ESPTimeCast

ESPTimeCast™ is a sleek, WiFi-connected LED matrix clock and weather display built on ESP8266/ESP32 and MAX7219. It combines real-time NTP time sync, live OpenWeatherMap updates, and a modern web-based configuration interface — all in one compact design.

Flash ESPTimeCast directly from your browser — no Arduino IDE, no drivers setup, no manual configuration.

👉 Web Installer:
https://esptimecast.gocika.com

After flashing, connect to the ESPTimeCast WiFi access point to complete setup.

• Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266)
• ESP32 Dev Module
• ESP32-C3 SuperMini
• Wemos S2 Mini (ESP32-S2)
• ESP32-S3 WROOM-1 (Camera/SD board)

ESPTimeCast supports the following chip families:

• ESP8266
• ESP32
• ESP32-S2
• ESP32-C3
• ESP32-S3

Other development boards using these chips may work,
but pin mapping and USB behavior can vary.

📌 Wiring guide:
See the hardware connection table.

🔄 About Updates:
The browser-based update feature is designed for installations originally flashed using the Web Installer.
If you installed ESPTimeCast manually via Arduino IDE, the web update function may not work reliably.

Requires Chrome, Edge, or Brave (Web Serial support).

To help support the project’s development, the official ESPTimeCast™ case design is available as a paid STL download (see links below).

If you prefer a free option, there are many compatible MAX7219 LED matrix enclosures shared by the community - you can find plenty by searching for “MAX7219 case” on Printables, Cults3D, or similar sites.

• LED Matrix Display (8x32) powered by MAX7219, with custom font support
• Simple Web Interface for all configuration (WiFi, weather, time zone, display durations, and more)
• Automatic NTP Sync with robust status feedback and retries
• Weather Fetching from OpenWeatherMap (every 5 minutes, temp/humidity/description)
• Custom Scroll Messages - fully persistent until manually cleared via the Web UI
• Fallback AP Mode for easy first-time setup or configuration
• Timezone Selection from IANA names (DST integrated on backend)
• Get My Location button to get your approximate Lat/Long
• Week Day and Weather Description display in multiple languages
• Persistent Config stored in LittleFS, with backup/restore system
• Status Animations for WiFi connection, AP mode, time syncing
• Advanced Settings panel with:
  • Custom Primary/Secondary NTP server input
  • Display Day of the Week toggle (default is on)
  • Display Blinking Colon toggle (default is on)
  • Show Date toggle (default is off)
  • 24/12h clock mode toggle (24-hour default)
  • Imperial Units (°F) toggle (metric °C defaults)
  • Show Humidity toggle (display Humidity besides Temperature)
  • Weather description toggle (displays: heavy rain, scattered clouds, thunderstorm etc.)
  • Flip display (180 degrees)
  • Adjustable display brightness
  • Automatic Dimming based on Sunrise/Sunset from weather API
  • Custom Dimming select custom dimming hours
  • Countdown function (Scroll / Dramatic)
  • Optional: ESPTimeCast supports displaying glucose data from Nightscout servers every 5 minutes, alternating with weather information
  • Optional: Export and Upload settings via device-ip/export and device-ip/upload endpoints

ESPTimeCast uses board-specific recommended SPI pin mappings to ensure consistent behavior, stable power delivery, and reliable brightness.

The following pin mappings correspond to the official Web Installer builds. If you are compiling manually, ensure your pin definitions match this table.

The table lists raw GPIO numbers.
MAX7219 modules are typically powered at 5V but accept 3.3V logic on DIN / CLK / CS.
All ESP32 boards listed above have been tested successfully with this wiring.
ESP8266 D1 Mini boards are often labeled using D-pins (D5 = GPIO14, D7 = GPIO13, D8 = GPIO15). Other boards using the same chip families may work, but SPI pins may differ depending on the manufacturer layout. ESP32-C3 SuperMini mapping changed to avoid strapping pin conflicts and boot issues present on some boards.

Tip: Double-check the pin order on your MAX7219 module — labeling and orientation can vary between manufacturers.

If your device was wired before Oct 17, 2025, please verify the following:

• CLK is connected to D5
• VCC is connected to 5V (not 3.3V)
• Flashing via the web installer automatically applies the correct defaults

1. Power on the device. If WiFi fails, it auto-starts in AP mode:
   • SSID: ESPTimeCast
   • Password: 12345678
   • Captive portal should open automatically, if it doesn't open http://192.168.4.1 or http://setup.esp in your browser.
2. Set your WiFi and all other options.
3. Click Save Setting – the device saves config, reboots, and connects.
4. The device shows its local IP address after boot so you can login again for setting changes

External links and the "Get My Location" button require internet access.
They won't work while the device is in AP Mode - connect to WiFi first.

