Connect and Program An OLED Stats Display For Your Raspberry Pi

[@MichaelKlements]

I have revised these instructions using Adafruit's newer CircuitPython libraries that also work on Raspberry Pi OS Bullseye - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooO3gmOEqL2Aq9k

[@bharattata]

Hey Michael, I get an error 'package 'python-smbus' has no installation candidate. Please help out

[@saeedalizaheer9421]

@@bharattata try python3-smbus instead, it worked for me

[@HansDeuze]

Thanks so much for your clear explanation of the process. Even a beginner pi user like me was able to make this work. Great to have people like you that take the time to teach us how to do things like this. Amazing!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks for the great feedback Hans!

[@robertschoening7769]

Extremely well done! I don't comment on many videos, but this one stands out as exceptional. Comprehensive, accurate, and succinct. Bravo! Thank you!!!!!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks Robert, appreciate the feedback!

[@sukantaroy3606]

Thanks sir you us to make a computer

[@spankadin5616]

Like this video? I love it! This video kept me from going down a crazy rabbit hole trying to figure out why I can't get micropython working and figuring out some random device address while trying to build random files I kept finding... THANKS!!!

[@johntham2726]

Work well with my pi B+ model, Thanks for the guide.

[@michaelurig3887]

I just put together the case and had an easy time doing it and getting the display to work. Problem is that the clear plastic on the fan side has the mini HDMI cutouts too small. Look at the white case as in the beginning of this video. I had to cut out some plastic to get the cord in enough to work. I am using the supplied cord from the Canakit. Tomorrow I plan on cutting it like the white case one. The video signal drops out every so often and had me thinking that a new Raspberry Pi didn't work correctly.. Other than that I really like the case, great job !!

[@TheRcEngineer]

Thank you my case turned out really beautifully, also I love to combine 3d printing and laser cutting.

[@doctorgreatengineer6834]

that raspberry pi case looks really pretty

[@MichaelKlements]

Thank you!

[@impulsewraith3419]

@@MichaelKlements will the display make my pi slower?

[@lacosadz6519]

@@impulsewraith3419 i add to my raspberry pi one oled .this work good without problems

[@impulsewraith3419]

@@lacosadz6519 thanks!

[@supreetyadav5021]

Great timings, my oled display would be delivered today only :o

[@DarkShadowSoul]

Great guide it really helped me make the display work. Also I was wondering is there anyway to get the stats display going if I have a SD card with Retro Station on it already?

[@MichaelKlements]

Some people have tried running it on different distributions with mixed success. If you've got the time to work through the error codes you can probably get it running on most linux distributions.

[@NoName-vg1gz]

Thanks once again for an really good tutorial.

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks Warren

[@dirky_blaine]

Just purchased a 52pi mini tower case for an old 3b+. Hoping this tutorial works with its oled screen as well.

[@PhilippEchteler]

Great success :-) thanks for the tutorial and the documentation. I had a hard time getting the crontab to work :-) my mistake was "sudo crontab -e" as I am used to sudo anything I do on a pi. you could mention that in case you ever do a update of the video.

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks for the tip, I'll include it in the next one.

[@michaelurig3887]

I just started learning about the Raspberry PI. I just ordered the case and display. Does it come with the ribbon cable ? And what color is the display ? Every time I watch KZbin I come across more cases and ideas. I can’t wait for this case. Thanks for the videos mate, lol

[@MichaelKlements]

Yes it comes with the ribbon cable as well. The display is white, like the one in the video. Thanks for the feedback and the support!

[@robertsimpson4693]

Very nice instructional again ! I purchased a couple of these and might jump into trying them with a small project. What TIME ZONE are you in Michael ? I'm Eastern Standard Time (EST) - Robert Simpson

[@MichaelKlements]

That's great, thanks for the support Robert! I'm in Sydney Australia, so GMT +10.

