Door Display Controller

A WebSocket-based room status display system using ESP32-C6 with LCD display and a cross-platform desktop controller app.

Hardware Required

ESP32-C6-LCD-1.47 Development Board
Available on Amazon (Amazon affiliate link - no extra cost to you)

Features:

• 1.47" LCD Display (172×320)
• ESP32-C6 with WiFi 6 & Bluetooth LE
• Built-in button for notifications
• Compact design perfect for door mounting

System Overview

ESP32 Device:

• Displays room status (Available/Busy) with custom text
• Connects via WiFi with WPA2/WPA3 support
• WebSocket server for real-time updates
• Physical button sends "ring" notifications

Desktop Controller:

• Cross-platform Electron app (Windows/macOS)

• Minimal, clean interface

• Real-time status updates via WebSocket

• Native OS notifications for door bell

  

Quick Start

1. ESP32 Setup

Install Required Libraries in Arduino IDE:

• WebSockets by Markus Sattler
• ArduinoJson by Benoit Blanchon
• Adafruit GFX Library
• Adafruit ST7789 Library

Configure WiFi:

1. Open arduino/room.ino
2. Update WiFi credentials:

const char* ssid = "YOUR_WIFI_SSID";        // Change this!
const char* password = "YOUR_WIFI_PASSWORD"; // Change this!

Upload to ESP32:

1. Select board: "ESP32C6 Dev Module"
2. Upload arduino/room.ino
3. Note the IP address shown in Serial Monitor

2. Desktop App Setup

Install Dependencies:

cd electron-app
npm install

Run Development Version:

npm start

Build Native Applications:

# Windows executable
npm run build-win

# macOS application  
npm run build-mac

# Both platforms
npm run build

Built apps will be in the dist/ folder.

Usage

1. Power on ESP32 - Display shows "Available" by default
2. Launch desktop app - Enter ESP32 IP address and click "Connect"
3. Control display - Select color (Available/Busy) and enter custom text
4. Door bell - Press button on ESP32 to send ring notification to desktop

Project Structure

├── arduino/
│   ├── room.ino                    # Main ESP32 firmware
│   ├── Display_ST7789.h/.cpp       # Display driver
│   ├── LVGL_Driver.h/.cpp          # LVGL interface
│   └── PINS_ESP32-C6-LCD-1_47.h    # Pin definitions
├── electron-app/
│   ├── main.js                     # Electron main process
│   ├── minimal.html                # UI frontend  
│   ├── package.json                # Dependencies & build config
│   └── README.md                   # App-specific instructions
└── README.md                       # This file

Features

ESP32 Firmware:

• ✅ WebSocket server with JSON messaging
• ✅ WPA2/WPA3 WiFi support with automatic fallback
• ✅ Power optimized (80MHz CPU, efficient sleep)
• ✅ Button interrupt handling with debouncing
• ✅ Landscape display mode (320×172)
• ✅ Production-ready code (debug output removed)

Desktop Controller:

• ✅ Native desktop app (Windows/macOS)
• ✅ Real-time WebSocket communication
• ✅ Native OS notifications for door bell
• ✅ Minimal, intuitive interface
• ✅ Automatic connection management

Technical Details

Communication Protocol:

// Display update (Desktop → ESP32)
{
  "color": "green|red",
  "line1": "  Main text", 
  "line2": "  Sub text"
}

// Ring notification (ESP32 → Desktop)
{
  "action": "ring",
  "timestamp": 1234567890
}

Power Consumption:

• ESP32 running at 80MHz for power efficiency
• Automatic WiFi power management
• Optimized display updates

Troubleshooting

ESP32 won't connect to WiFi:

• Ensure router is in WPA2/WPA3 mixed mode
• Check SSID and password are correct
• Some routers require 2.4GHz band selection

Desktop app won't connect:

• Verify ESP32 IP address in Serial Monitor
• Check firewall settings (port 81)
• Ensure both devices are on same network

Display issues:

• Verify all pin connections match schematic
• Check power supply (USB should be sufficient)
• Try different USB cable if display is dim

Development

Extending the firmware:

• Add new message types in webSocketEvent()
• Customize display layout in updateDisplay()
• Modify button behavior in sendRingMessage()

Customizing the desktop app:

• Edit minimal.html for UI changes
• Modify main.js for Electron behavior
• Add new features to WebSocket handler

License

MIT License - Feel free to modify and distribute.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome! Please test on actual hardware before submitting.

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Disclaimer: The Amazon link is an affiliate link. Using it supports this project at no extra cost to you.