ESPTimeCast includes a built-in Web UI that lets you fully configure the device from any browser — no apps required.

• http://esptimecast.local
  mDNS / Bonjour - Works on macOS, iOS, Windows with Bonjour, and most modern browsers.

• The device’s local IP address
  → On every reboot, ESPTimeCast shows its IP on the LED display so you can easily connect.

• WiFi settings (SSID & Password)
• Weather settings (OpenWeatherMap API key, City, Country, Coordinates)
• Time zone (will auto-populate if TZ is found)
• Day of the Week and Weather Description languages
• Display durations for clock and weather (milliseconds)
• Custom Scroll Text - set a persistent scrolling message on the display directly from the Web UI
• Advanced Settings (see below)

Click the cog icon next to “Advanced Settings” in the Web UI to reveal extra configuration options.

Available advanced settings:

• Primary NTP Server: Override the default NTP server (e.g. pool.ntp.org)
• Secondary NTP Server: Fallback NTP server (e.g. time.nist.gov)
• Day of the Week: Display Day of the Week in the desired language
• Blinking Colon toggle (default is on)
• Show Date (default is off, duration is the same as weather duration)
• 24/12h Clock: Switch between 24-hour and 12-hour time formats (24-hour default)
• Imperial Units (°F) toggle (metric °C defaults)
• Humidity: Display Humidity besides Temperature
• Weather description toggle (display weather description in the selected language for 3 seconds or scrolls once if description is too long)
• Flip Display: Invert the display vertically/horizontally
• Brightness: Off - 0 (dim) to 15 (bright)
• Automatic Dimming Feature base on Sunrise/Sunset from weather API
• Custom Dimming Feature: Start time, end time and desired brightness selection
• Countdown function, set a countdown to your favorite/next event, 2 modes: Scroll/Dramatic!

Non-English characters converted to their closest English alphabet.
For Esperanto, Irish, and Swahili, weather description translations are not available. Japanese translations exist, but since the device cannot display all Japanese characters, English will be used in all these cases.

Tip: Don't forget to press the save button to keep your settings

• OpenWeatherMap API Key:
  • Make an account here
  • Check your API key here
• City Name: e.g. Tokyo, London, etc.
• Country Code: 2-letter code (e.g., JP, GB)
• ZIP Code: Enter your ZIP code in the city field and US in the country field (US only)
• Latitude and Longitude You can enter coordinates in the city field (lat.) and country field (long.)
• Time Zone: Select from IANA zones (e.g., America/New_York, handles DST automatically)

There are two ways to install ESPTimeCast:

Flash directly from your browser in under a minute: https://esptimecast.gocika.com

If you prefer compiling and uploading manually, follow the instructions below.

Follow these steps to prepare your Arduino IDE for ESP8266 development:

1. Install ESP8266 Board Package:
   • Open File > Preferences in Arduino IDE.
   • Add http://arduino.esp8266.com/stable/package_esp8266com_index.json to "Additional Boards Manager URLs."
   • Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager.... Search for esp8266 by ESP8266 Community and click "Install".
2. Select Your Board:
   • Go to Tools > Board and select your specific board, e.g., Wemos D1 Mini (or your ESP8266 variant).
3. Configure Flash Size:
   • Under Tools, select Flash Size "4MB FS:2MB OTA:~1019KB" or Flash Size "Mapping defined by Hardware and Sketch". This ensures enough space for the sketch and LittleFS data.
4. Install Libraries:
   • Go to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries... and install the following:
     • ArduinoJson by Benoit Blanchon
     • MD_Parola by majicDesigns (this will typically also install its dependency: MD_MAX72xx)
     • ESPAsyncTCP by ESP32Async
     • ESPAsyncWebServer by ESP32Async (3.9.1 or above)
        

Follow these steps to prepare your Arduino IDE for ESP32 development:

1. Install ESP32 Board Package:

   • Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager.... Search for esp32 by Espressif Systems and click "Install".

2. Select Your Board:

   • Go to Tools > Board and select your specific board, e.g., LOLIN S2 Mini (or your ESP32 variant).

3. Configure Partition Scheme:

   • Go to Tools > Partition Scheme and choose one of the following:
     • For OTA support (recommended):
       Minimal SPIFFS (1.9MB APP with OTA / 128KB SPIFFS)
       This enables wireless firmware updates via the built-in web interface.
     • Without OTA support:
       No OTA (2MB APP / 2MB SPIFFS) or No OTA (LARGE APP)
       These provide a larger filesystem but do not support OTA updates.
        

