It has been less than a week since the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W debuted and makers have already begun to use the new board in exciting projects. Today we’re sharing a Pi Zero 2 W project created by Clemens with Elektor TV, part of Elektor Magazine, who is using the new module to power a YouTube subscriber counter.
The Pi is connected to an 8-digit MAX7219-based 7-segment display which outputs the current subscriber count for a given YouTube channel in real-time. It also doubles as a clock for a little extra functionality.
According to Clemens, the Pi Zero 2 W uses a script to access the YouTube API and retrieve subscriber data to output the current subscriber count to the display. To keep the project user-friendly, this script is programmed to automatically run on boot so no terminal access or external display is necessary to get it up and running.
The 7-segment display is soldered to the Pi Zero 2 W and housed inside a small case. The best Raspberry Pi projects are ones you can make at home and this is one of them as Clemens has provided a complete tutorial on how to recreate this project over at YouTube. It includes a wiring diagram for the display as well as steps for installing the necessary libraries to get the display to operate with the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W.
To see this project in action and get a closer look at the assembly process, check out Elektor TV at YouTube and keep an eye on them for more cool projects.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