[@charbeldaher4448]

Hey MIchael! I've deployed OLED based on your instructions and worked flawlessly. I just have a doubt. On a shutdown, my RP keeps the display lit with stats showing. Is there something I could do on crontab to turn it off on the OS shutdown? Congrats for this great tutorial!

[@MichaelKlements]

As long as the display gets power it'll continue to display whatever was last received. You could try adding a script to run on shutdown that blanks out the display. Or try connecting the power supply to one of the GPIO pins and turning it off when shutting down - you'd need to look at how much power is being drawn by the display and make sure that the GPIO pins could handle it directly though (otherwise it might need an optocoupler or transistor). I usually just unplug the Pi after using it as the power needs to be cycled to boot it up again anyway (unless you've added a power button)

[@zk_6312]

Everything worked great. We'll, as far as programming the oled anyway. I used a Raspberry Pi Zero W. I tried this with both a 128x64 and also a 128x32 though I had to squish the lines closer together to get all 4 lines on the display. The IP address takes quite some time to show up though. By the way is the BORDER variable supposed to be there? It does not look like it is used anywhere.

[@MichaelKlements]

That's great, the 128x32 displays work well for more compact case designs as well. The IP address only shows up once it has been allocated on the network, so usually takes a few seconds longer than the other metrics. I think BORDER was used in one of the original scripts to prevent text from running off the edge of the display. It's not being used anymore so you could remove it.

[@jerededmons4313]

I wanted a white one sooo bad! But he didn't have any. I like the design with the panels having feet and white case. I'll have to get the design and print my own I guess

[@MichaelKlements]

There are white ones still available - www.etsy.com/au/listing/1003731463

[@workplayfun8640]

Mine are similar to white version and put PoE hat on the unit so less cable.

[@VocaloidFantasy]

Is there a way to do the same thing with RetroPie or Batocera to show the name of the game, console and other data on this OLED screen?

[@Dominik-zu1yn]

Thank you

[@fazle.elahi.tonmoy]

hello! Thanks for detailed instructions! I am having a trouble! at first following your step, everything worked totally fine! but when I updated raspbian, there is no longer anything shown on the display by default. I checked everything! I check whether anything in crontab has been changed, but there was all okay as per your instruction. but still this program does not run at startup! please help!

[@MichaelKlements]

I've had this happen on a Pi and it would only start working again once I replaced the crobtab file.

[@anthony1113]

Wow I really like that case. If you don’t mind me asking…what machines do you use 3D print and cut the side panels?

[@MichaelKlements]

I used an Ender 3 V2 3D printer for the case and a K40 laser cutter for the side panels.

[@bmidtgard]

Excellent tutorial for a (pi experienced) oled newbie. Just wonder about the CPU indicator. Even all cores running at full speed it shows single digit. So it is not percentage?

[@MichaelKlements]

I haven't noticed this on my Pi but I'll test it again and see. What are you using to run all four cores at full speed?

[@bmidtgard]

@@MichaelKlements Found that cpu percentage can be obtained by installing psutil package and use print(psutil.cpu_percent()) trying to incorporate it to show percentage on the display.:-)

[@bmidtgard]

import psutil c = str(psutil.cpu_percent()) c_filled = c.zfill(4) CPU = "Cpu: " + c_filled + "%" draw.text((x, top+18), CPU + " " + str(temp,'utf-8') , font=font, fill=255) ...did the trick :)

[@easybake_evan]

is it possible to put the SCL cable to a different pin? im currently using GPIO3 for a power button but im wondering if I could possibly use a different pin for that as well

[@MichaelKlements]

Unfortunately there is no easy way to do this, it's one of the limitations of the Pi and the reaosn I don't usually use a power button. The Pi has a second I2C port on pins 27 and 28, you could make use of this instead of the primary port. You'd need to use pull-up resistors on the clock and data pins, change the config file to turn on the port and adapt the code to use it.

[@lacosadz6519]

Thank you so much This Work perfect Mucha gracias otra vez

[@barge999]

When checking if the library’s are installed, python-smbus is not available, i2c-tools are installed but when I do the Adafruit one there is an error that says “command errored out with exit status 1” If anyone can help me please reply.