   Note: OTA works out of the box with the official Web Installer build.
   Manual builds are fully supported as well - just make sure you're using the recommended pinout for your specific board as documented in this repository.
   Important: If the Minimal SPIFFS option does not appear, make sure you have selected Dev Module for your specific ESP32 chip family (e.g., ESP32 Dev Module, ESP32-S2 Dev Module, ESP32-C3 Dev Module).

4. Install Libraries:

   • Go to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries... and install the following:
     • ArduinoJson by Benoit Blanchon
     • MD_Parola by majicDesigns (this will typically also install its dependency: MD_MAX72xx)
     • AsyncTCP by ESP32Async
     • ESPAsyncWebServer by ESP32Async

Once your IDE is ready:

1. Open the Project Folder

   • ESP8266: Open the ESPTimeCast_ESP8266 folder and open ESPTimeCast_ESP8266.ino.
   • ESP32: Open the ESPTimeCast_ESP32 folder and open ESPTimeCast_ESP32.ino.

2. Recommended: Add the mfactoryfont.h for Full Visuals

   • To use the official mfactoryfont.h (custom font + icons), download it from:
     https://esptimecast.github.io/mfactoryfont/mfactoryfont.h
     • (Right-click the link and choose “Save As…” to download the file.)
   • Place mfactoryfont.h in the same folder as your sketch.
   • If the font is detected, the firmware will use it automatically.
   • If not, the firmware will fall back to the Basic Font, which is fully functional but simpler.
3. Upload the Sketch
   • Click the Upload button (right arrow icon) in the Arduino IDE toolbar. This will compile and upload the sketch to your board.
   • No separate LittleFS upload is needed. All web UI files are embedded in the sketch.

⚠️ Note for existing users: If you have previously uploaded /data via LittleFS, you can safely skip that step now — the device will manage config files internally.

This guide explains how to integrate ESPTimeCast with Home Assistant to send custom messages to your LED display.

ESPTimeCast exposes a REST API endpoint that lets you send scrolling messages to the display from either Home Assistant or the built-in Web UI.

• Act as persistent messages
• Remain active (even through reboots) until replaced or cleared in the Web UI
• Short messages (up to 8 characters) display static & centered, using the Web UI’s Weather Duration before the display rotates to the next mode

• Are temporary overrides
• Do not overwrite the persistent Web UI message
• Can automatically expire using:
  • scrolltimes → number of scroll cycles
• If neither parameter is sent:
  • Short messages (up to 8 characters) use Weather Duration
  • Long messages scroll once per display cycle (then the display advances to the next mode, e.g., clock → weather → …)

New: Home Assistant messages can now expire automatically after a set number of seconds or scroll cycles and the last Web UI message (if any) will be restored.

POST http://<device_ip>/set_custom_message

Short messages (up to 8 characters):

• Display static & centered (no scrolling).
• Home Assistant: uses seconds if provided, otherwise the Web UI Weather Duration.
• Web UI: always uses Weather Duration.

Long messages (8 characters or more):

• Always scroll.
• If sent from HA, scrolling stops when scrolltimes limit is reached or manually clered when sent without parameter.

The "Protected" State (How it works)

• When a message is sent with allowInterrupt=0, it creates a protected window. The display will refuse to show any new incoming messages until the current one has finished its scrolltimes or seconds.
• Why use it? Use allowInterrupt=0 for critical alerts (e.g., "LEAK DETECTED") that you don't want a random notification to overwrite.
• The 409 Error: If your automation receives a 409 Conflict, it simply means the display is currently busy showing a protected message.
• Clearing a Lock: If you send an infinite message (scrolltimes=0, seconds=0) with allowInterrupt=0, it stays on screen indefinitely. To break this lock, you can:
  • Send an empty message (message=) from Home Assistant.
  • Use the Clear button in the Web UI.
  • Send a new message with allowInterrupt=0 to replace it.

ESPTimeCast™ v1.2.3 introduces 65 new icons you can use in:

• Home Assistant messages – send temporary or scrollable messages with visual icons.
• Web UI custom messages – include icons in persistent or scrolling text.

Full Icons List
[NOTEMP][NONTP][WIFI][INFO][AP]
[C][F][TIMEISUP][TIMEISUPINVERTED][SUNNY]
[CLOUDY][NODATA][RAINY][THUNDER][SNOWY][WINDY][CLOCK]
[ALARM][UPDATE][BATTERYEMPTY][BATTERY33][BATTERY66][BATTERYFULL][BOLT][HOUSE][TEMP]
[MUSICNOTE][PLAY][SPACE][PAUSE][EURO][SPEAKER][SPEAKEROFF][RED][UP][DOWN][RIGHT][LEFT]
[TALK][HEART][CHECK][INSTA][TV][YOUTUBE][BELL][LOCK][PERSON][HOURGLASS]
[HOURGLASS25][HOURGLASS75][HOURGLASSFULL][CAR][MAIL][CO2][MOON][SIGNAL1][SIGNAL2]
[SIGNAL3][DEG][SUNDAYJP][MONDAYJP][TUESDAYJP][WEDNESDAYJP][THURSDAYJP][FRIDAYJP][SATURDAYJP][MIST]

