Fix PlatformIO build; document ESPHome component and ring-buffer driver

- el512_panel.cpp: esp_cpu_get_cycle_count() exists only in ESP-IDF 5;
  use cpu_hal_get_cycle_count() on 4.4 (Arduino 2.x), which broke both
  PlatformIO environments.
- README: ring-buffer refresh, tear-free status, D1 mini ESP32, new layout
  (components/el512, esphome/, home_assistant/), ESPHome setup, Still Alive
  paths, and the Wi-Fi blanking findings with wiring advice.
- docs/README: ring, lookup table, double buffer, health counters; tear-free
  and memory items done; Wi-Fi blanking and boot blanking as open items.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

README.md

@@ -5,16 +5,19 @@ ESP-WROOM-32 (classic ESP32), with an [Adafruit GFX](https://github.com/adafruit
 compatible driver so the usual drawing, text and font APIs work.
 
 The panel has no frame memory and needs a continuous video stream. The ESP32's I2S0
-peripheral in 8-bit parallel (LCD) mode streams a precomputed frame from DMA, so the
-CPU is free while the panel refreshes.
+peripheral in 8-bit parallel (LCD) mode streams it by DMA from a small ring of encoded
+lines that an interrupt keeps refilling (17 KB instead of a 142 KB full frame), so
+there is room left for Wi-Fi.
 
-**Status:** framebuffer, GFX layer, row encoder and I2S/DMA refresh are implemented and
-run on hardware: the panel shows a correct image (VCLK 5 MHz, HS and VS checked with
-the ESP32's PCNT). Updates are not yet tear-free.
+**Status:** runs on hardware with a correct, tear-free image (drawing goes into a back
+buffer that is swapped in at the start of a frame). Usable three ways: as an Arduino /
+PlatformIO library with Adafruit GFX, as an [ESPHome](https://esphome.io) display
+component for Home Assistant, and as the stand-alone Still Alive demo.
 
 ## Hardware
 
-- ESP-WROOM-32 dev board (`esp32dev`)
+- ESP32 board: a Wemos D1 mini ESP32 is used here (`esp32dev` in PlatformIO,
+  `wemos_d1_mini32` in ESPHome); pinout in [docs/D1_mini_esp32_schema.jpg](docs/D1_mini_esp32_schema.jpg)
 - Planar EL512.256-H, configured for **two-bit parallel mode**: jumper 2 (DCONFIG) of pin
   strip PS1 removed, jumper 1 (SELFTST) fitted (datasheet Table 3)
 - Datasheet: [docs/datasheet/EL512.256-H3 FRB.pdf](docs/datasheet/EL512.256-H3%20FRB.pdf)
@@ -46,6 +49,13 @@ the ESP32 is still booting and VCLK is not running yet; add a pull-down (for exa
 10 kΩ) on the buffer's ENABLE input so the panel stays off until `begin()` starts the
 stream. Keep the cable under 300 mm, or add 47 Ω series resistors for up to 2 m.
 
+With Wi-Fi on, the panel can blank for a moment when the ESP32 transmits (seen at page
+changes, which report the new page to Home Assistant). The refresh measured clean on
+the ESP32 side at those moments, so the signal is disturbed on the wires: connect all
+six J1 GND pins, run them along the signal wires, keep the antenna away from the
+cable, and preferably use the 5 V buffer above. Brief blanking during boot is expected
+until ENABLE has its pull-down.
+
 The pin map lives in [include/pins.h](include/pins.h).
 
 ## Timing
@@ -66,16 +76,22 @@ truth; if anything here disagrees with it, the datasheet wins.
 ## Layout
 
 ```
-platformio.ini        build config: envs still_alive (default) and esp32dev
-include/pins.h        pin map
-src/still_alive/      Portal-style end-credits demo (env still_alive)
-src/test_images/      test sketch: cycles through 12 test images (env esp32dev)
-lib/EL512/            local library
-  src/EL512Panel.*    framebuffer, row encoder, I2S DMA refresh
-  src/EL512_GFX.*     Adafruit_GFX subclass
-tools/                import_still_alive.py
-test/                 unit tests (placeholder)
-docs/                 datasheet and notes
+platformio.ini          build config: envs still_alive (default) and esp32dev
+include/pins.h          pin map
+components/el512/       shared driver + ESPHome component (one copy of the code)
+  el512_panel.*         framebuffer, DMA ring, refresh interrupt (ESP-IDF API)
+  still_alive.*         Portal end-credits show, 5x7 font (el512_font.h)
+  still_alive_data.h    show content, generated by tools/import_still_alive.py
+  el512_display.*       ESPHome display platform `el512`
+  __init__.py, display.py   ESPHome config schema
+lib/EL512/              Arduino library: Adafruit_GFX front end (EL512_GFX)
+src/still_alive/        Portal-style end-credits demo (env still_alive)
+src/test_images/        test sketch: cycles through 12 test images (env esp32dev)
+esphome/                el512-panel.yaml (Home Assistant display), el512-smoke.yaml
+home_assistant/packages/  el512_panel.yaml: helper sensors for the ESPHome pages
+tools/                  import_still_alive.py
+test/                   unit tests (placeholder)
+docs/                   datasheet and notes
 ```
 