[@compuquak]

Any chance you can post an update to this ... using the waveshare 1.5 inch RGB OLED for a multi color stats display? I am fighting with the code, but am not a programmer. It would look fantastic on your case!!

[@MichaelKlements]

I'll have a look at the display you've mentioned, they generally require a re-write of most of the code

Hello I have followed the tutorial but white lines appear on my screen. when I start the script it appears that it is shown in the top line but after a short time it disappears. Thanks.

[@perlindholm4129]

Idea - Is there a text only screen for programming. One that can handle a terminal size resolution but no fancy graphics just very low power but not e-ink. The idea is that code is a function of input also. Switch input device and you feel some inspiration. New ideas.

[@MichaelKlements]

I’ve also thought about this previously, but I’ve never seen a display like this. I’m also not really sure how it would interface to the Pi, probably using SPI or I2C. People often have terminal displays for PiHole stats etc. and a text display would be perfect for this. Yeah e-ink ones are terrible for typing or text that changes often.

[@8404038868]

Hello, I make this project, but I want to see same info like disk but for my external drive (/dev/sda1). Can you tell me script? Thank you!

[@mafyuhh]

How would i get the disk to display the /dev/sda1 partition?

[@abdullaalmasum4945]

Can i do the same thing, except for my pc? Which will show realtime data like cpu/gpu load, ram status or maybe current temperature? Thanks 🍀

[@MichaelKlements]

I've made one that displays CPU load on a PC, it would be quite easy to adapt this for the other metrics as well - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaS2doabrNt9mZI

[@abdullaalmasum4945]

@@MichaelKlements Thank you so much man!!! Really appreciate that... ❤️❤️

[@duckdodgers2843]

Left a comment on your blog, but no idea if it posted so I'll leave it here. Thanks so much for making this follow up tutorial because I was having a little bit of trouble using the original one you created. I'm new to the world of R-PI and was extremely excited when cases arrived yesterday. Love your case by the way! I immediately got started using your tutorials and I have to say that everything worked great with the exception of the final step. It's probably my fault because I opted to use a direct path to the stats.py file in the example folder rather than placing it and the font file on the home screen. Nonetheless, I cannot get the script to auto run upon reboot. Alternatively, I did try it from the home screen as describe in your instructions and it still did not work. Any idea what could be wrong? The info and path I entered and saved in the crontab file was @reboot python3 /home/pi/Adafruit_Python_SSD1306/examples/stats.py & . Again, as I mentioned, I did try @reboot python3 /home/pi/stats.py & and placed the two files on the home screen, but it still did not work. Please help me figure out what's wrong. Thanks!

[@MichaelKlements]

Hi Rodney, Thanks for the feedback, it's great to hear that you're enjoying your case! crontab needs to be working in the correct root directory for that command to work. This sometimes fails if you've got other tasks scheduled as well. Do you have any other tasks in crontab or is that the only one? If you try run the command "python3 /home/pi/stats.py" from a new terminal window does it run?

[@duckdodgers2843]

@@MichaelKlements Thanks for getting back to me so quickly Michael. Upon trying the new instructions you provided, i.e. running the command "python3 /home/pi/stats.py" from a new terminal, I quickly realized the problem. I placed the files in the wrong location. They were on the desktop and not in /home/pi directory. UGH! Your tutorial is flawless! Thanks again for helping me figure the problem. Everything is working great now. Off to put together my second case.

[@MichaelKlements]

That’s great, I’m glad you’ve managed to get it working!

[@GAMINGJR1210PD]

Can you do all of this thru just the raspberry lite version or would you need the gui?

[@MichaelKlements]

You can do it on the lite version as well, you don't need the gui

[@GAMINGJR1210PD]

Could I do it just thru ssh?

[@disasterincarnate]

wonder if its worth having indentations on the top the same shape as the feet on the bottom so they stack on top of each other and wont move around?

