Raspberry Pi Ticker Display

A Raspberry Pi Zero project that displays real-time stock or cryptocurrency prices on a 2.13-inch e-ink display.

Features

• Real-time price display of stocks or cryptocurrencies
• 24-hour price history graph
• Remote symbol updates via REST API
• E-ink display for low power consumption
• Automatic updates every 5 minutes

Hardware Requirements

• Raspberry Pi Zero (Zero 2 W)
• 2.13-inch E-ink Display from Waveshare
• MicroSD card
• Power supply

Software Requirements

All required Python packages are listed in requirements.txt. Install them using:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Quick Installation

For the quickest setup, follow these steps:

1. Update your Raspberry Pi (recommended):

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get upgrade -y

2. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/pi_ticker_display.git
   cd pi_ticker_display

3. Run the installation script:

   chmod +x install.sh
   ./install.sh

The installation script will:

• Install all required system dependencies
• Set up a Python virtual environment
• Install all Python packages
• Create necessary directories
• Set up an auto-start service

After installation, the display service will start automatically and run on boot.

Manual Control

• Check service status: sudo systemctl status ticker-display.service
• View logs: sudo journalctl -u ticker-display.service -f
• Stop service: sudo systemctl stop ticker-display.service
• Start service: sudo systemctl start ticker-display.service
• Disable auto-start: sudo systemctl disable ticker-display.service

Troubleshooting

1. If the display doesn't update:

   • Check the service status and logs using the commands above
   • Ensure your Pi has internet connectivity
   • Verify the display is properly connected

2. If the API is not accessible:

   • Check if the service is running
   • Ensure port 8000 is not blocked by your firewall
   • Verify you're using the correct IP address

For additional help, please open an issue on GitHub.

API Usage

The API runs on port 8000 by default. To update the displayed symbol:

curl -X POST "http://[raspberry-pi-ip]:8000/update" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"symbol": "AAPL"}'

To get the current symbol:

curl "http://[raspberry-pi-ip]:8000/current"

Configuration

Edit config.py to modify:

• Display settings
• Update intervals
• API settings
• Default symbol

Updating the Application

For small code changes:

# Pull latest changes
git pull origin main

# Restart the service
sudo systemctl restart ticker-display.service

Only run the full installation script again if:

• You've added new dependencies to requirements.txt
• You're setting up on a new Raspberry Pi
• You've made changes to the systemd service configuration

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues and pull requests.