ashep/d5y

A minimalistic library for building ESP32-based display devices

D5Y

A minimalistic library for building ESP32-based display devices.

Features

• Easy to use API.
• Support of popular displays:
  • MAX71219-based LED matrices.
• Bluetooth configuration interface.
• Support of more than one display connection.
• No fucking Arduino.

d5y's Issues

Increase network updates frequency to 15 min

Add display test at start phase

Develop initial version of the frontend app

Show day of the week

Add delay of starting of brightness regulator

At start the whole device consumes high current which causes overload of weak PSUs.

Review and cleanup graphics functions

Add ambient light sensor support

Measure ambient light and adjust screen brightness accordingly.

Time and date settings

Customize User-Agent header

Send product name and version number instead of "ESP32 HTTP Client/1.0"

Update weather forecast via internet

Sometimes display modules stop working properly

Possible causes:

1. Noise from power supply.

Possible solutions:

1. Filter PSU noise.
2. Reset MAX7219 drivers every N seconds.

Develop the PCB

Maximum brightness setting is not being stored to NVS

Create BOM

Add a buzzer to the schematic

For future alarm feature.

Add hysteresis to the brightness regulator

Release 1.1 plan

Circuit

• Primary MCU: ESP8266.
• 32x8 dot matrix display: MAX7219.
• RTC and temperature sensor: DS3231.
• Light level sensor.
• Alarm buzzer.
• Two user's control buttons.
• Reset button.
• Micro USB power connector.

PCB

• #27
• Order manufacturing
• #38

Firmware

Core functions

• #32
• #17
• #30
• #31

Show mode

• Show time
• Show day and month
• #13
• Show outdoor temperature
• #36

Settings mode

• #33
• #16
• #29

Frontend application

• #34
• #47

Enclosure

• #37

Forgotten connections of GPIO15 and GPIO2 prevent boot and flashing

It's necessary to add:

• pull-down GPIO15 to GND;
• pull-up GPIO2 to 3V3.

Base settings mode

Implement settings mode:

• set time;
• set date;

Automatic show mode switching

Update RTC via internet

The device stops receiving time updates from the RTC

Intelligent brightness regulation

• introduce "maximum brightness" setting;
• adjust ADC value interpretation,

Assemble manufactured board sample

Move the web server to the firmware

Write user manual, Russian version

Add a horizontal reverse option to display output

Rewrite data fetching functionality

Use ESP32 RTOS SDK.

Setup Wi-Fi connection to user's network

Resurrect the project

• Setup CLion IDE and CMake integration.
• Setup build and flashing system.

Set maximum brightness level

Alarm functionality

• Calculate buzzer switch base resistor and add it to the schematic.
• Write firmware code.

RTC

Implement RTC (DS3231) usage:

• store data received from network;
• store data from settings mode input;
• use stored data as a source for displaying.

Connection losing after several days of working

Weather info stops refreshing and show some last value.

Alarm settings

Restore `aespl.service` functionality

Deploy frontend application

Check and restart WiFi connection periodically

Fix network updates frequency

At this moment firmware performs network requests too frequently, about every 3 minutes. It should be another more reasonable delay, i. e. 1 hour or more.

Fix temperature string formatting

Rebuild the schematic

RTC read/write operations aren't working

Automatic brightness adjustment

Switch alarm on/off

No automatic WiFi reconnect at boot stage

Steps to reproduce:

1. make sure Cronus has connection to a WiFi router;
2. turn off the WiFi router;
3. restart Cronus;
4. turn on the WiFi router;
5. notice that Cronus doesn't reconnect.

Rewrite backend server

• Find a better weather provider since the current one has very delayed updates.
• Combine time and weather into single response.

Build an enclosure proof of concept using home tools

Implement display driver layer

Randomize network update time

• Use last 3 bits of MAC address as a value to add to standard 0,15,30,45 scheme.
• It might be a good idea to decrease update frequency to 3 times per hour.

Fix show mode auto switcher behavior