[@MichaelKlements]

I've thought about doing this as a sort of "stack" case arrangement, it would definitely look cool!

[@Fall3n_Archon]

Hi Michael! I've followed your tutorial to the letter, and I'm presented with the following error when trying to run the stats.py command: Runtime Error: Could not determine platform. Any idea what might be going on? The I2C display is connected and detectable, and the setup went swimmingly up to that point, but won't display anything when I try and run the command.

[@MichaelKlements]

What is the command you're using to run the script? This usually occurs if the platform you're trying to run the script in either does not exist or is not up to date - python3 in this case

[@LorenzoDeSousa]

hey, do you know how to delay the boot (start up of a pi) have one that mounts a nas as storage but the pi boots up faster than the nas and doesn't auto mount the drive, thanks to load shedding this happens quite often. any help would be appreciated. .. and thanks for the great content so far.

[@MichaelKlements]

I've never specifically tried to delay the bootup of a Pi. You could try something like this - raspberrypi.stackexchange.com/questions/33037/how-to-add-delay-at-boot Otherwise you'd probably be better off adding a physical delay timer circuit on the power supply to the Pi to only power it up after a few seconds or minutes as required.

[@LorenzoDeSousa]

@@MichaelKlements thanks much appreciated ill give it stab.

[@dloc116]

Would love to know how to get it to display other information like hash rate from mining software

[@MichaelKlements]

As long as the mining software makes the information available in some form you can just modify the display's script to read it and display it. It really depends on the mining software being used.

[@kingkonork2641]

Is posible to use this on Retropie? I tried lots of tutorials and just get the : ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'PIL'

[@MichaelKlements]

RetroPie is missing a number of libraries and dependencies, so you can't just follow these instructions. Some people have told me that they've been able to get it to run on Retropie by working through the errors, but I haven't tried myself.

[@LeroyAnderson91]

Is it possible to get the display working while using recalbox with the pi?

[@MichaelKlements]

It should be possible, but would probably require some extra steps to get the libraries and dependencies working.

[@chia_se_moi_thu]

Hello! i have a pi4, running home assistant, can i do this with home assistant? thanks

[@MichaelKlements]

You should be able to get it running, but you'll probably need to install some missing libraries/dependencies. I've never tried it with Home Assistant.

[@tom74gt90]

Thank you for the amazing project! Mine seems to work pretty well. But after a short time the script stops working (the Display freezes). I couldn´t find the cause for this problem. Had anybody else the same expirience?

[@MichaelKlements]

It might be a communication error that causes it to lock up. Try adding a try, except rule to the communication with the display and see if that helps.

[@emrepehlivn]

Is it possible to also use a rasperby with home assistant installed?

[@MichaelKlements]

You'll probably need to do some additional setup to get the display to work with home assistant, but you can certainly use the case.

[@emrepehlivn]

@@MichaelKlements which setups. like in the video ?

[@thegill44]

How is the display mounted ? I can see some brackets but it's not very clear.

[@MichaelKlements]

I'd suggest watching the build video for the case, this one was intended more for the wiring and programming of the display - kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6TFkK2rfaygj5Y

[@thegill44]

@@MichaelKlements Thanks !

[@jsnotlout3312]

Do you think, with a little fiddling I could get this to work on Ubuntu?

[@MichaelKlements]

I don't think you'll be able to get the GPIO pins to work but you could give it a try

[@jsnotlout3312]

@@MichaelKlements I will,

[@jsnotlout3312]

@@MichaelKlements I got the GPIO pins to show up, I'm in the process of trying to get the screen drivers working. I'm amazed I was able to get raspi-config to work on ubuntu

[@billtash9171]

will this also work in the retropie OS?

[@MichaelKlements]

You can get it working but you'll need to add the missing dependencies and libraries. I haven't tried this myself, I just know of others who have tried.

[@ricardolopes5486]

Is this possible to add on a raspberry pi running home assistant ?

[@MichaelKlements]

You'll probably need to install any missing libraries or dependencies but should be able to get it to work.

