This project is being continued in a new repository with even more features! https://github.com/widapro/wledPixel

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Pixel led MQTT panel (wLed)

wLed panel it's dot matrix display to show information from MQTT topics. It's well integrated with home automation systems like Home-assistant, domoticz and others through MQTT broker.

Demo video on youtube.

Ingredients:

1. Dot matrix display MAX7219: https://aliexpress.ru/item/32618155357.html
2. WeMos D1 Mini (esp8266): https://aliexpress.ru/item/32651747570.html

Algoritm of work

The display has booting and connecting to wifi, then the display subscribe to MQTT topics and publishing message "up" in MQTT topic wled/status

MQTT topics:

• wled/zone0_text - main text for zone0
• wled/zone1_text - sight zone (left segment sun in demo picture ^)
• wled/intensity - display brightnes [0-15], default 5
• wled/scrolleffect - scroll effect for zone0, both effect for entry and exit text [send scroll name from list below]
• wled/scrolleffect_without_exit - scroll effect for zone 0, only entry effect, the text will not go out and still stay on display until new text coming [send scroll name from list below]
• wled/scrollspeed - scroll speed, value is in milliseconds, default is 35
• wled/scrollpause - scroll pause, value is in milliseconds, default is 2000
• wled/scrollalign - scroll align, value is one of: "LEFT, CENTER, RIGHT", default is CENTER
• wled/poweroff - power off display, possible values: "TRUE" or "FALSE" (capital letters)

Scroll effect list

Default effects:

• PA_RANDOM
• PA_PRINT
• PA_SCAN_HORIZ
• PA_SCROLL_LEFT
• PA_WIPE
• PA_SCAN_VERTX
• PA_SCROLL_UP_LEFT
• PA_SCROLL_UP
• PA_FADE
• PA_OPENING_CURSOR
• PA_GROW_UP
• PA_SCROLL_UP_RIGHT
• PA_BLINDS
• PA_CLOSING
• PA_GROW_DOWN
• PA_SCAN_VERT
• PA_SCROLL_DOWN_LEFT
• PA_WIPE_CURSOR
• PA_SCAN_HORIZX
• PA_DISSOLVE
• PA_MESH
• PA_OPENING
• PA_CLOSING_CURSOR
• PA_SCROLL_DOWN_RIGHT
• PA_SCROLL_RIGHT
• PA_SLICE
• PA_SCROLL_DOWN

Custom effects:

• PACMAN
• WAVE
• ROLL
• LINES
• ARROW
• SAILBOAT
• STEAMBOAT
• HEART
• INVADER
• ROCKET
• FBALL
• CHEVRON
• WALKER

Custom effects demo video

Icons

For icons, I created a font with several icons to override the regular alphabet. This font applied just only for zone1. You can find a mapping card in wLedFont.h. You can paint icons whatever you want using this online tool: https://pjrp.github.io/MDParolaFontEditor

Feel free to add new icons and update the existing wLedFont.h in the repository.

Flash esp8266 (WeMos D1):

Install libraries in Arduino IDE

• PubSubClient https://pubsubclient.knolleary.net/
• MD_MAX72XX https://github.com/MajicDesigns/MD_MAX72XX
• MD_Parola (with dependencies) https://github.com/MajicDesigns/MD_Parola

First need to change config section in file pixel_led_mqtt_panel.ino:

  // Wifi settings //
const char* WIFI_ssid       = "your_wifi_network_name";
const char* WIFI_password   = "change_me";
  // OTA updates settings //
const char* OTA_hostname    = "wLed-panel-01";
const char* OTA_password    = "change_me";
  // MQTT settings //
const char* mqtt_server = "192.168.1.250";
const char* mqtt_user = "mqtt_user";
const char* mqtt_password = "change_me";
  // MQTT TOPIC PREFIX //
String TOPIC_PREFIX = "wled";

  // Parola display settings //
#define HARDWARE_TYPE MD_MAX72XX::FC16_HW // type of device hardware https://majicdesigns.github.io/MD_MAX72XX/page_hardware.html
#define MAX_DEVICES  8                    // number of device segments
  // Display pinout //
#define DATA_PIN  D7                      // WeMos D1 mini GPIO13
#define CS_PIN    D6                      // WeMos D1 mini GPIO12
#define CLK_PIN   D5                      // WeMos D1 mini GPIO14

Optional

If you have display with different count of segments you need to change zones in config before flashing

In file pixel_led_mqtt_panel.ino:

#define MAX_DEVICES  8                    // number of device segments

void setup() {
  setup_serial();

  P.begin(2);
  P.setZone(0, 0, 6);                     // P.setZone(zone_number,start_segmet,end_segment)
  P.setZone(1, 7, 7);                     // P.setZone(zone_number,start_segmet,end_segment)

Then configure automation in Home Asisstant:

Send sensor value each time when a value has been changed

---
- alias: Outside temp change - send new temp to wled panel mqtt
  initial_state: 'on'
  trigger:
    platform: state
    entity_id: sensor.outside_thp_sensor_3
  action:
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: wled/zone0_text
        payload_template: "{{ states('sensor.outside_thp_sensor_3') }} C"

First matrix panel start. When matrix panel publish message "up" in wled/status MQTT topic HA sends a message and change scroll effect

- alias: wled panel ON mqtt - send outside temp mqtt
  initial_state: 'on'
  trigger:
    platform: mqtt
    topic: wled/status
  action:
    - delay: "00:00:03"
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: wled/scrolleffect
        payload_template: "PACMAN"
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: wled/zone0_text
        payload_template: "MQTT ok"
    - delay: "00:00:03"
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: wled/zone0_text
        payload_template: "HA ok"
    - delay: "00:00:03"
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: wled/scrolleffect_without_exit
        payload_template: "PACMAN"
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: wled/zone0_text
        payload_template: "{{ states('sensor.outside_thp_sensor_3') }} C"
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: wled/zone1_text
        payload: "s"