Will this library work with ESPAsyncWebServer library ?

[GeorgeFlorian]

Hello !

OS: Linux Mint 17.1 Board: ESP32 Wrover-B DevKitV4 Display: 2727 SMD P5 64x32

I am having trouble finding a LED library that will work with me-no-dev's ESPAsyncWebServer library. I believe that library also accesses RAM. And this library also accesses RAM.

I've tried PxMatrix and I wasn't able to make it work with ESPAsyncWebServer.

Do you have any idea if this will work ?

Thank you !

[GeorgeFlorian]

My project project uses SPIFFS + ESPAsyncWebServer to serve some web-pages while in AP Mode and some other web-pages while in STA Mode.

The problem is that the PxMatrix is not compatible with the SPIFFS file system.

The LED Library uses the following methods to work:

void IRAM_ATTR display_updater(){
  // Increment the counter and set the time of ISR
  portENTER_CRITICAL_ISR(&timerMux);
  display.display(display_draw_time);
  portEXIT_CRITICAL_ISR(&timerMux);
}

void display_update_enable(bool is_enable){
  if (is_enable) {
    timer = timerBegin(0, 80, true);
    timerAttachInterrupt(timer, &display_updater, true);
    timerAlarmWrite(timer, 2000, true);
    timerAlarmEnable(timer);
  }
  else  {
    timerDetachInterrupt(timer);
    timerAlarmDisable(timer);
  }
}

I need to close the display when manipulating a SPIFFS file and then open it. So let's say:

  server.on("/url", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest *request){
    display_update_enable(false);
    request->send(SPIFFS, "/url_page.html", "text/html");
  });
  server.on("/", HTTP_GET, [](AsyncWebServerRequest *request){
    display_update_enable(false);
    request->redirect("/url");
  });

That should work.

But I have a HTTP Client inside void loop() that constantly GETs the body of a URL. The URL is stored in a txt file inside the ESP and I need SPIFFS to access it. So, again, I need to close the display before SPIFFS.open() and open it after I finish with the SPIFFS.

void loop() {
  display_update_enable(false);
  if (WiFi.status() == WL_CONNECTED) {  //Check the current connection status 
    File urlRead = SPIFFS.open("/urlFile.txt");
    if(!urlRead) logOutput((String)"ERROR_INSIDE_loop ! Couldn't open file to read !");

    if(urlRead.size() > 10) {
      HTTPClient http;
      String URL;
      logOutput((String)"URL: ");
      fileReadLines(urlRead, &URL);
      http.begin(URL); //Specify the URL
      urlRead.close();
      display_update_enable(true);
      int httpCode = http.GET(); //Make the request

      if (httpCode > 0) { //Check for the returning code
        logOutput((String)"[HTTP] GET... code: " + httpCode);
        if(httpCode == HTTP_CODE_OK) {
            String payload = http.getString();
            logOutput(payload);
            getPlaces(payload);
          }
      } else {
          logOutput((String)"[HTTP] GET... failed, error: " + http.errorToString(httpCode).c_str());
        }  
      http.end(); //Free the resources
      } else {
        logOutput("URL Link is invalid ! Please enter another URL");
      }
  }
  display.clearDisplay();
  display.print(payload);
  delay(3000);
}

Again, this is good and all, but the problem is that the ESPAsyncWebServer is always on. I can access a web-page while void loop is going like crazy and I have no means to know when I access a web-page.

This means that the display can be on while I try to access a web-page that's stored in SPIFFS. Trying to access http://*myIP* or http://*myIP*/url sometimes work, sometimes it returns A LOT of Guru Meditation Errors. If I access one of the respective web-page it's like walking on thin ice, because if I refresh it, it can always break.

PxMatrix relies heavily on IRAM_ATTR functions and interrupts.

Will this library be able to function together with SPIFFS, ESPAsyncWebServer and HTTPClient ?

Thank you and sorry for the long post !

[embedded-creations]

I don't know about PxMatrix or ESPAsyncWebServer, sorry.

Marc Merlin runs his AnimatedGIFs sketch with SPIFFS, and I think found some issues with it, but worked around them. Take a look at this: https://community.pixelmatix.com/t/new-animatedgifs-with-ffat-support-on-esp32/409

[GeorgeFlorian]

I don't know about PxMatrix or ESPAsyncWebServer, sorry.

Marc Merlin runs his AnimatedGIFs sketch with SPIFFS, and I think found some issues with it, but worked around them. Take a look at this: https://community.pixelmatix.com/t/new-animatedgifs-with-ffat-support-on-esp32/409

I would still love to give it a shot, since it looks like the most supported and professional library out of the ones I've already tried. The problem is that I couldn't find any instructions on how to do the wiring. Is there any: "This is how you do it, step-by-step guide" ?

Also, do you have any idea what would be the maximum number of displays I can chain/link with this library ?

[GeorgeFlorian]

I've managed to do the wiring and to make my own mapping for a Display.

[embedded-creations]

Sweet, did you have to do anything special to get ESPAsyncWebServer to be compatible with SmartMatrix Library?

[GeorgeFlorian]

Sweet, did you have to do anything special to get ESPAsyncWebServer to be compatible with SmartMatrix Library?

Nope. It works perfectly fine with ESPAsyncWebServer, HTTP Client, SPIFFS and WiFi. And I've manage to add Marc Merlin's SmartMatrix_GFX on top of it. This library works wonders. I will start a project with multiple displays in the near future and I will get to play with it even more.