[@mibrahim4245]

what an elegant design !! .. if you add a PID controller to the fan vs temperature, it would be great :D

[@MichaelKlements]

That would be great!

[@АлексейИванов-ф9ы]

Hello! Can anyone help me? Cpu indication does not work. On the original script and on the autor changed script. There: "CPU Load: 0.00 52.3'C" on the oled screen. 0.00 value is not changing. I have Raspberry Pi 4 b 4Gb. Many times I checked this scripts. Sorry for my bad English.

[@MichaelKlements]

Does the default script provided in the Adafruit examples folder not work either?

[@АлексейИванов-ф9ы]

@@MichaelKlements Yes. This script stats.py, from the original Adafruit lirary, do not show me persentage value of CPU Load. It 0.00 on the oled screen, but sometines it may be 1.00 or 2.00 rarely.

[@MichaelKlements]

What operating system are you running on the Pi? I've never heard anyone have issues with the example script's CPU percentage not working, it's typically the IP address.

[@sergii96]

@@MichaelKlements The same happens to me. I also have problems with the percentage of charge, it always marks me 99% and charging type c even though it is not connected and with little battery. Also in a while the screen freezes and does not update anything. I have reviewed and have done exactly the same as in your videos :(

[@АлексейИванов-ф9ы]

@@MichaelKlements I'm using an original latest Raspberry Pi OS, downloaded by Raspberry Pi Imager v.1.6.2

[@soliloquy_shade]

So I've been trying to get this to work for the last two hours, but I absolutely cannot get the display to actually display anything other than loads of dots and gibberish. I'm still on the correct OS (background image is the same as the one in the video), the display is wired correctly (triple checked and even rewired it through a breadboard to be absolute sure), made sure absolutely everything possible was downloaded and updated, the display lights up and animates, and everything else should be fine. However, it's just not working. I'd love any help you can think of (except an OS change, it's a 2gb model and Buster is...... not great for them (it works, but it isn't optimized and the RAM isn't happy with it, based on a couple other Pi creators reviews))

[@MichaelKlements]

Try following the instructions for Bullseye, the newer software for the display is still compatible with Buster as well.

[@KR-pj6ol]

followed the method as shown in the video , but didnt work whenever i run the script error popping up

[@MichaelKlements]

If you are using OS Bullseye then try my revised video

[@cybrhare8082]

sudo apt-get install python-smbus no longer seems to work. Are there any alternatives?

[@MichaelKlements]

You're probably not entering the correct command, it should still work, try - sudo apt-get install -y python-smbus

[@C-ih8dw]

@@MichaelKlements it does not work for me too? Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree... Done Reading state information... Done Package python-smbus is not available, but is referred to by another package. This may mean that the package is missing, has been obsoleted, or is only available from another source E: Package 'python-smbus' has no installation candidate

[@rdp8545]

I was so close with the latest 64bit Kali Linux version for Raspberry Pi 4B 8GB then I got the following message. Does anyone know if they have been able to get it to work with Kali? : This script configures your Raspberry Pi and installs Blinka RASPBERRY_PI_4B detected. Blinka Exiting due to error: Sorry, the OS detected was Kali. This script currently only runs on Raspberry Pi OS.

[@MichaelKlements]

You might get some better answers asking this on Adafruit's (the library owner/maintainer) forums. They should be able to point you in the right direction.

[@kionmahuermicio9860]

These commands works on Beaglebone as well?

[@MichaelKlements]

I've never tried a Beaglebone, depending on how stripped down the Linux distribution is, some might work.

[@kionmahuermicio9860]

@@MichaelKlements Thanks for your reply, it's running Debian distribution.

[@sad_rasta]

When I start the script I get an error that the module RPi was not found?

[@MichaelKlements]

Check that you've got all of the libraries and modules installed, there is a link to a written guide in the video description.

[@paraducks314]

does this work if you are running ubuntu?

[@MichaelKlements]

There will probably be a few missing libraries or dependencies that you'll need to install/correct. I haven't tried running it on Ubuntu.