How to use icons:

• Wrap the icon name in brackets: [SUNNY] [YOUTUBE]
• Short messages (≤8 chars) = static & centered; longer = scrolling
• Requires mfactoryfont.h; otherwise firmware falls back to Basic Font

ESPTimeCast provides an endpoint that allows Home Assistant to remotely control the LED matrix brightness — including turning the display completely off.

POST http://<device_ip>/set_brightness

• Values 0–15 set the LED matrix brightness normally.
• Value -1 turns the display off entirely (LEDs disabled) until brightness is set again.
• When brightness is set back to 0–15, the display immediately resumes showing the current message or mode.

rest_command:
  esptimecast_brightness:
    url: "http://<device_ip>/set_brightness"
    method: POST
    content_type: "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
    payload: "value={{ brightness }}"

alias: Dim ESPTimeCast at Night
trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: "23:00"
action:
  - service: rest_command.esptimecast_brightness
    data:
      brightness: -1   # Turns the display off

You can quickly test changing the brightness of your ESPTimeCast display using curl from any computer on the same network:

curl -X POST -d "value=10" "http://<device_ip>/set_brightness"

Replace <device_ip> with the IP address of your ESPTimeCast device.
Use a brightness value between 0–15, or -1 to turn the display off.

ESPTimeCast™ includes a few optional “power-user” features that aren’t visible in the main interface but can be accessed directly from your browser. These are intended for advanced users who want more control or integration.

Erases all saved configuration data, Wi-Fi credentials, and uptime history. Used to restore the device to its original state. Only available in AP mode.

Example:

http://192.168.4.1/factory_reset

Downloads your current configuration (config.json) directly from the device.
This is useful for creating backups or migrating settings between devices.

Example:

http://your-device-ip/export

The file will download automatically with your saved WiFi credentials (safely masked for security) and all other settings.

Lets you manually upload a configuration file (config.json) to the device.
Perfect for restoring a backup or quickly switching between setups.

Usage:

1. Go to

   http://your-device-ip/upload
   

    
2. Select your edited or backup config.json file.
3. The device will confirm the upload and automatically reboot with the new configuration.

Tip: You can export → edit the file on your computer → re-upload to test new settings without using the web interface.

ESPTimeCast supports displaying glucose data from Nightscout servers alongside weather information.

When the secondary NTP/URL field (ntpServer2) contains a valid Nightscout API endpoint for example:

https://your-cgm-server/api/v1/entries/current.json?token=xxxxxxxxxxxxx

the device automatically enables Glucose Display Mode.

In this mode:

• The device fetches glucose data every 5 minutes.
• Glucose value and trend direction are displayed alternately with time and weather.
• The display duration for Nightscout data is the same as the weather display duration.
• Weather data continues to display normally.
• Debug logs confirm updates and Nightscout responses in the Serial Monitor.

• These features are optional and hidden from the main interface to avoid clutter.
• /upload and /export are intentionally unlinked from the UI to prevent accidental access.
• Always verify your WiFi credentials and tokens before uploading edited configurations.

ESPTimeCast™ automatically switches between two display modes: Clock and Weather. If "Show Weather Description" is enabled, a third mode (Description) will display with a duration of 3 seconds, if the description is too long to fit on the display the description will scroll from right to left once.

What you see on the LED matrix depends on whether the device has successfully fetched the current time (via NTP) and weather (via OpenWeatherMap).
The following table summarizes what will appear on the display in each scenario:

• The display automatically alternates between Clock and Weather modes (the duration for each is configurable).
• If "Show Weather Description" is enabled a third mode Description will display after the Weather display with a duration of 3 seconds.
• In Clock mode, if NTP time is available, you’ll see the current time plus a unique day-of-week icon. If NTP is not available, you'll see ! NTP.
• In Weather mode, if weather is available, you’ll see the temperature (like 23ºC). If weather is not available but time is, it falls back to showing the clock. If neither is available, you’ll see ! TEMP.
• All status/error messages (! NTP, ! TEMP) are big icons shown on the display.

Legend:

• 🗓️ Day Icon: Custom symbol for day of week (@, =, etc.)
• ⏰ Time: Current time (HH:MM)
• 🌡️ Temperature: Weather from OpenWeatherMap
• ✅ Yes: Data available
• ❌ No: Data not available
• — : Value does not affect this mode