ESPTimeCast

ESPTimeCast is a WiFi-connected LED matrix clock and weather station using ESP8266 and MAX7219.
It shows the current time and day of the week, syncs via NTP, and fetches weather data every 5 minutes from OpenWeatherMap.

✨ Features

LED matrix display (8x32) powered by MAX7219
WiFi configuration via web interface
Real-time clock via NTP, current day of the week
Current temperature display from OpenWeatherMap
Fallback AP mode for first-time setup

🪛 Wiring Diagram

Connect the Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266) to MAX7219 as follows:

Wemos D1 Mini	MAX7219
GND	GND
D6	CLK
D7	CS
D8	DIN
3V3	VCC

🌐 Web Interface

The device hosts a built-in web interface for configuration.

On first boot, connect to the fallback AP:
- SSID: ESPTimeCast
- Password: 12345678
- Open http://192.168.4.1 in your browser
Enter your home Wifi and Password settings
Weather settings: Enter your OpenWeatherMap API, City and Country Code
Clock settings: Select your UTC Offset from the dropdown menu (default is +09:00 for Japan)
Configure Clock and Weather display duration (in seconds)
Save your settings (device will reboot)

UI Preview:

⚙️ Configuration Notes

OpenWeatherMap API Key: Get one at openweathermap.org
City Name: Use city names like Tokyo, London, etc.
Country Code: Enter the 2-letter country code (e.g., JP for Japan, GB for United Kingdom).
UTC Offset: Select an offset from the dropdown menu.

🔧 Installation

Clone this repo
Flash the code using Arduino IDE or PlatformIO
Upload the /data folder using LittleFS uploader

🔧 Board Setup

Install the ESP8266 board package in Arduino IDE:
Additional Board Manager URL:
http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json

📦 Dependencies

Make sure the following libraries are installed via the Arduino Library Manager or PlatformIO:

NTPClient by Fabrice Weinberg
ArduinoJson by Benoit Blanchon
MD_Parola / MD_MAX72xx all dependencies by majicDesigns
ESPAsyncTCP by ESP32Async
ESPAsyncWebServer by ESP32Async

📁 LittleFS Upload

Use the LittleFS Uploader Plugin (install manually):
👉 Installation Guide

To upload the /data folder:

Open the Command Palette:
- Windows: Ctrl + Shift + P
- macOS: Cmd + Shift + P
Run: Upload LittleFS to Pico/ESP8266/ESP32

Important: Make sure the Serial Monitor is closed before uploading.

🤝 Contributing

Pull requests are welcome! For major changes or bugs, please open an issue first to discuss what you'd like to improve or add.

☕ Support This Project

If you like this project, feel free to support me via PayPal.