 ## Build and flash
@@ -89,23 +105,77 @@ pio run -e esp32dev -t upload      # test images
 pio device monitor
 ```
 
+## ESPHome / Home Assistant
+
+[esphome/el512-panel.yaml](esphome/el512-panel.yaml) turns the panel into a Home
+Assistant display with eight pages: clock and weather, forecast, agenda, a sensor
+dashboard with a message line, now playing, Plex, solar, and Still Alive. Pages
+rotate on an interval; Home Assistant gets a page select, a pause switch, the
+interval, a message text, a "Play Still Alive" button, and Display / Low power mode
+switches (ENABLE, _LOWPWR).
+
+The component comes straight from this repository:
+
+```yaml
+external_components:
+  - source:
+      type: git
+      url: https://mangavalk.com/mangavalk/planar-EL512.256-H.git
+      ref: main
+    components: [el512]
+
+display:
+  - platform: el512
+    id: panel
+    enable_pin: GPIO25        # optional, J2-6
+    low_power_pin: GPIO26     # optional, J2-5
+    still_alive_page: page_still_alive   # optional
+    pages: ...
+```
+
+Data pins default to the wiring above (`vclk_pin`, `vid_pin`, `tvid_pin`, `hs_pin`,
+`vs_pin` can be changed). Page lambdas can use helpers such as `el512::split()`,
+`el512::weather_icon()`, `el512::fit()` and `el512::watts()`
+([el512_helpers.h](components/el512/el512_helpers.h)).
+
+Setup:
+
+1. Copy [home_assistant/packages/el512_panel.yaml](home_assistant/packages/el512_panel.yaml)
+   to `/config/packages/` (with `homeassistant: packages: !include_dir_named packages`
+   in `configuration.yaml`) and reload the template entities. It adds
+   `sensor.el512_forecast`, `sensor.el512_agenda`, `sensor.el512_now_playing` and
+   `sensor.el512_plex_streams`.
+2. Put `el512-panel.yaml` in the ESPHome add-on and add `el512_api_key` and
+   `el512_ota_password` to its `secrets.yaml`. The entity IDs at the top
+   (`substitutions`) and in the sensor list are this installation's; adjust them.
+3. Flash once over USB (or use ESPHome's web installer), then add the device in Home
+   Assistant; later updates go wirelessly from the add-on.
+
+The component logs a warning when the ESP32 side of the refresh has a problem (DMA
+FIFO underrun, late ring refill, swap timeout); otherwise a debug summary once a minute.
+
+For local builds, `esphome/el512-panel-local.yaml` (git-ignored) is the same config
+with `source: {type: local, path: ../components}`; build it with the ESPHome CLI from
+PowerShell or cmd (the ESP-IDF installer refuses to run under Git Bash/MSYS).
+
 ## Still Alive demo
 
 ![Still Alive demo running on the EL512.256-H](docs/images/still_alive.jpg)
 
 A recreation of Portal's ending: timed song text typed into a console on the
-left, credits scrolling top right, ASCII art bottom right. The text, timing, art
-and credits in `src/still_alive/imported.h` come from
+left, credits scrolling top right, ASCII art bottom right. The same show runs as the
+PlatformIO demo and as a page in ESPHome. The text, timing, art and credits in
+[components/el512/still_alive_data.h](components/el512/still_alive_data.h) come from
 [SDSkyKlouD/still-alive-web](https://github.com/SDSkyKlouD/still-alive-web) and can
 be regenerated with:
 
