ESPCast

ESPCast is an ESP32-based smart display device that combines Chromecast discovery and control capabilities with a rich touchscreen interface. Built on the ESP-IDF framework, it provides a comprehensive solution for wireless media control and device interaction.

Hardware Platform: This project is currently based on the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-1.46B development board, which provides the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, 1.46" round LCD display, and integrated touch functionality.

Development: This project was developed with AI assistance using Augment Agent, demonstrating collaborative human-AI software development for embedded systems.

Screenshots

Chromecast device discovery and selection interface

Volume control interface for connected Chromecast devices

Overview

ESPCast transforms an ESP32 microcontroller into a sophisticated smart display that can:

• Discover and control Chromecast devices on your local network using mDNS
• Provide a touchscreen GUI for WiFi management and Chromecast interaction
• Play audio through high-quality DAC output
• Monitor environmental sensors including accelerometer/gyroscope and real-time clock
• Manage power with battery monitoring and power key controls
• Store data on SD card storage

Key Features

🎵 Audio & Media

• PCM5101 DAC for high-quality audio output
• MP3 playback from SD card storage
• Microphone support for voice input and speech recognition
• Audio player with volume control and playback management

📱 Display & Touch Interface

• 412x412 pixel color display (SPD2010 controller)
• Multi-point capacitive touch support (up to 5 touch points)
• LVGL-based GUI with tabbed interface
• Backlight control with PWM brightness adjustment

🌐 Networking & Chromecast

• WiFi station mode with automatic connection
• mDNS-based Chromecast discovery
• Chromecast device control via Google Cast protocol
• TLS-secured communication with Chromecast devices
• Default WiFi credentials support for easy deployment

🔧 Hardware Integration

• ESP32-S3 microcontroller support
• I2C sensor bus for multiple peripherals
• SD card storage via MMC interface
• Battery monitoring with voltage measurement
• Power management with sleep/wake functionality
• GPIO expansion via TCA9554 I/O expander

📊 Sensors & Monitoring

• QMI8658 6-axis IMU (accelerometer + gyroscope)
• PCF85063 RTC for real-time clock functionality
• Battery voltage monitoring
• Power key detection with interrupt handling

Hardware Components

Base Platform: Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-1.46B

Core Processing

• ESP32-S3 microcontroller with WiFi/Bluetooth
• TCA9554PWR I2C GPIO expander for additional I/O

Display & Input

• SPD2010 412x412 LCD controller with QSPI interface
• Capacitive touch controller integrated with display
• PWM backlight control

Audio System

• PCM5101 high-quality stereo DAC
• I2S audio interface (44.1kHz, 16-bit stereo)
• Microphone input for voice commands

Storage & Connectivity

• SD/MMC card slot for media storage
• WiFi 802.11 b/g/n for network connectivity
• Bluetooth support (ESP32-S3 integrated)

Sensors & Power

• QMI8658 6-axis inertial measurement unit
• PCF85063 real-time clock with battery backup
• Battery monitoring circuit
• Power management with sleep modes

Software Architecture

Main Components

ESP Cast Core (main/Cast/)

• esp_cast.c - Main application logic and GUI initialization
• wifi_manager.c - WiFi connection management with auto-connect
• wifi_gui_manager.c - WiFi configuration GUI
• chromecast_discovery_wrapper.cpp - mDNS-based device discovery
• chromecast_controller_wrapper.cpp - Chromecast device control
• chromecast_gui_manager.c - Chromecast control interface

Hardware Drivers (main/*/)

• Display: SPD2010 LCD driver with LVGL integration
• Touch: Multi-point capacitive touch handling
• Audio: PCM5101 DAC with I2S interface
• Sensors: QMI8658 IMU and PCF85063 RTC drivers
• Storage: SD card interface for media files
• Power: Battery monitoring and power management

User Interface (main/LVGL_*/)

• LVGL graphics library for smooth GUI rendering
• Tabbed interface with WiFi and Chromecast controls
• Touch event handling with gesture support
• Real-time status updates and device feedback

External Components

• chromecast_controller - C++ library for Google Cast protocol
• chromecast_discovery - mDNS-based device discovery
• esp-audio-player - MP3 playback and audio management
• esp-dsp - Digital signal processing capabilities
• lvgl - Graphics and UI framework

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• ESP-IDF v4.4+ development framework
• ESP32-S3 development board with compatible hardware
• CMake and Ninja build tools

Building the Project

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd ESPCast

2. Set up ESP-IDF environment:

   . $IDF_PATH/export.sh

3. Configure the project:

   idf.py menuconfig

4. Build and flash:

   idf.py build
   idf.py flash monitor

Configuration

WiFi Setup

Configure default WiFi credentials for automatic connection:

idf.py menuconfig
# Navigate to: Example Configuration → Default WiFi Configuration

Or edit sdkconfig.defaults:

CONFIG_DEFAULT_WIFI_ENABLED=y
CONFIG_DEFAULT_WIFI_SSID="YourWiFiNetwork"
CONFIG_DEFAULT_WIFI_PASSWORD="YourWiFiPassword"

See DEFAULT_WIFI_CONFIG.md for detailed WiFi configuration options.

Hardware Configuration

Adjust pin assignments and hardware settings in:

• main/*/ driver header files
• sdkconfig.defaults for component-specific settings

Usage

Basic Operation

1. Power on the device
2. WiFi connection - Device automatically connects using default or saved credentials
3. Touch interface - Use the touchscreen to navigate between WiFi and Chromecast tabs
4. Chromecast discovery - Scan for available Chromecast devices on the network
5. Device control - Select and control Chromecast devices (volume, status)

GUI Interface

WiFi Tab

• Network scanning and connection management
• Saved credentials management
• Connection status and signal strength display
• Manual network configuration

Chromecast Tab

• Device discovery with automatic scanning
• Device list with connection status
• Volume control for connected devices
• Real-time status updates

Audio Playback

• SD card support for MP3 file playback
• Volume control via touch interface
• High-quality audio through PCM5101 DAC

Development

Adding New Features

The modular architecture makes it easy to extend functionality:

• New sensors - Add drivers in main/ with I2C integration
• GUI elements - Extend LVGL interface in main/LVGL_UI/
• Network protocols - Add new discovery or control methods
• Audio formats - Extend audio player capabilities

Testing

• Hardware testing - Individual component test functions
• WiFi testing - esp_cast_test_default_wifi() and related functions
• Chromecast testing - Device discovery and control validation

Debugging

• Serial monitor - idf.py monitor for real-time logging
• Component logs - Detailed logging for each subsystem
• Memory monitoring - Built-in heap and stack monitoring

Protocol Buffer Setup

For Chromecast communication, compile the protocol buffers:

protoc-c --c_out=. cast_channel.proto
protoc --cpp_out=../. ./components/chromecast_controller/chromecast_protobuf/*.proto

License

This project uses various open-source components. See individual component licenses for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please ensure:

• Code follows ESP-IDF coding standards
• Hardware changes are documented
• New features include appropriate testing
• Documentation is updated for user-facing changes