For interfacing with Windows/macOS/Linux using an ESP32, a touchscreen and BLE.
Make sure to uncomment the line //#define USECAPTOUCH!
And if you wish to use the speaker uncomment the line //#define speakerPin 26
If FreeTouchDeck came pre-installed, you can find how to set up the configurator here:
https://github.com/DustinWatts/esp32-touchdown/wiki/With-FreeTouchDeck-pre-installed
Important to realise is that since this is a beta version, changes to te code happen frequently. The FreeTouchDeck.ino and other files (for example in the data folder) rely on each other, they come as one. So when you download the new version, make sure that you only use the files that come with the current download, and not files from other versions. Best practise is to completely delete the old version and then download/clone the new version to make sure you do not accidently mix files from different versions. After downloading/cloning the latest version, make sure to also upload the "data" folder again using 'ESP32 Sketch Data Upload".
This version is in it's very early stages of development. Chances are that if you are not using the exact same setup as I am, you will run in to problems. But that is what this version is for: finding out what is needed to make FreeTouchDeck work across most ESP's and TFT screens. Also there is a lack of documentation which is gradually being written.
The hardware I currenlty use is:
For Resistive touch:
- an ESP32 DEVKIT V1 (WROOM32) (Partition scheme: NO OTA with 2MB app and 2MB SPIFFS)
- an 3.5" (480x320) TFT + Touchscreen with ILI9488 driver and XPT2046 resitive touch controller
For Capacitive touch:
- an ESP32 DEVKIT V1 (WROOM32) (Partition scheme: NO OTA with 2MB app and 2MB SPIFFS)
- an 3.5" (480x320) TFT + Touchscreen with ILI9488 driver and FT6236 capacitive touch controller
- Adafruit-GFX-Library (version 1.10.0 or higher), available through Library Manager
- TFT_eSPI (version 2.2.14 or higher), available through Library Manager
- ESP32-BLE-Keyboard (forked) (latest version) download from: https://github.com/DustinWatts/ESP32-BLE-Keyboard
- ESPAsyncWebserver (latest version) download from: https://github.com/me-no-dev/ESPAsyncWebServer
- AsyncTCP (latest version) download from: https://github.com/me-no-dev/AsyncTCP
- TJpg_Decoder (version 0.0.3 or higher), available through Library Manager or https://github.com/Bodmer/TJpg_Decoder
If you use capacitive touch:
- FT6236 (latest version), download from: https://github.com/DustinWatts/FT6236
https://github.com/DustinWatts/ESP32_TFT_Combiner
Before compiling and uploading the FreeTouchDeck.ino sketch, you will have to edit the user_setup.h file included with the TFT_eSPI library. This can be found in your Arduino sketchbook folder under "libraries". If you have not renamed the TFT_eSPI library folder, the file user_setup.h can be found in TFT_eSPI-master. Here you will have to uncomment the lines that apply to you hardware configuration. For example: if you have an TFT with an ILI9488 driver, you will have to uncomment that line under Section 1. Make sure all the other drivers are commented out!
The next section is Section 2. This also depends on what hardware you are using. For example for an ESP32 you'll have to uncomment the correct #define(s) under EDIT THE PIN NUMBERS IN THE LINES FOLLOWING TO SUIT YOUR ESP32 SETUP. Also if your TFT has the black light control pin available you will have to uncomment the lines found under #define TFT_BL and #define TFT_BACKLIGHT_ON.
"Section 3" can be left alone.
Both Ardiuno and PlatformIO can be used to build this project. PlatformIO will automatically download needed libraries and specific versions if needed.
To open the project in PlatformIO, choose File->Open Folder and navigate to where you cloned the project to..
Under Project Tasks you can select the appropriate devices you want to build for, the finished BIN file will be located in "build_output\firmware" folder.
It's also possible to program the devices direct from PlatformIO by selecting Upload under the chosen device.
In UserConfig.h you must comment out #ArduinoIDE by adding // in front. eg. //#Arduino
Note, that you will also need to change device_comport in platformio.ini file under section [common_env_data] if you want to monitor output from the Device or program it.
The project also supports using make command if installed.
Make sure that a PATH for PlatformIO has been set for Linux or Windows within the Makefile by changing PlatformIO_Path with the correct path.
The following commands are:
all - Builds BIN files for all devices.
clean - Removes all files generated while building.
touchdown - Builds BIN file for touchdown
makerfabs - Builds BIN file for Makefabs
devkit - Builds BIN file for ESP32 Dev-Kit
BIN files can be found at 'built_out\firmware' directory.
You can join my Discord server where I have a dedicated #freetouchdeck channel. https://discord.gg/RE3XevS