (lowercase L). :-)

[rgro]

That looks like the file is not correctly on the Pi. Maybe putty is handling things other than the Terminal.app on the Mac and strips or changes some characters (TAB in spaces).

The other possibility to get that file into the Pi is to use WinSCP. Do you know how to handle this?
The login is the same as in putty and you normally get a two pane view where you copy a file from one side to the other.



No, these are two l (lowercase L). :-)

Heheh...I thought I might've got that wrong.

O.K...I got WinSCP installed and saw that there were two different python files installed, so I deleted both and will try to get that file installed from Argon. Will let you know...

[rgro]

O.K. I tried again. All of the commands you suggested:

1.) [email protected]:~$ sudo modprobe i2c-dev YES, NOTHING SEEN.

2.) [email protected]:~$ sudo python3 /home/tc/argononed.py NOTHING SEEN

4.) [email protected]:~$ sudo vcgencmd measure_temp THIS SEEMS FINE.
temp=35.5'C

5.) I typed in "cat argonone.py" and see the contents of the file.

6. [email protected]:~$ ll and now see the following:
total 12
-rw-r--r-- 1 tc staff 2288 Jan 1 17:23 argononed.py
-rwxr-xr-x 1 tc staff 2135 Dec 23 08:15 pcp-powerbutton.sh
-rwxr-xr-x 1 tc staff 713 Dec 23 08:15 powerscript.sh

Do you think everything is o.k., now???

I found that I could change and save the fan configuration values using the WinSCP editor. I double clicked on the argononed.py file, opened it, changed the fan and temp values, and saved. Is that an acceptable way to experiment with different the different temperature triggers and fan speeds??

[carsten_h]

Do you think everything is o.k., now???

It looks good!

I found that I could change and save the fan configuration values using the WinSCP editor. I double clicked on the argononed.py file, opened it, changed the fan and temp values, and saved. Is that an acceptable way to experiment with different the different temperature triggers and fan speeds??

Yes, that is OK. To test if the fan starts use a temperature below the actual Pi temperature and set the percent value to something higher than 0. You have to reboot after the change!
If you hear the fan running after the reboot, you know that it works.

Also you can press the power button for 3-4 seconds and the Pi should make a graceful shutdown. You will see that the red LED will switch off and then the Pi is switched off. Also you can double click the power button and then the Pi will make a reboot. The last thing you can make with the power button is to press ist for longer than 5-6 seconds, but you shouldn't really test it because this will make a hard switch off of the Pi.

[rgro]

It looks good!



Yes, that is OK. To test if the fan starts use a temperature below the actual Pi temperature and set the percent value to something higher than 0. You have to reboot after the change!
If you hear the fan running after the reboot, you know that it works.

Also you can press the power button for 3-4 seconds and the Pi should make a graceful shutdown. You will see that the red LED will switch off and then the Pi is switched off. Also you can double click the power button and then the Pi will make a reboot. The last thing you can make with the power button is to press ist for longer than 5-6 seconds, but you shouldn't really test it because this will make a hard switch off of the Pi.

Hmmm...I used the WinSCP editor, set the temperature at 25 and the fan to 100%, saved, and checked that the change was still there prior to ending the WinSCP session. Then I rebooted piCorePlayer and the change did not survive the reboot. The values reverted to the default which is this.

fanconfig = ["65=100", "60=55", "57=30", "55=10", "30=0"]

Needless to say, I am stumped.

[Paul Webster]

pCP does not save things to disk unless you tell it to.
Make your changes again and try
pcp br
(pcp backup and reboot)
If that still does not preserve your changes then you need to tell pCP to include your files in its backup set ... and I expect there is a How To for that in the pCP documentation site.

[carsten_h]

If that still does not preserve your changes then you need to tell pCP to include your files in its backup set ... and I expect there is a How To for that in the pCP documentation site.

The files in the home directory are saved as far as I know.

But I forgot to mention the backup in my HowTo. I will add it later.

[paul-]

Running in Ram.....It's a blessing and a curse.