 ```bash
-python tools/import_still_alive.py
+python tools/import_still_alive.py   # stops after the credits text (--until-ms 200000)
 pio run -e still_alive -t upload
 ```
 
-Without `imported.h` the demo plays placeholder text. Reset the board and start the
-song when the serial log says (7.75 s after reset with the imported data).
+Start the song when the serial log says: 7.75 s after reset in the PlatformIO demo,
+or 7.75 s after the Still Alive page is shown in ESPHome.
 
 **Disclaimer:** "Still Alive" was written by Jonathan Coulton for Portal (2007).
 Portal, its credits and ASCII art are © Valve Corporation (see

components/el512/el512_panel.cpp

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <driver/gpio.h>
 #include <esp_attr.h>
-#include <esp_cpu.h>
+#include <esp_idf_version.h>
 #include <esp_heap_caps.h>
 #include <esp_intr_alloc.h>
 #include <esp_rom_gpio.h>
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@
 #else
 #include <driver/periph_ctrl.h>
 #endif
+// CPU cycle counter: ESP-IDF 5 (ESPHome) and 4.4 (Arduino 2.x / PlatformIO).
+#if ESP_IDF_VERSION >= ESP_IDF_VERSION_VAL(5, 0, 0)
+#include <esp_cpu.h>
+#define EL512_CYCLES() esp_cpu_get_cycle_count()
+#else
+#include <hal/cpu_hal.h>
+#define EL512_CYCLES() cpu_hal_get_cycle_count()
+#endif
 #if __has_include(<esp32/rom/lldesc.h>)
 #include <esp32/rom/lldesc.h>
 #else
@@ -227,7 +235,7 @@ void IRAM_ATTR EL512Panel::fillChunk(uint16_t chunk) {
 
 void IRAM_ATTR EL512Panel::isr(void* arg) {
   auto* self = static_cast<EL512Panel*>(arg);
-  const uint32_t now = esp_cpu_get_cycle_count();
+  const uint32_t now = EL512_CYCLES();
   if (self->_lastIsrCycle != 0 && now - self->_lastIsrCycle > self->_maxGap) self->_maxGap = now - self->_lastIsrCycle;
   self->_lastIsrCycle = now;
   self->_refills = self->_refills + 1;

docs/README.md

@@ -26,9 +26,20 @@ I2S0 setup (`EL512Panel::startI2S()`), following bitluni's ESP32Lib 8-bit mode:
   `tx_right_first`. With this setup each 32-bit DMA word goes out as bytes 2, 3, 0, 1,
   so `encodeRow()` stores stream byte i at `i ^ 2`.
 - Stream bits 0..3 -> `I2S0O_DATA_OUT16_IDX` + n; BCK -> VCLK (`INVERT_VCLK` flips it).
-- Stream: 261 lines × 544 bytes ≈ 142 KB, too big for one DMA block, so it is
-  allocated as 38 chunks of up to 7 lines (3808 bytes), one descriptor each, looped;
-  `eof` set once per frame.
+- Ring: 8 descriptors of 4 lines (2176 bytes each, 17 KB total), looped, `eof` on
+  every descriptor. The EOF interrupt (IRAM, so it keeps running during flash writes)
+  re-encodes the descriptor that just finished with the lines 32 later, so the ring
+  stays ~1.7 ms ahead of the panel. Each descriptor tracks its own first line, so a
+  missed interrupt costs one stale chunk instead of shifting the picture.
+- Encoding: a 256-entry table turns one framebuffer byte (8 pixels) into its 8 stream
+  bytes, already in `^ 2` order; a line takes about a microsecond.
+- Double buffer: drawing goes into `_fb`; `show()` asks the interrupt to copy it to
+  the displayed buffer just before it encodes line 0, and waits for that (≤ 1 frame).
+- The driver uses ESP-IDF calls only and lives in `components/el512/`; PlatformIO
+  builds it from there as library `EL512Core` (`lib_extra_dirs`), ESPHome as the
+  `el512` external component.
+- Health counters (`takeStats()`): refills, largest refill gap, swaps, swap timeouts,
+  TX FIFO underruns. With Wi-Fi on: ~4600 refills/s, max gap < 0.4 ms, no underruns.
 
 ## From the datasheet
 
@@ -84,17 +95,23 @@ Hardware checks:
       does not show on HS; on the panel it shuffles pixels in groups of 8 (a 1-pixel
       line at x = 0 lands at x = 4).
 - [ ] Confirm the column parity: the "checkerboard" and "VID/TVID columns" test images
-      in `main.cpp` must look as drawn, and the left border must sit on the panel's
+      in `src/test_images/main.cpp` must look as drawn, and the left border must sit on the panel's
       first column.
 - [ ] Add the 5 V buffer (74HCT245/74AHCT541) and a pull-down on ENABLE so the panel
       stays off while the ESP32 boots without VCLK (Table 1: ENABLE pulled high
-      internally; Table 5 note 3: VCLK should be kept running).
+      internally; Table 5 note 3: VCLK should be kept running). The panel blanks a few
+      times during boot until then.
+- [ ] Wi-Fi blanking: with Wi-Fi on (RSSI -90 dB, so full transmit power) the panel
+      blanks for a moment now and then, mostly at page changes (each reports the new
+      page to Home Assistant). Gone with `wifi: enable_on_boot: false`; ENABLE/_LOWPWR
+      were not connected; the health counters stayed clean during 3 blinks in 2 min.
+      So the signal is disturbed on the wires, not late from the ESP32. Next: all six
+      J1 GND pins along the signal wires, antenna away from the cable, the 5 V buffer;
+      `output_power: 14dB` as a quick check.
 
 Software:
 
-- [ ] Tear-free updates: `show()` rewrites the stream while DMA reads it. Encode into
-      a second buffer and swap descriptors at the per-frame EOF, or encode only during
-      vertical blanking.
+- [x] Tear-free updates: back buffer copied to the displayed buffer at line 0.
+- [x] Memory: the full-frame stream (142 KB) is replaced by a 17 KB ring; ~190 KB
+      internal heap is left with Wi-Fi, the API and the ESPHome pages running.
 - [ ] Unit test for `encodeRow()` (see `test/README`).
-- [ ] The ~142 KB stream (in 38 chunks) leaves ~190 KB heap; with Wi-Fi on it may
-      not fit. Fallback: a line ring refilled from the EOF interrupt.