[@rukiry.zxo2]

When I launch “ apt-get install python-smbus” I have a “no installation canidate”

[@MichaelKlements]

Which OS are you running? I've updated these instructions for Pi OS Bullseye recently - kzbin.info/www/bejne/ooO3gmOEqL2Aq9k

[@jarredtol]

i cant find any examples for 8pin 1.3 oled i2c displays

[@MichaelKlements]

Try searching for SPI instead of I2C, I think these are the ones you're referring to

[@jarredtol]

@@MichaelKlements the driver defaults to i2c unless you bridge the Spi connections on the back

[@jarredtol]

@@MichaelKlements I actually figured it out I didn’t realize it defaulted to 0x3C when mine is 0x3D

[@mibrahim4245]

another thing, "might be dumb" .. but why don't you make the holes for the ethernet an USB from the back side? and then only the oled will be at the front ...

[@MichaelKlements]

I guess it’s just personnel preference, I like having the USB ports on the front so it’s easier to plug in devices. I’ve got a version of the case with the ports on the back too.

[@mibrahim4245]

@@MichaelKlements can you plz share the link with the one with ports on the back? Thanks 🌹

[@mibrahim4245]

@@MichaelKlements found them, plz ignore

[@beenwastaken]

can someone send the completed script because ive tried this and its not working :(

[@MichaelKlements]

Which part isn’t working?

[@therealhilton5565]

How much is this little computer tower, totally??? Thank you

[@MichaelKlements]

Probably around $100 for all of the parts and materials, depending on which Pi you get.

[@therealhilton5565]

No way, Hold up!!! The whole box,fan,memory,cords and LED screen. Config.and ready to charge up and basically ready to use?? Is there a warranty,or were up demo how to build it DIY??Cuz I watched two of your vids,congrats btw they're very throughout,clear and educating...... Just one thing you started out with an accent then you went to speak in English but really fast I'm sure a lot to get in the video maybe a little slower for us dummies LOL I'm self-taught uncertain towers and programs. Hopefully I didn't misunderstand your email but you can respond any time thank you better cuz I want One. ...If you could help a struggling ole guy out,it seems like everything I buy breaks before I use it,or only last a very short time. ✌️btw im aka Paxo.

[@EktvWcksvn]

long live klements!!!

[@priyank1086]

Just thinking about this

[@adhancock79]

8:52 "Inverted commas", huh? 😂 Try "single quotation marks". Or just 'single quotes'

[@bronxscalper7731]

michael klement,ur fakin COOL DUDE !!!

[@MichaelKlements]

Thanks Bronx!

[@gooberminther3tik25]

Consider moving the monitor into the next room. Make it a real challenge to see what you're entering on command line. A waste of my time when suffering to resolve this critical issue.

[@indigen205]

i hate when something is DEPRECATED in 5 month...

[@antonnikolaev3027]

Has been grounded

[@targs3574]

Please this is so out of date you either should update it so that it can be used as a guide again or remove it so that it does not have people totally screwing things up like I have just spent the last couple of hours following this and finding out that its not any point so much has errors in it.. waste of time

[@targs3574]

ok my bad I only just saw above after I posted (sad face sorry)

[@Negan_Games710]

I have this case folks skip over it. It's cheap garbage. On top of that this a terrible instructional video cant even see the code you typing Mr. "By typing in this code here.", I couldn't personally see anything you were doing also mine didnt even have the lil feet this case is a total McDonalds situation. Looks fire on tv, but is crap in person

[@worlukk]

i bought one. mine was pretty nice.

[@Slider-Man]

anyone know how to get this to work on RecalBox, ive spend the last 6hours or so trying to follow a out of date guide it seems and i cant not get it to work and its a pain in the butt quite honestly

[@MdSiam-kw5ox]

Check the pull request in your repository: github.com/mklements/OLED_Stats

[@MichaelKlements]

I've merged the pull request, thanks for your work on this!