Beginner’s Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

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Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

The astronaut desktop TV (Wi-Fi weather clock) is both cute and practical as a desktop ornament, and I have always wanted to make one myself. There are many open-source projects online, but they all require making the board and soldering, which is daunting.

The Beetle ESP32-C3 development board is only 25×20.5cm in size, smaller than a 1.3-inch TFT LCD screen, and comes with a lithium battery charging management chip, making it very suitable for making an astronaut TV.

Hardware Preparation

  • Beetle ESP32-C3 x1

  • 1.3-inch or 1.5-inch ST7789 driven TFT screen x1

Introduction to Beetle ESP32-C3

The Beetle ESP32-C3 is a main control board based on the ESP32-C3 RISC-V 32-bit single-core processor chip, designed specifically for IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

The Beetle ESP32-C3 has up to 13 IO ports in a coin-sized volume, so you don’t have to worry about running out of IO ports when making projects. At the same time, the main control board integrates lithium battery charging management functionality, allowing direct connection to a lithium battery without needing external modules, ensuring both compactness and safety of the application.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3
Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3
Pin Diagram

LCD Display

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3
  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V~5V
  • Pixel Count: 240 columns × 240 rows
  • Interface Type: SPI interface
  • Driver Chip: ST7789

Wiring Schemes

To facilitate wiring, two schemes are provided.

Scheme (1)

Beetle ESP32-C3 soldered with female header, the TFT display can be directly plugged into the Beetle ESP32-C3 female header.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

Wiring:

Beetle ESP32-C3 >>>> TFT Display

  • IO0 >>>> SCL

  • IO1 >>>> SDA

  • IO4 >>>> RES

  • IO6 >>>> DC

  • Not connected >>>> BLK

Scheme (2):

Scheme two uses a TFT display connected through an adapter board to the Beetle ESP32-C3.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

Wiring:

Beetle ESP32-C3 >>>> TFT Display

  • IO4 >>>> SCL

  • IO6 >>>> SDA

  • IO7 >>>> RES

  • IO2 >>>> DC

  • Not connected >>>> BLK

Programming Upload

The program comes from the Lichuang open-source hardware platform, adapted for the ESP32 chipset. The author made simple modifications to successfully adapt it to the Beetle ESP32-C3.

Open-source project address:https://oshwhub.com/xmz0916/esp32-desktop-tv, thanks to its author:@xutoubee

(1) Run the flashing tool in the attachmentflash_download_tool_3.9.3.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

(2) Select Chip Type:ESP32-C3, select LodeMode:USB, click theOK button.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

(3) Short the9 pin of ESP32-C3 withGND.

(4) Use a USB cable to connect the ESP32-C3 to the computer.

(5) Click the... button next to the first line, select the firmware directory in the attachment file under4M_Flash_CLOCK.bin, fill in the address:0x00, check the checkbox in front to make it checked.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

(6) Select the corresponding COM port, click theERASE button. After completion, click theSTART button and wait for completion.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

(7) Disconnect the USB data cable, disconnect the9 pin of ESP32-C3 fromGND, reconnect the USB data cable, and the display will be as shown below.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

(8) Use a computer or phone to connect to the hotspotDesktop TV.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

(9) Enter in the browser’s address bar:192.168.4.1 and hit enter. Enter the Wi-Fi name and password in sequence, and clickSave and Connect.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

(10) Restart, connect to Wi-Fi, and you will see the desktop TV interface.

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

Running Effect

Beginner's Guide! Create a Desktop Weather Clock TV Based on Beetle ESP32-C3

For related resources, click the bottom left corner to read the original article, or directly copy the link to open on your computerhttps://mc.dfrobot.com.cn/thread-316231-1-1.html. Welcome to communicate directly with the author in the DF Maker Community forum comment area!

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