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Structure (src/esp32/): - logic/: DisplayController, schedule, power timer, LED pattern; pure C++ - display/: FlipdotFrames and bitmaps - nano_link/: NanoLink (relay, serial, READY, bootloader) and flash bridge - net/: WiFi/OTA/panic window, Home Assistant - config.h with all settings; libs.h (globals in a header) removed Bug fixes: - Home Assistant switches now report their state back and start as ON - loop() no longer blocks: WiFi.waitForConnectResult() (up to 60 s without WiFi) and getLocalTime() (5 s before NTP sync) were called every iteration - Power switch off now powers off after 1 s even when a 30 s countdown is already running - millis() overflow safe power-off timer; no frame catch-up bursts - No garbage time string before NTP sync; 'Connecting...' stays instead - Frames are only sent when the screen changes instead of every second - Reset reasons are logged once instead of every 100 ms - Removed dead code (unused fonts, WiFiMulti, rotated bitmap, ...) Tests: new test_esp32 environment (26 tests); native renamed to test_nano Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
97 lines
6.0 KiB
Markdown
97 lines
6.0 KiB
Markdown
# Flipdot display: notes for Claude
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A PlatformIO project with two firmware targets for an 84×19 Brose flipdot clock.
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See README.md for the overview.
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## Layout and build
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- `platformio.ini` has the environments `nano`, `nano_ota`, `esp32` (OTA to 10.1.1.198),
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`esp32_usb` (COM11), and the PC test environments `test_nano` and `test_esp32`. The
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sources are split with `build_src_filter` (`src/nano/`, `src/esp32/`).
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- `lib/BROSE9323/` is the shared driver. Its behaviour depends on build flags set in
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`platformio.ini`, not in the header:
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- `ESPSERIAL` (ESP32): draw calls become serial commands.
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- `FLIPDOT_PLCC_ADAPTER` (Nano, optional): alternative pinout.
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- PlatformIO CLI is not on PATH. Run `~/.platformio/penv/Scripts/pio.exe run` (Git Bash)
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or `$env:USERPROFILE\.platformio\penv\Scripts\pio.exe run` (PowerShell).
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- If an ESP32 build fails with `No module named 'intelhex'`, run
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`~/.platformio/penv/Scripts/python.exe -m pip install intelhex`.
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- `nano_ota` flashes the Nano over WiFi: `tools/nano_net_upload.py` (STK500v1 over TCP)
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talks to `NanoFlashBridge` on the ESP32 (port 2323). The uploader first sends
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`FLASH <baud>\n`. The ESP power cycles the Nano (plus an optional reset pulse on
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`NANO_RESET_PIN`), answers `OK\n`, then passes the bytes through at that baud rate.
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`--baud=auto` tries 57600 (old ATmegaBOOT, which also starts after a power cycle), then
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115200 (Optiboot, which only starts after a reset-pin reset, so it needs `NANO_RESET_PIN`).
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avrdude 6.3's `net:` port is broken on Windows (`ser_drain()` fails), which is why the
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uploader is a Python script.
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The uploader only uses the Python standard library. Test it against a simulated
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bootloader before changing it.
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- After any change, build both targets (`pio run`) and run the tests
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(`pio test -e test_nano -e test_esp32`).
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## Constraints
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- **Nano RAM is tight** (ATmega328P, 2 KB). The frame buffers are allocated with
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`calloc`. Avoid `String`, large stack buffers and new globals in Nano code. Put constant
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data in `PROGMEM`.
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- The ESP32 talks to the Nano on `Serial2` (owned by `NanoLink`, GPIO 17 TX / GPIO 16 RX).
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`Serial` (UART0/USB) is free for debug output. Never write debug text to `Serial2`: the
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Nano runs lines that start with s/S/F/D/P/B/R/T as commands.
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- Open hardware TODOs are listed in the README `TODO` section. Update it when one is done.
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- `src/esp32/secrets.h` holds the real credentials and is gitignored. Never commit it.
