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ManoDaSilva / ESP32-Pocsag-Pager

Proof-of-concept Pager using a TTGO dev board. Will be merged with the "Waffle" project someday.
GNU General Public License v3.0
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Display messages pocsag without radio module ? #9

Open sp2ong opened 2 days ago

sp2ong commented 2 days ago

I saw the submitted PR https://github.com/ManoDaSilva/ESP32-Pocsag-Pager/pull/8 for displaying messages on the LilyGoT5 v2.3 screen without using the radio module. This is an interesting alternative in situations where we don’t have a DAPNET transmitter nearby, but we could display received messages from DAPNET via the DAPNET API for our pager over the ESP32's WiFi/Internet network on the LilyGo T5 v2.3. In this case, a DAPNET client code is needed, something like this: https://git.cheetah.cat/cheetah/ESP32-DAPNET/src/branch/main/pocsag-transmit-test/src — essentially an RX DAPNET Pager that receives messages via WiFi/Internet from the DAPNET server. Unfortunately, the code for ESP32 would also need to handle WiFi and local network configuration, ideally via a web browser :-) where we could input, along with the WiFi connection parameters, the DAPNET username, API key, and a whitelist of messages received from DAPNET, e.g., only for our RIC number.

ManoDaSilva commented 2 days ago

Hey! I did see an initiative by @Bastiti being worked on, but I think the main limitation might be the lack or SRAM (although we wouldn't have to buffer all messages, only the ones linked to relevant RICs).

sp2ong commented 2 days ago

Hmm, maybe it would be possible to use the potential of LilyGo T5 which has a slot for a TF microSD card? For example, save the last 10 messages and read them from a microSD card? Here is some discussion about microSD on LilyGo T5 for micropython https://github.com/orgs/micropython/discussions/11460 and this: https://github.com/Xinyuan-LilyGO/LilyGo-T5-Epaper-Series/issues/46

sp2ong commented 2 days ago

Of course, the first attempts at such a HamPager based on the LilyGO T5 v2.3, which receives messages via WIFI from DAPNET, could be made with the display showing only the current message, where you set your own RIC number in the WhiteList.

Bastiti commented 2 days ago

Issue, is storing then efficiently on an SD card to be readable. It is possible to do using SPIFFS.h. Never explored more that possibility as the memory on my side was enough for the prototype

sp2ong commented 2 days ago

Nice tutorial about how to use micorSD card with ESP32: https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-microsd-card-arduino/ but as I wrote, it may initially be limited to displaying only the received message or if there is space for it in the ESP32 memory.

btw nice 3D Print case for LilyGo T52.13'' :-) https://www.printables.com/model/252833-case-for-ttgo-t5-esp32-epaper?lang=en