adding Blinka NeoPixel countdown code

adding Blinka NeoPixel countdown code. time is fetched from IO. when 16 or less days are remaining until the event, the neopixels light up one by one

Author: BlitzCityDIY

CircuitPython_Day_2024_Projects/Blinka_NeoPixel_Countdown/code.py

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+# SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2024 Liz Clark for Adafruit Industries
+
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+import os
+import time
+import wifi
+import microcontroller
+import board
+import neopixel
+import adafruit_connection_manager
+import adafruit_requests
+from adafruit_io.adafruit_io import IO_HTTP
+from adafruit_ticks import ticks_ms, ticks_add, ticks_diff
+
+timezone = "America/New_York"
+color = 0xFF00FF
+# The time of the thing!
+EVENT_YEAR = 2024
+EVENT_MONTH = 8
+EVENT_DAY = 16
+EVENT_HOUR = 0
+EVENT_MINUTE = 0
+# we'll make a python-friendly structure
+event_time = time.struct_time((EVENT_YEAR, EVENT_MONTH, EVENT_DAY,
+                               EVENT_HOUR, EVENT_MINUTE, 0,  # we don't track seconds
+                               -1, -1, False))  # we dont know day of week/year or DST
+
+print("Connecting to WiFi...")
+wifi.radio.connect(
+    os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID"), os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")
+)
+pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(wifi.radio)
+ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(wifi.radio)
+requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)
+io = IO_HTTP(
+    os.getenv("AIO_USERNAME"), os.getenv("AIO_KEY"), requests
+)
+
+pixel_pin = board.SCL1
+pixel_num = 16
+pixels = neopixel.NeoPixel(pixel_pin, n = pixel_num, brightness=1, auto_write=True)
+pixel_length = 0
+last_length = -1
+
+refresh_clock = ticks_ms()
+refresh_timer = 3600 * 1000  # 1 hour
+first_run = True
+finished = False
+
+while True:
+    if not finished:
+        if ticks_diff(ticks_ms(), refresh_clock) >= refresh_timer or first_run:
+            try:
+                print("Getting time from internet!")
+                now = time.struct_time(io.receive_time(timezone))
+                print(now)
+                total_seconds = time.mktime(now)
+                remaining = time.mktime(event_time) - total_seconds
+                if remaining < 0:
+                    pixel_length = pixel_num + 1
+                    finished = True
+                else:
+                    if now.tm_mon == EVENT_MONTH:
+                        pixel_length = now.tm_mday % (pixel_num + 1)
+                refresh_clock = ticks_add(refresh_clock, refresh_timer)
+            except Exception as e:  # pylint: disable=broad-except
+                print("Some error occured, retrying via reset in 15 seconds! - ", e)
+                time.sleep(15)
+                microcontroller.reset()
+    if last_length != pixel_length:
+        if not pixel_length:
+            pixels.fill(0x000000)
+        else:
+            for i in range(pixel_length):
+                pixels[i] = color
+        last_length = pixel_length
+    first_run = False