Static paper or plastic conference badges are so 20th century. Today, enterprising manufacturers can choose from a variety of microcontroller / screen combinations and program them to display what they like. The Raspberry Pi’s RP2040 chip is becoming the best processor for these interactive badges. Pimoroni’s latest RP2040 board, the Tufty 2040, features a full-color 2.4-inch IPS display instead of the company’s 2.9-inch e-paper screen. Badger 2040..
The $ 28 Tufty 2040 is more than just a wearable display with the power of Pi Silicon behind it. It also functions as an iOT device, allowing you to display sensor outputs and photos from a comfortable desk.One Best RP2040 board Although available for purchase, the only serious flaw in the Tufty 2040 is the lack of an official chassis. This will Design your own 3D print case Keep the LiPo battery safe all day long to keep it and at meetings.
Toughty 2040 specifications
| SoC | RP2040 (dual arm CortexM0 + operating up to 133Mhz with 264kB SRAM) |
| screen | 2.4 inch ST7789v color IPS LCD display (320 x 240 pixels) |
| Storage | 8MB QSPI flash with XiP support |
| GPIO | 5 user buttons |
| Phototransistor (optical sensor) | |
| Qw / ST (Qwiic / Stemma QT) connector | |
| I2C, UART, SWD breakout | |
| Power | USB C (data and power) |
| JST-PH connector (3-5.5V) via 3 x AAA or LiPo | |
| size | 65.20 x 52.70 mm |
Uses toughty 2040
The Tufty 2040 behaves like any other RP2040-based board. It can be programmed using C ++ or Pimoroni’s custom MicroPython firmware. There is currently no specific CircuitPython release, but you can add support for the ST7789 display after installing the Raspberry Pi Pico version.
In our review, we stuck to Pimoroni’s MicroPython bundle and first used the company’s pre-installed demo to investigate how the Tufty 2040 works. If all you need is a cool meeting badge, you don’t have to deviate from the example provided. We were able to bring the badge to the manufacturer’s event and quickly captivate fellow participants with examples of retro badges and wavy messages.
The 2.4-inch IPS display is bright and clear, with a series of buttons and phototransistors on the sides.
During use, you can quickly refresh the screen, as the wavy message feature shows. .. The message scrolled smoothly and sharply across the screen as Pimoroni’s PicoGraphicsMicroPython module did the short task of displaying an image on a 2.4-inch IPS display. It’s much easier to program than the Badger 2040, which requires a conversion script.
The buttons are widely spaced and clearly labeled so you can manage your meeting badges. On the back there are two buttons: power and boot / USR. The boot button is used to set the board to boot loader mode and is required to flush the new firmware to the toughty 2040. Obviously, power is used to turn the board on and off. Unfortunately there is no reset button, but you can live on Power alone.
Tested portmanteau onboard Qw / ST connector SparkFun Qwiic and Adafruit Stemma QT connectors.. Qw / ST is basically just an I2C connection that works with compatible add-on boards.
Tufty 2040 was tested with a BME688 temperature sensor. I took the current temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity data and modified the retro badge example to display this data. It didn’t take long to do this. This promoted it from a simple badge to a small data collection and display device, all wrapped in a neat package with a great screen.
If the sensor is compatible with MicroPython and Raspberry PiPico, it can be used with the Tufty 2040. Pimoroni has the following options: Module and MicroPython example Easy to use. If the sensor isn’t listed there, you can use the PyPi and Python communities to procure alternative modules.
This will advance support for CircuitPython. Currently, there is no custom CircuitPython release for Tufty2040. You can install the RaspberryPiPico firmware, but ST7789 screen support is currently not available. Normally, this screen uses SPI as an interface, but in the case of Tufty 2040, it is connected via a parallel bus. So, for now, CircuitPython support isn’t exactly equivalent to MicroPython.
The onboard JST-PH connector is for use with 3x AAA or LiPo batteries. The Tufty 2040 does not have a built-in charging circuit for LiPo, so you will need to use a battery charger such as the TP4056 or Pimoroni’s LiPo Amigo. I used LiPo Amigo to charge a 1,000mAh LiPo battery. The battery was usable for 5 hours at the manufacturer’s event and for a few more hours after I got home. Your mileage may vary depending on how hard the Toughty 2040 is working.
Who is Toughty 2040 for?
The target market is manufacturers / creators who want to promote conference badge games from ePaper or LCD to IPS LCD. But this is more than just a trick pony. The Qw / ST connector opens up a world of sensors and add-ons that you can use to add functionality.
Our Tufty 2040 has become an indoor sensor platform with relatively little work. With a little more time and ingenuity, manufacturers can push the toughness 2040 to the limit. A game of fate?
Conclusion
Toughty 2040 is fun.We love Badger 2040However, the Tufty 2040 enhances the game with a sophisticated form factor full-color IPS LCD. The Tufty 2040 also has a great cyberpunk-themed squirrel silkscreen print comparable to the Badger 2040.
There’s always room for improvement, so be sure to check out the Wi-Fi built-in version of the Tufty 2040 (new and more). Raspberry Pi Pico W). Imagine sending live web content to your neck display. Theoretically, another Wi-Fi enabled microcontroller such as the ESP8266 could be connected to the Tufty 2040’s UART pins and made wireless that way, but in terms of cord, power, and bulk, it mixes. Becomes very complicated.
If you want to impress people at your next meeting or party, the Tufty 2040 is for you. It’s also great if you need an RP2040 board with a built-in screen.
