Flipdot-display/CLAUDE.md

Flipdot display: notes for Claude

A PlatformIO project with two firmware targets for an 84×19 Brose flipdot clock. See README.md for the overview.

Layout and build

• platformio.ini has the environments nano, esp32 (OTA to 10.1.1.198) and esp32_usb (COM11). The sources are split with build_src_filter (src/nano/, src/esp32/).
• lib/BROSE9323/ is the shared driver. Its behaviour depends on build flags set in platformio.ini, not in the header:
  • ESPSERIAL (ESP32): draw calls become serial commands.
  • FLIPDOT_PLCC_ADAPTER (Nano, optional): alternative pinout.
• PlatformIO CLI is not on PATH. Run ~/.platformio/penv/Scripts/pio.exe run (Git Bash) or $env:USERPROFILE\.platformio\penv\Scripts\pio.exe run (PowerShell).
• If an ESP32 build fails with No module named 'intelhex', run ~/.platformio/penv/Scripts/python.exe -m pip install intelhex.
• nano_ota flashes the Nano over WiFi: tools/nano_net_upload.py (STK500v1 over TCP) talks to NanoFlashBridge on the ESP32 (port 2323), which power cycles the Nano into its old bootloader (57600 baud) and passes the bytes through. avrdude 6.3's net: port is broken on Windows (ser_drain() fails), which is why the uploader is a Python script. The uploader only uses the Python standard library. Test it against a simulated bootloader before changing it.
• src/esp32/libs.h defines globals in the header, so it can only be included from main.cpp. New ESP32 modules must be self-contained (see nano_flash_bridge.*).
• After any change, build both targets (pio run). After Nano changes, also run pio test -e native.

Constraints

• Nano RAM is tight (ATmega328P, 2 KB). The frame buffers are allocated with calloc. Avoid String, large stack buffers and new globals in Nano code. Put constant data in PROGMEM.
• The ESP32 talks to the Nano on Serial2 (nanoSerial in libs.h, GPIO 17 TX / GPIO 16 RX). Serial (UART0/USB) is free for debug output. Never write debug text to nanoSerial: the Nano runs lines that start with s/S/F/D/P/B/R/T as commands.
• Open hardware TODOs are listed in the README TODO section. Update it when one is done.
• src/esp32/secrets.h holds the real credentials and is gitignored. Never commit it. Add new secrets to secrets.example.h as placeholders.
• The relay (ESP32 GPIO 13, LOW = on) powers both the panels and the Nano. Each time it switches on, the Nano cold-boots and then sends READY. The ESP's relayOn() waits for that message, at most NANO_BOOT_TIMEOUT. The timeout also covers the case where the Nano's TX isn't wired to the ESP's RX.
• relayOff() ends nanoSerial and sets its TX pin to input. Otherwise the idle-high TX line powers the Nano through its RX pin. Never send display commands while relay_on is false.
• The Nano keeps no state over a power cycle except the flip time in EEPROM. The driver forces a full redraw on the first display() after boot (_force_next).
• Hardware is not available here. Builds can be checked, but runtime behaviour can't.

Nano serial parser (src/nano/main.cpp)

• Files: main.cpp (setup/loop, refresh), config.h (all constants and debug defines), command_parser.* (protocol, one method per command), settings.* (EEPROM).
• Line based and non-blocking: bytes are collected into a 64-character buffer and a command runs when \n arrives. Bitmap (B) pixel data is the exception. It is drawn while it arrives, so it can be longer than the buffer. Keep loop() free of busy-waits.
• A full redraw (display(true)) blocks for about 0.5 s, which overflows the 64-byte serial receive buffer. Only run it when no data is expected: right after a D, or after 2 s with no serial data. The ESP sends one frame per second, ending with D.
• Flip time is stored in EEPROM as a magic word at address 0 and a uint16_t at address 2. Values outside 50–2000 µs are rejected.
• The Nano only replies READY (at boot) and ERR: .... There is no per-frame acknowledgement. Whether the Nano's TX is wired to the ESP's RX is unconfirmed, so every wait for a reply needs a timeout.
• Unit tests: pio test -e native runs test/test_nano/ on the PC with the fakes in test/mocks/ (Arduino, EEPROM, and a BROSE9323 that records calls). It needs gcc on PATH (Strawberry Perl provides it at C:\Strawberry\c\bin). Add a test for every protocol change. The mocks only implement what the Nano code uses, so extend them when new Arduino or driver functions are called.
• The board environments have test_ignore = *, so test firmware is never uploaded. Plain pio test runs nothing; always pass -e native.

Git

• Remote: https://mangavalk.com/mangavalk/Flipdot-display.git, branch main.