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Add new secrets to `secrets.example.h` as placeholders.
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- The relay (ESP32 GPIO 13, `LOW` = on) powers both the panels and the Nano. Each time it
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switches on, the Nano cold-boots and then sends `READY`. `NanoLink::on()` waits for
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that message, at most `NANO_BOOT_TIMEOUT`. The timeout also covers the case where the
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Nano's TX isn't wired to the ESP's RX.
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- `NanoLink::off()` ends `Serial2` and sets its TX pin to input. Otherwise the idle-high TX
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line powers the Nano through its RX pin. Never send display commands while
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`NanoLink::isOn()` is false (`DisplayController` takes care of this).
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- The Nano keeps no state over a power cycle except the flip time in EEPROM. The driver
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forces a full redraw on the first `display()` after boot (`_force_next`).
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- Hardware is not available here. Builds can be checked, but runtime behaviour can't.
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## Nano serial parser (`src/nano/main.cpp`)
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- Files: `main.cpp` (setup/loop, refresh), `config.h` (all constants and debug
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defines), `command_parser.*` (protocol, one method per command), `settings.*` (EEPROM).
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- Line based and non-blocking: bytes are collected into a 64-character buffer and a
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command runs when `\n` arrives. Bitmap (`B`) pixel data is the exception. It is drawn
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while it arrives, so it can be longer than the buffer. Keep `loop()` free of busy-waits.
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- A full redraw (`display(true)`) blocks for about 0.5 s, which overflows the 64-byte
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serial receive buffer. Only run it when no data is expected: right after a `D`, or after
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2 s with no serial data. The ESP only sends a frame (ending with `D`) when the screen
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changes, mostly once a minute.
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- Flip time is stored in EEPROM as a magic word at address 0 and a `uint16_t` at
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address 2. Values outside 50–2000 µs are rejected.
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- The Nano only replies `READY` (at boot) and `ERR: ...`. There is no per-frame
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acknowledgement. Whether the Nano's TX is wired to the ESP's RX is unconfirmed, so every
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wait for a reply needs a timeout.
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- Unit tests: `pio test -e test_nano` runs `test/test_nano/` on the PC with the fakes in
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`test/mocks/` (Arduino, EEPROM, and a `BROSE9323` that records calls). It needs gcc on
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PATH (Strawberry Perl provides it at `C:\Strawberry\c\bin`). Add a test for every
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protocol change. The mocks only implement what the Nano code uses, so extend them when
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new Arduino or driver functions are called.
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- The board environments have `test_ignore = *`, so test firmware is never uploaded. Plain
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`pio test` runs nothing; always pass `-e test_nano -e test_esp32`.
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## ESP32 structure (`src/esp32/`)
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- Folders: `logic/` (pure C++, no Arduino includes, tested in `test/test_esp32`),
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`display/` (frames and bitmaps), `nano_link/` (relay, serial, flash bridge), `net/`
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(WiFi/OTA, Home Assistant). Includes are relative to `src/esp32` (`-I src/esp32`), e.g.
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`#include "logic/schedule.h"`.
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- `DisplayController` holds the display logic and only uses the `DisplayPower` and
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`Frames` interfaces. Put new behaviour there, behind those interfaces, so it stays
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testable. `logic/` must not include Arduino headers, or `test_esp32` stops building.
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- All settings are in `config.h`. Keep it free of Arduino types for the same reason.
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- Frames are only sent when the screen changes. The schedule uses 08:00 as the start of
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the day on purpose (that is what the old code did, and the README documents it).
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- Home Assistant switches are not optimistic: callbacks must call `sender->setState()`.
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The unique ids `FlipDotDisplayClock` / `FlipDotDisplayPower` and `HA_DEVICE_ID` must stay
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the same, or Home Assistant creates new entities.
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## Git
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- Remote: https://mangavalk.com/mangavalk/Flipdot-display.git, branch `main`.
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