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# Patternflow v2.0.0

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@engmung engmung released this 11 May 01:38
· 246 commits to main since this release
v2.0.0
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Patternflow v2.0.0

The first release where everything lines up. Hardware, firmware, web, and docs all share one version line now. v1.x was firmware-on-v1-PCB with rough edges; v2.0.0 is the build the project was trying to be.

What's new

PCB v2 fixes the cold-boot issue. ESP32-S3's GPIO0 is a strapping pin, and on v1 it was left floating. After extended power-off the pin could leak into an indeterminate state and boot the module into serial download mode instead of firmware — the exact "boot failure" symptom that v1 builders kept reporting. v2 adds R13, a 10kΩ pullup, and fixes it at the PCB level. Silkscreen also cleaned up: R/C designators are now clearly distinguishable, and the encoder solder side is marked correctly.

Custom pattern workflow. A new doc — firmware/CUSTOM_PATTERNS.md — turns pattern creation into a five-step loop: describe a visual idea in plain language, paste it into an AI assistant, drop the JavaScript into the Live Editor at patternflow.work, tune the knobs, convert to C++, flash. No shader knowledge required. This is the bigger story of v2 — Patternflow becoming a pattern-making instrument, not just a hardware object.

Web platform is substantially complete. Browser flasher (Chrome/Edge), Live Editor with 3D preview, journal, build map. Site sections moved onto a new editorial design system — cream paper background, hairline rules, Inter + JetBrains Mono, no gradients.

Built-in patterns canonicalized as Origin and Wave Saw. Long-press encoder 4 to switch. Firmware v2 stays backward compatible with v1 hardware.

Docs rewritten. README leads with the AI-assisted pattern workflow and the build-from-files / wait-for-the-kit framing. BUILD guide updated to v2 PCB with R13, the cold-boot fix story, and reorganized known issues / design notes. PCB assembly photos added.

Compatibility

Firmware v2 runs on v1 hardware without changes. The only PCB-side change in v2 is R13. If your v1 unit boots reliably — especially likely with a genuine Espressif module — you don't need to upgrade the hardware. If your v1 unit needs a RESET press on cold boot, you can bodge R13 onto the v1 board; see Issue #16 for the procedure.

Credit

@idranoutof1d (Doyun) carried this release as much as I did. He identified the GPIO0 strapping-pin mechanism early in Issue #16, referencing Espressif's boot-mode documentation, and was right while I was chasing the wrong hypothesis. The Reddit comment from u/Infrated on r/AskElectronics is what finally closed the case, but Doyun had pointed at the same answer in the issue thread before that — and then went on to redesign PCB v2 itself, including the R13 placement, the silkscreen cleanup, and the rest of the layout fixes. Patternflow v2 carries his hands as well as mine.

Thanks also to the broader r/AskElectronics community for additional pointers on USB inrush spec and debugging methodology.

Still open

  • The LED matrix rear has two small alignment bumps that still require manual trimming during assembly. A future case revision, planned alongside the LED diffuser variant, will add the geometry to accommodate them.

Links

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