Tiny Code Reader (TCR) caught my eye when it came out in 2023. It’s a very appealing idea: a self-contained seeing module that just decodes any QR code it sees. I immediately imagined applications in desktop manufacturing, a subject very dear to my heart.
You can buy it from Adafruit, Sparkfun, and elsewhere. There’s a main page with a clear getting started guide, and a datasheet.
Because it uses the Qwiic connector standard, setting it up is a breeze . It plugs directly into I²CDriver or I²CMini - both ship with qwiic cables included. TCR has a color LED on the front side that blinks blue on power-on, and helpfully blinks green when it detects a QR code in front of it.
Within a a couple of minutes I had a Python loop that printed out the current QR code using the I²CDriver:
import sys import struct from i2cdriver import I2CDriver class TCR: pass if __name__ == '__main__': i2 = I2CDriver(sys.argv[1]) i2.setspeed(400) i2.scan() while 1: i2.start(0x0c, 1) b = i2.read(256) i2.stop() (l, ) = struct.unpack("