Connecting to your computer via USB allows you to tinker with your Pixel’s internals, and lets you test Python code. Connect your badge to a computer using a USB C cable, and connect over serial, 115200 baud (detailed instructions per OS below). You should see a menu appear with various options.

Mac

  • Check the address of your usb device by typing ls /dev/ in your terminal, you’ll get a list, one of the entries being your badge. It is probably something like cu.wchusbserial1410. To check which address belongs to your device, try disconnecting the badge and see which address is missing from the list after you run ls /dev/ again.
  • Open a serial connection with from Terminal like this: screen /dev/cu.wchusbserial1410 115200, replacing the address with the address of your device. (You can exit with ctrl+a followed by k)

Linux

  • Make sure your user is in the dialout group (if not, run adduser <your_username> dialout and reboot or log out and back in).
  • Open a serial connection with from Terminal like this: screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200. (You can exit with ctrl+a followed by k)

Windows

You should be able to connect to the badge by using Putty:

  • Install the CH340 USB UART driver if the Pixel shows up as unknown device in Window’s Device Manager.
  • Download a terminal emulator, for example PuTTY.
  • Look up the badge’s COM-port number in Device Manager after connecting the badge over USB.
  • In PuTTY connect to the serial port you found (i.e. COMx) and set baud-rate to 115200.
  • Specifically in Windows, you might need to press space a few times before anything shows in your terminal screen.