mangavalkandClaude Opus 5.5
8efa810e4e
Disassembled the SV1.3 app image and confirmed the shift-register (HSPI 13/14 + latch 15), WS2812 (12), LDR (A0) and button pins, the 16-bit bit map and the tube order. The stock firmware has no I2C code and drives a DFPlayer on UART0. Adds the ELF/xref helper tools. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
89 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
89 lines
4.9 KiB
Markdown
# Nixie clock: notes for Claude
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An AliExpress WiFi nixie clock (4x IN-12 + 2x IN-3 neon dots, 8x WS2812) that is being
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moved from its closed stock firmware to ESP_UniClock (https://github.com/gpeter62/ESP_UniClock)
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with ArduinoOTA and Home Assistant (MQTT) support.
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## The device
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- On the network at **10.1.1.97** (WiFi `dlink-iot`). Stock web UI on port 80, nothing else
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open: no OTA, no API, no MQTT.
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- Board: RetroModding (Konstantin Repnikov) "NixieIN12v2 HV2.0", stock firmware **SV1.3**
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(©2020). ESP-12 (ESP8266, MAC 30:83:98:99:BF:DE, Espressif).
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- **Powered by USB-C 5 V only** (no DC jack). Most likely the maker's "v2.0L lightweight
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5 volt version". The user says the PCB looks different from the 12 V v2 board.
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- **No buttons fitted**, only the light sensor.
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- Stock settings (2026-10-25): time zone +01:00, EU DST on, NTP `time.euro.apple.com`,
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brightness auto, 24 h. Stock DST might not work: check in late March.
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## Stock firmware (from the flash dump)
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- `firmware/stock/nixie_stock_SV1.3_full_4MB.bin` (gitignored), SHA-256
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`b069f4eb93cf1e9063a30374db4d70508211f07b0a17049bcf9ebdeda65f2985`, verified against the chip
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with `verify-flash`. Flash: 4 MB, DIO, 40 MHz.
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- Arduino ESP8266 core 2.x (NONOS SDK 2.2.2-dev), built for board `ESP8266_NODEMCU`. App
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at 0x1000 (~1 MB slot), SPIFFS at 0x200000. Settings live in SPIFFS as JSON
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(`/config.json`, `/wifi.json`, `/light.json`, `/leds.json`, `/alerts.json`, `/hardware.json`).
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- **Hidden pages**: `/d` = "Hardware setting" (hidden from the menu by default). It has
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checkboxes to hide/show menu items and a **Debug mode** (`dev`) checkbox. With Debug
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mode on, `/u` serves the standard ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer upload form, which is web OTA
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for `.bin`/`.bin.gz`. `/r` reboots on a plain GET; don't GET unknown paths blindly.
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- No pin numbers are visible as strings; confirming the pinout needs disassembly or the
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bit-stepping test sketch.
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## Pinout
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From the 12 V v2 schematic (`docs/schematic_v2_12V.jpg`), checked against the stock firmware
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by disassembly (`docs/stock-firmware-pins.md`, tools in `tools/`). "Binary" = confirmed in
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the stock SV1.3 code; it has not yet been tested on the hardware.
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| Function | GPIO | Source |
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|---|---|---|
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| 74HC595 DATA / CLOCK (OE tied to GND) | 13 / 14 = HSPI MOSI / SCK (hardware SPI, MSB first) | Binary |
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| 74HC595 LATCH | 15, plain `digitalWrite` (has 1k pull-down) | Binary |
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| WS2812 data | 12 (NeoPixel bit-bang, GRB 800 kHz; stock assumes 12 LEDs, 8 fitted) | Binary |
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| Photoresistor (LDR, 10k to GND) | ADC (A0) | Binary |
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| BTN1 / BTN2 (not fitted) | 0 / 2, INPUT_PULLUP. Stock: GPIO0 is a button, GPIO2 a motion/presence input that wakes the display | Binary |
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| DFPlayer Mini (stock feature) | UART0: GPIO1 TX / GPIO3 RX, 9600 Bd | Binary |
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| DS3231M RTC SDA / SCL | 4 / 5. **Stock firmware has no I2C code** (NTP only); if fitted, unknown | Schematic only |
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Two chained 74HC595s make one 16-bit word, all bits active-high (confirmed from the binary;
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the high byte is sent first and goes to U2):
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- U1 QA..QH = cathodes 0..7 (bits 0..7), U2 QA = cathode 8 (bit 8), QB = cathode 9 (bit 9)
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(via 2x ULN2003, shared by all tubes)
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- U2 QC = P1 (neon dot 1, bit 10), QD..QG = anodes A1..A4 (bits 11..14, MMBTA42/92), QH = P2
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(bit 15; neon dot 2, and the decimal point if jumper JP2 is closed)
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- The display is multiplexed: one anode on at a time. **A1 = leftmost tube (hour tens),
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A4 = rightmost (minute ones)**, from the stock digit order. Stock lights P1/P2 in only one
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multiplex slot.
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## Programming header
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Header on the PCB: GND, GPIO0, RST, RXD, TXD, 3.3V. The USB-C port only supplies power.
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Flashing is done with a CH340C board on **COM7** (COM3 is another device; leave it alone).
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Wiring: GND-GND, adapter TXD -> clock RXD, adapter RXD -> clock TXD, adapter 3.3V not
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connected (the clock is powered from its own USB-C). No auto-reset: to enter flash mode, hold
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GPIO0 to GND, tap RST to GND, then release GPIO0.
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- esptool is installed for the user (`python -m esptool`, v5.6.0).
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- `firmware/stock/` holds the stock flash dump. **Never overwrite or delete it**; it is the
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only way back to SV1.3 (`write-flash 0 <dump>`). Dumps are gitignored because the flash
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holds the WiFi password; never commit them.
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## Constraints
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- The 170 V tube supply is live whenever USB-C is connected.
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- Hardware is only reachable via the user: anything that needs RST/GPIO0 or looking at the
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tubes must be asked of them. Builds can be checked here, but runtime behaviour can't.
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- Show the exact plan before making changes to the device (flashing, saving settings).
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## Plan
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1. Dump and inspect the stock firmware (version strings, pins if possible).
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2. Write a test sketch that steps through the 16 shift-register bits, to verify the pinout
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and the tube order.
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3. Add a 74HC595-multiplex driver + CLOCK config to ESP_UniClock, plus ArduinoOTA and
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Home Assistant controls (display on/off, brightness, LEDs); its stock MQTT only
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publishes sensors.
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4. Work continues in VS Code (PlatformIO).
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