Pretty Face
PiFace Control and Display makes it possible to build a variety of clever Raspberry Pi-based projects that require basic input and output. We help you to get started with this useful board.
PiFace control and display
Lead Image © photoestelar, 123RF.com
To interact with a Raspberry Pi, you need a way to input commands and read the output. In most cases, this means using a keyboard and a monitor connected directly to the Raspberry Pi. Alternatively, you can use a remote machine with a monitor and a keyboard to access and control the Raspberry Pi via an SSH connection. Both approaches have their drawbacks, though. Having a monitor and keyboard connected to the Raspberry Pi precludes you from building autonomous and portable projects, whereas controlling a Raspberry Pi via SSH requires a network connection between two machines.
However, a third option is available to you, courtesy of PiFace Control and Display (PiFaceCAD for short) [1]. This board (Figure 1) features a 16x2 character display, a set of physical switches, a navigation switch, and an IR receiver – essentially everything you need for basic input and monitoring.
Getting Started with PiFaceCAD
PiFaceCAD is available in two versions: the one compatible with the original Raspberry Pi models and PiFaceCAD 2 for Raspberry Pi 2 and Raspberry Pi B+. When ordering PiFaceCAD, make sure you're getting the right version for your Raspberry Pi model. Installing the board is a matter of plugging it into Raspberry Pi's GPIO port. To program PiFaceCAD, you need to install the pifacecad Python library and accompanying software, which can be done by running the following commands:
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