ESPTimeCast/README.md

ESPTimeCast is a WiFi-connected LED matrix clock and weather station based on ESP8266 and MAX7219.
It displays the current time, day of the week (with custom symbols), and local weather (temp/humidity) fetched from OpenWeatherMap.
Setup and configuration are fully managed via a built-in web interface.

Get the 3D printable case!

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✨ Features

• LED Matrix Display (8x32) powered by MAX7219, with custom font support
• Simple Web Interface for all configuration (WiFi, weather, time zone, display durations, and more)
• Automatic NTP Sync with robust status feedback and retries
• Day of Week Display with custom icons/symbols
• Weather Fetching from OpenWeatherMap (every 5 minutes, temp/humidity)
• Temperature Unit Selector (C, F, or K displays in temp mode only)
• Fallback AP Mode for easy first-time setup or WiFi recovery, with /ap_status endpoint
• Timezone Selection from IANA names (DST integrated on backend)
• Day of the week display in multiple languages
• Persistent Config stored in LittleFS, with backup/restore system
• Status Animations for WiFi conection, AP mode, time syncing.
• Advanced Settings panel with:
  • Custom Primary/Secondary NTP server input
  • Display Day of the Week toggle (defualt in on)
  • 24/12h clock mode toggle (24-hour default)
  • Show Humidity toggle (display Humidity besides Temperature)
  • Flip display (180 degrees)
  • Adjustable display brightness
  • Dimming Hours Scheduling

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🪛 Wiring

Note: although the pins are labeled differently in the V4, the positions are the same as the V3.x

Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266) → MAX7219

Wemos D1 Mini (v3.x)	Wemos D1 Mini (v4.0)	MAX7219
GND	GND	GND
D6	12	CLK
D7	13	CS
D8	15	DIN
3V3	3V3	VCC

Note: Thanks to @Wood578Guy for the Wiring diagram and the info on V4

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🌐 Web UI & Configuration

The built-in web interface provides full configuration for:

• WiFi settings (SSID & Password)
• Weather settings (OpenWeatherMap API key, City, Country, Units)
• Time zone (will auto-populate if TZ is found)
• Day of the week languages
• Display durations for clock and weather (milliseconds)
• Advanced Settings (see below)

First-time Setup / AP Mode

1. Power on the device. If WiFi fails, it auto-starts in AP mode:
   • SSID: ESPTimeCast
   • Password: 12345678
   • Open http://192.168.4.1 or http://setup.esp in your browser.
2. Set your WiFi and all other options.
3. Click Save Setting – the device saves config, reboots, and connects.
4. The device shows its local IP adress after boot so you can login again for setting changes

UI Example:

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⚙️ Advanced Settings

Click the cog icon next to “Advanced Settings” in the web UI to reveal extra configuration options.

Available advanced settings:

• Primary NTP Server: Override the default NTP server (e.g. pool.ntp.org)
• Secondary NTP Server: Fallback NTP server (e.g. time.nist.gov)
• Day of the Week: Display symbol for Day of the Week
• 24/12h Clock: Switch between 24-hour and 12-hour time formats (24-hour default)
• Humidity: Display Humidity besides Temperature
• Flip Display: Invert the display vertically/horizontally
• Brightness: 0 (dim) to 15 (bright)
• Dimming Feature: Start time, end time and desired brightness selection

Tip: Dont't forget to press the save button to keep your settings

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📝 Configuration Notes

• OpenWeatherMap API Key: Get yours here
• City Name: e.g. Tokyo, London, etc.
• Country Code: 2-letter code (e.g., JP, GB)
• Time Zone: Select from IANA zones (e.g., America/New_York, handles DST automatically)
• Units: metric (°C), imperial (°F), or standard (K)

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🔧 Installation

1. Clone this repo
2. Flash the ESP8266 using Arduino IDE or PlatformIO (Flash size "4MB FS:2MB OTA:~1019KB")
3. Upload /data folder with LittleFS uploader (see below)

Board Setup

• Install ESP8266 board package:
  http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json
• Select Wemos D1 Mini (or your ESP8266 variant) in Tools → Board
• Select Flash Size "4MB FS:2MB OTA:~1019KB" under Tools

Dependencies

Install these libraries (Library Manager / PlatformIO):

• ArduinoJson by Benoit Blanchon
• MD_Parola / MD_MAX72xx all dependencies by majicDesigns
• ESPAsyncTCP by ESP32Async
• ESPAsyncWebServer by ESP32Async

LittleFS Upload

Install the LittleFS Uploader.

To upload /data:

1. Open Command Palette:
   • Windows: Ctrl+Shift+P
   • macOS: Cmd+Shift+P
2. Run: Upload LittleFS to ESP8266

Important: Serial Monitor must be closed before uploading!

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📺 Display Behavior

ESPTimeCast automatically switches between two display modes: Clock and Weather.
What you see on the LED matrix depends on whether the device has successfully fetched the current time (via NTP) and weather (via OpenWeatherMap).
The following table summarizes what will appear on the display in each scenario:

Display Mode	🕒 NTP Time	🌦️ Weather Data	📺 Display Output
Clock	✅ Yes	—	🗓️ Day Icon + ⏰ Time (e.g. @ 14:53)
Clock	❌ No	—	no ntp (NTP sync failed)
Weather	—	✅ Yes	🌡️ Temperature (e.g. 23ºC)
Weather	✅ Yes	❌ No	🗓️ Day Icon + ⏰ Time (e.g. @ 14:53)
Weather	❌ No	❌ No	no temp (no weather or time data)

How it works:

• The display automatically alternates between Clock and Weather modes (the duration for each is configurable).
• In Clock mode, if NTP time is available, you’ll see the current time plus a unique day-of-week icon. If NTP is not available, you'll see no ntp.
• In Weather mode, if weather is available, you’ll see the temperature (like 23ºC). If weather is not available but time is, it falls back to showing the clock. If neither is available, you’ll see no temp.
• All status/error messages (no ntp, no temp) are shown exactly as written.

Legend:

• 🗓️ Day Icon: Custom symbol for day of week (@, =, etc.)
• ⏰ Time: Current time (HH:MM)
• 🌡️ Temperature: Weather from OpenWeatherMap
• ✅ Yes: Data available
• ❌ No: Data not available
• — : Value does not affect this mode

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🤝 Contributing

Pull requests are welcome! For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss.

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☕ Support this project

If you like this project, you can buy me a coffee!