Had a serious discussion today: 'AI is so good writing reports for me, saves me doing that work' I remark: it is the most annoying thing to read. The reply was: I don't expect anybody to read it. an AI reads and then query it that way. Person->AI->AI ->Person Luckily nothing gets lost this way.

Fixed some more issues and made a small rust upload client.

Worked out and implemented OTA over mqtt for my #esp32* projects today. Was on my todo for a while. You send the size of the new image (this cancel current ota and start new), then send the image in sequential chunks. Once done; it checksum checks the image, applies it and reboots into new.

At work I have a HP laptop with i7-13700H. It's horrible. Lets talk about this expensive-ish powerfull cpu. 6P8E Cores, 20 threads. If you run a single process, it cooks one core at 100C. even under light load. Tweaking the bios (to always on the fan) it gets better idle. Still 100C load.

Fun issue, upgraded (working) code to esp-idf 5 and added some new feature.. It all worked, until I started it without the USB connected (default state). Even the prev. working version failed. After some tweaking got it to a point it worked for receiving and sending started only after plug in.

Finally fixed my last 4 display clock. One of the previous displays had a different color/white balance then the others. The replacement is not perfect, but a lot better. Now to see what to use this one for. 4 displays on one esp32s3.

Saw this display on aliexpress, curious to try. Anybody has experience with it?

Don't you hate it when you look at an old project (that is in use for years) and realize there is a mistake. Fixing the mistake reduces a weird offset and seems to improve its linearity.. Now to take out all the units that are in use and fix them, incl. the software that had workarounds.

Because some quality and damage issues with @aisler.net recently (privately & at work) decided to order same pcb from @jlcpcb.bsky.social. First big difference is packaging quality, with aisler I got damaged stencils, jlc comes in a solid box. On the pcb its less clear, the jlc cut-out is better.

Latest Aliexpress package has another weact studio power monitor (super useful as quick usb-c power supply) and two 2.1" 360x360 screens. It feels a lot larger then the 1.5" I've been using up to now, cannot wait to use it.

I've been hit with this issue: github.com/OpenCentauri... Hopefully I can get a new camera under warranty..

GitHub - OpenCentauri/cc2_camera_fix: Fix for bricked Elegoo Centauri 2 cameras and for preventing future bricking

Fix for bricked Elegoo Centauri 2 cameras and for preventing future bricking - OpenCentauri/cc2_camera_fix

github.com

Need to get 9 or 12V out of a powerbank. Current setup uses a (expensive) PD chip. Trying to go cheaper, I made a QuickCharge trigger. This works, except on the ikea powerbank we use. It works when plug-in if power bank is off. It doesn't work when using on/off switch, or plug-in when on. Sh*t.

New alie package arrived. This time two radar based zigbee presence sensors. I've been using home-brew ones that are powered and wifi based. I hope with these I can simplify my setup. Curious how long the battery will last, spec say ~1year. 2nd thing is a small grinding tools to help fixing pcbs.

I think the garmin speed sensor is drunk.. Pretty sure I did not do 112.2 km/h average on my bicycle.

Added some more small features, before printing it now overlays the state. Looking at it, I need to center the box better around the text. Trying to print ASA, first print warped, its even a closed box (it closes the vents) and I brought it up to temp. Maybe I should add chamber temp to display.

I have a hate relationship with freecad. This morning it crashed, it could not recover the file (corrupt) and the backup. So lost 45m of work again To keep my sanity, I went to openscad again. Atleast it does not crash and destroy my model. Tons of things are way easier and a few things way harder.

Posted about this a while back, but the project is getting more awesome daily github.com/espkvm/espkvm A esp32-p4 and a hdmi to csi board and you got a fully fledged KVM.. * FHD * ethernet/wifi * keyboard/mouse/media emulation * wireguard/tailscale support * Status display/mqtt * WOL or hardwire

Put some extra information on my Elegoo Status display. The API is not completely as described, but got most stuff up and running. Used github.com/mcufont/mcuf... for nicely rendering the fonts! Next time it gives an error, I should figure out how to render that as an overlay on top off it.

So finally 80 FPGAs now running of there new control system. One board failed to read the SD card. With these control boards, I can see this from the board's current. Green is failing board, yellow is a successful boot.

Cute little variable resistor.

So one of the things I wanted to do with new pcb, add a 3d printer status screen to my status wall (13 round screens). Got the video stream working, found out there is an MQTT server on the printer, that gives some status (temp, remaining time, etc). Next to render this on the screen.

New PCB from @aisler.net. Had to flatten the stencil first (thanks DHL premium), but it soldered fine in the end. Now to test if everything works using it with the 360x360 qspi display.

I caved and bought a alientek hotplate that allows me to set a 'simplistic' curve. I need to figure out the bluetooth interface to see if I can log/automate stuff. Its kinda weird that a simple hotplate and USB-C charger now by default come with bluetooth interface.

Opened up my uyue 946 to look around its build. This one does not have an SSR like the old one Should be easy enough to add for control I also spend some time making it a bit saver: multiple, 3x220V multistrand wires twisted together in a screw terminal, next to each other waiting for a short, sigh

Soldered the last of the 18 boards. (missing some connectors for power still). I really need a better hotplate at home, I had to use my (cheap) bigger one. But it takes ages to cool down enough so you can solder the next one. Maybe I should build one that can cool itself and follow a curve.

Made an updated version of my ESP32 board. With the esp32s3 (this time no antenna sticking out) and the connector for the 360x360 qspi screen. Base form factor still the same (size/screw holes, power connector), but button/headers moved.

Playing with this one: github.com/jrowny/p4kvm work well. There is an nice patch proposed: github.com/jrowny/p4kvm.... This will be a good use for my stack of esp32-p4 boards! The esp32p4 seems to be very suited for these types of tasks. Also made my immich frame version 3.0 compatible.

GitHub - jrowny/p4kvm: A proof of concept IP KVM built on espressif ESP32-P4

A proof of concept IP KVM built on espressif ESP32-P4 - jrowny/p4kvm

github.com

Anybody knows what this is? I just soldered 4 pcbs from same batch. Out of the 4; 1 has these weird grey/silver on the pads.. All soldered on the hotplate within a few minutes from eachother, same temperature and time. I had this before with aisler PCBs, curious what it is? works fine, just ugly

Today saw a website that sells a fake casio FX-82MS with build in bluetooth for p2p communication, googling and notes. It was expli. sold for cheating on exams. These are impossible to spot, it looked identical to a €5 euro fake one I bought a while back. Consequence, no more calculators on exams.

Fun bug, via mqtt I could control all the boards from 00 up to 40, but not board 08 and 09. Locally via buttons it worked fine. The number parsing uses strtoull. I am happy it took me only a few mins to realize my mistake, as I would not have been surprised if it would have cost me hours to find.