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LEDsim — Windows / desktop simulator for LEDcommander

Run the full LEDcommander stack on a PC. Instead of driving a Raspberry Pi LED matrix, frames appear in a desktop window — either native 64×32 or integer-scaled (blocky LED look).

How it works

Piece Role
LEDsim.py Launcher: shared frame buffer + processes
pygame viewer Single window; native 1:1 or nearest-neighbor scale
LEDcommander Same queue / mode dispatcher as on the Pi
Web panel :5055 Same CRT control UI (LEDpanel.py)
ledsim/ Software rgbmatrix API + shared memory

Set LEDARCADE_DISPLAY=sim (done automatically by LEDsim.py). LEDarcade then imports ledsim.rgbmatrix_compat instead of the Pi-only rpi-rgb-led-matrix bindings.

Requirements (Windows)

  • Python 3.10+ recommended
  • Packages:
pip install pygame pillow numpy flask requests numba
  • Not required: rpi-rgb-led-matrix, sudo, GPIO
  • Optional: ffmpeg on PATH for LEDtv local video

Run

python LEDsim.py

or double-click / run:

run_ledsim.bat

Then open http://127.0.0.1:5055/ for the control panel.

Display size

Command Window size Notes
python LEDsim.py 960×480 Default scale ×15
python LEDsim.py --native 64×32 True panel resolution (1:1)
python LEDsim.py --scale 1 64×32 Same as --native
python LEDsim.py --scale 10 640×320 Custom integer zoom

Other flags

python LEDsim.py --port 5055
python LEDsim.py --width 64 --height 32
python LEDsim.py --no-web

Viewer hotkeys (window focused)

Key Action
N Next program (stop current, advance LEDcommander playlist)
T Launch LEDtv (channel-surf / local video)
1 Launch Pinball
2 Launch Pinball 2 (Central Park 1966)
3 Launch Space Explorer
4 Launch 7-Seg LED Clock (full-panel HH:MM)
5 Launch Fractal Blaster (title dive → Mandelbrot)
6 Launch Water Clock (shaded HH:MM + sloshing water)
7 Launch Planet Blast (orbital strike tour / procedural world)
R Restart LEDsim (full process reload — intro + playlist; exit code 42 loops in run_ledsim.bat)
0 Native 1:1 (64×32)
S Default scaled size (×3)
+ / = Zoom in
- Zoom out (down to native)
F Toggle borderless / framed window
A Toggle always-on-top (default on, Win32 TOPMOST)
Esc Quit

Always-on-top is enabled by default so the panel stays above other windows.
Set LEDARCADE_SIM_TOPMOST=0 before launch to start without it.

Borderless is the default (no title bar, no pygame logo chrome). Left-click and drag anywhere on the panel to move the window (works borderless or framed). Use python LEDsim.py --bordered for a normal title bar.

You can also POST /command with {"Action": "next"} from the web panel API.

Closing the window also stops LEDsim.

Environment variables

Variable Meaning
LEDARCADE_DISPLAY=sim Use software matrix backend
LEDARCADE_SIM_SCALE Pixel scale (1 = native; default 3)
LEDARCADE_SIM_BORDERLESS 1 / 0 — borderless window (default 1)
LEDARCADE_SIM_WIDTH / HEIGHT Panel size (must match launcher)
LEDARCADE_STREAM_MODE=0 Full matrix brightness (standalone)
LEDARCADE_GAMMA=1.0 Color gamma 100% (multiplier 1.0; set by LEDsim)
LEDARCADE_SKIP_BOOT_UPDATE=1 Skip git boot update (set by LEDsim)

Brightness / gamma on LEDsim

LEDsim always runs at full output:

  • Gamma = 1.0 (100%) — no palette dimming via ApplyGamma
  • Matrix brightness = 100 (100%)
  • Stream dimming off (LEDARCADE_STREAM_MODE=0)

Pi / hardware unchanged

On the Raspberry Pi, leave LEDARCADE_DISPLAY unset (or hardware). LEDarcade still imports the real rgbmatrix package and drives the HAT as before.

Smoke test (no window)

set LEDARCADE_DISPLAY=sim
python -c "import LEDarcade as LED; LED.Initialize(); print(LED.DISPLAY_BACKEND, LED.HatWidth, LED.HatHeight)"

Expected: sim 64 32 (shared memory may be missing outside LEDsim; pixels still work in-process).

Known limits

  • Not a cycle-accurate PWM / brightness hardware emulator
  • Some games need numba / extra native wheels on Windows
  • Twitch entry (twitch.py) is not the primary path; it can use the same sim backend if LEDARCADE_DISPLAY=sim is set first
  • Boot update check in LEDcommander may touch git/network on start

Architecture sketch

Browser :5055  ──► CommandQueue ──► LEDcommander.Run
                                         │
                                         ▼
                              Display child Process
                              LED.Initialize() [sim]
                              TheMatrix / Canvas
                                         │
                                         ▼
                              shared memory RGB frame
                                         │
                                         ▼
                              LEDsim pygame viewer window