Box Project

Box is a smart, IoT-based image display device inspired by the Love Box product. This project allows users to upload images to a Supabase backend, which are then displayed on an OLED screen housed within the Box. The device is designed to be user-friendly, with features enabling easy WiFi connectivity by providing a WiFi portal as an access point, easily connected to by scanning a QR code and automated reconnection to known networks.

Features

• Image Display: View images on an SSD1351 OLED display that are uploaded to Supabase.
• WiFi Connectivity: Simple setup via a WiFi portal to connect to nearby networks. The device remembers and automatically reconnects to known networks.
• Power Management: The OLED display turns off when the box is closed using a micro switch.
• User-Friendly: No technical programming skills required for setup and operation.
• QR Code for Setup: The WiFi portal will display a QR code and the hostname for easy connection.
• mDNS Support: The WiFi portal uses mDNS, accessible for example at box.local for straightforward setup.

Gallery

Hardware

• Microcontroller: ESP32-S3 by Espressif
• Display: SSD1351 OLED display
• Other Components: Micro switch for lid detection (optionally a small speaker or buzzer)

Software

• Programming Language: CircuitPython by Adafruit
• Backend: Supabase for image storage and retrieval

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• An ESP32-S3 microcontroller
• SSD1351 OLED display
• CircuitPython installed on the ESP32-S3
• Supabase account for image storage

Installation

1. Set up CircuitPython on your ESP32-S3 by following the Adafruit guide.

2. Clone this repository and copy the necessary CircuitPython files to your ESP32-S3.

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/box.git

3. Install required CircuitPython libraries. Ensure the following libraries are included in your lib directory on the ESP32-S3:

   • adafruit_displayio_ssd1351
   • adafruit_esp32spi
   • adafruit_requests
   • adafruit_minimqtt
   • adafruit_portalbase

4. Configure Supabase:

   • Set up a new Supabase project and create a bucket for storing images.
   • Obtain your Supabase API keys and URL.

5. Configure the Box:

   • Update the settings.toml file with your Supabase credentials, the bucket name, and the image path.
   • Update code.py with the correct pins for the buttons and display if necessary.

Usage

1. Connecting to WiFi:

   • On first boot, the Box will create a WiFi portal as an access point.
   • Connect to this portal with your device. The Box will display a QR code and the hostname (box.local) for easy connection.
   • Select your WiFi network from the list.

2. Uploading Images:

   • Upload images to your Supabase project. I use an iOS Shortcut with "Markup" for easy access.
   • The Box will detect new images and display them on the OLED screen.

3. Closing the Box:

   • When the Box is closed, the micro switch will turn off the OLED display to save power.

4. Power loss:

   • Once the power is re-connected, the Box will automatically reconnect to a known WiFi network, display the latest saved image and try to fetch the newest available image to display

File Configuration

settings.toml

Update the settings.toml file with your WiFi and Supabase credentials.

SUPABASE_URL=<YOUR URL HERE>
SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=<YOUR KEY HERE>
SUPABASE_BUCKET=<YOUR BUCKET NAME HERE>
SUPABASE_IMAGE_PATH=<YOUR PATH TO THE IMAGE HERE>

AP_SSID = "Box"
AP_PASSWORD = "wifiportal"
MDNS_HOSTNAME = "box"

code.py

Ensure the code.py file is configured with the correct pins for your hardware setup. Example:

# Define pins for buttons and display
BUTTON_PIN = board.GP42

DISPLAY_SCL = board.GP10
DISPLAY_SDA = board.GP11
DISPLAY_CS = board.GP13
DISPLAY_DC = board.GP34
DISPLAY_RESET = board.GP35

Troubleshooting

• WiFi Issues: If the Box does not connect to a WiFi network, ensure your credentials are correct and that the network is in range.
• Image Display Issues: Verify that the images are in Bitmap format. Verify that the images are correctly uploaded to Supabase and that the API keys are correctly configured in settings.toml.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request for any improvements or bug fixes.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

• Adafruit CircuitPython
• Supabase

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Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need further assistance.