The Bitcoin Block Clock

Raspberry Pi Full Node with 32 x 32 RGB LED network visualizer

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78u8EQtIXMY

imgur gallery: https://imgur.com/a/KYPKK

Dependencies:

• python-bitcoinrpc: https://github.com/jgarzik/python-bitcoinrpc (modified, included in this git as bitcoinrpc.py)

• Henner Zeller's RGB LED matrix driver: https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix

Be sure to install the Python bindings as well as the core library: https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix/tree/master/bindings/python

You may also need to solder a jumper on the Adafruit HAT: https://github.com/hzeller/rpi-rgb-led-matrix#improving-flicker

• PyQRCode: https://pypi.python.org/pypi/PyQRCode:

$ sudo pip install pyqrcode

• PIL (now maintained as Pillow):

$ sudo apt-get install python-pil

• Bitcoin Core (or alt-client, check out http://raspnode.com/diy.html) with the following lines added to ~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.config (see Installation below, the paths should match):

blocknotify=python /home/pi/bin/ClockBlocker/block.py %s
walletnotify=python /home/pi/bin/ClockBlocker/tx.py %s

other helpful bitcoin.config parameters for running a full node on an RPi:

minrelaytxfee=0.00005000
limitfreerelay=0
dbcache=50

other tips for running a full node on an RPi:

• use an SSD drive (not a USB memory stick) for the blockchain
• Bitcoin Core version 0.12 employs libsecp256k1 which improves block validation time a great deal

Installation:

Clone this repository in ~/bin and make easy-to-type command to start clock:

$ cd ~
$ git clone https://github.com/pinheadmz/ClockBlocker.git
$ sudo ln -s ~/ClockBlocker/ledbits.py /usr/local/bin/ledbits
$ sudo chmod 777 /usr/local/bin/ledbits

...then from any command line you can start the clock by entering:

$ ledbits

API passwords:

• Bitcoin: create file bitcoinAuth.py which contains:

USER = "YOUR-BITCOIN-RPC-USERNAME"
PW = "YOUR-BITCOIN-RPC-PASSWORD"

• IP geo-location service: Sign up for API key at http://www.ipinfodb.com/ip_location_api.php

...then create file ipInfoAuth.py which contains:

api_key = 'YOUR-API-KEY'

Hardware:

Here's a "wishlist" I made on Adafruit (accepts Bitcoin!) with most the components I used for the build:

https://www.adafruit.com/wishlists/394607

A few of these items might be found cheaper on other sites, but this is overall the shopping list. I didn't include HDMI or USB cables, or the materials I used in my own "custom" power distributor, but that Adafruit 10A power supply is enough to run the entire system.

Here's the SSD I'm using for the blockchain:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZ2FRU2