🎭 Available Lighting Modes

Active Modes

• 🎨 StaticMode: Single solid color with full brightness control
• 🌈 ColorPickerMode: Cycle through color spectrum with distance sensor
• 🌈 RainbowMode: Classic flowing rainbow effect with speed control
• ✨ RandomGlowMode: 10-color random transitions with zen to party speeds
  • NEW v3.3.0: Enhanced with 10 scientifically distributed colors (every 36° in HSV space)
  • Features: Pause/transition cycles, inherited brightness control, mesh synchronization
  • Speed modes: Zen (meditative) → Normal → Lebendig (energetic) → Hektisch (party)

Development Modes (Commented)

• 🕯️ CandleMode: Realistic candle flicker simulation
• 🚨 BeaconMode: Beacon/alert patterns for notifications
• 🌅 SunsetMode: Natural sunset simulation for bedtime
• 💫 StrobeMode: Synchronized strobe effects across mesh network
• 🎮 MiniGame: Interactive games using distance sensor

Note: Development modes are available in the codebase but commented out in main.cpp. Uncomment to enable additional lighting effects.

📸 Gallery

-> Rainbow Mode Demo Video

This is an overview of the different modes available in the lamp. The modes can be toggled using the button.

🔗 ESP-NOW Wireless Communication

-> Wireless Synchronization Demo Video

GlowLight uses ESP-NOW for ultra-fast, low-latency wireless communication between lamps. ESP-NOW provides direct device-to-device communication without requiring a WiFi router, enabling instant synchronization across multiple lamps.

Why ESP-NOW?

• ⚡ Ultra-low latency: <10ms message delivery (vs 50-200ms with traditional mesh)
• 🔋 Energy efficient: Minimal power consumption compared to WiFi mesh
• 📡 Simple setup: No SSID/password configuration needed - just power on
• 🎯 Reliable: Direct broadcast communication, no routing overhead
• 📶 Good range: Up to 200m line-of-sight
• 🔓 No peer limits: Supports unlimited number of lamps via broadcast

Configuration

You can configure the WiFi channel in include/GlowConfig.h:

#define ESPNOW_CHANNEL 1  // WiFi channel (1-13), configurable

Note: All lamps must be on the same WiFi channel to communicate. The default channel 1 works well in most environments.

How It Works

1. Automatic Discovery: Lamps discover each other automatically via heartbeat messages (every 10 seconds)
2. Instant Sync: State changes (mode, color, brightness) are broadcast instantly to all lamps
3. No Infrastructure: No router, server, or internet connection required
4. Self-Organizing: New lamps automatically join the network when powered on
5. Resilient: 30-minute timeout removes inactive lamps from the network

For technical details, see the CommunicationService README.

🔧 Hardware Components

• DUBEUYEW ESP32-C3 Development Board Mini
• VL53L0X distance sensor
• Simple push button (height ≥ 6mm)
• WS2812B 5V LED strip (11 LEDs)
• External 5V power supply
• USB-C and some other necessary cables
• 3x M3 threaded insert
• 3x M3 screws

Main Components

Tools and Materials

• 3D printer + filament (white and a color of your choice)
• Soldering iron + solder
• 2x Heat shrink tube
• Screwdriver

3D Printing

You can find the 3D models in the /printing folder. The models are designed to be 3D printed and assembled. The lamp consists of three parts: the base, the lampshade, and the lampshade holder.

Soldering

The components are connected to the ESP32C3 using the following diagram:

The Button does not require a resistor, as the ESP32C3 has internal pull-up resistors.

This table also shows the connections:

The VL53L0X is the distance sensor, the WS2812B is the LED strip, and the Button is the push button.

Threaded Insert

To attach the lampshade to the base, a threaded insert is used. The insert is placed in the base, and the lampshade is screwed onto it.

🚀 Quick Setup

Get started in just one command! The GlowLight setup system will guide you through the entire installation process:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/friedjof/GlowLight/master/install.sh > install.sh && bash install.sh

Alternative download method:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/friedjof/GlowLight/master/install.sh && bash install.sh

What the installer does:

1. 🔍 Checks system requirements (Python 3.8+, Git)
2. 📦 Installs dependencies automatically for your OS (Ubuntu/Debian, Fedora, Arch, macOS)
3. 📂 Downloads the GlowLight project to ~/GlowLight
4. 🛠️ Launches the interactive setup system with a beautiful menu interface

Interactive Setup Features:

• ⚙️ Project Configuration: Set up mesh network and GPIO pins with guided wizards
• 🔨 Build & Flash: Compile and upload firmware to your ESP32-C3 with one click
• 📱 Device Management: Automatic ESP32 device detection and management
• 📺 Serial Monitor: Real-time device monitoring with logging
• 🔧 PlatformIO Setup: Automatic PlatformIO installation and management
• 💾 Backup System: Configuration backup and restore functionality

Manual Installation

If you prefer to set up manually:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/friedjof/GlowLight.git
cd GlowLight

# Run the setup system
python3 scripts/setup.py

📦 Software Installation (Advanced)

This is a PlatformIO project. The setup system above handles everything automatically, but for manual installation, PlatformIO must be installed. Once installed, you can open the project in PlatformIO and flash the software onto the ESP32C3.

Alternatively, a Makefile is included, allowing you to flash the software via the command line. For this, PlatformIO must be installed, and the PLATFORMIO environment variable should point to the PlatformIO executable.

If you're familiar with Nix-shell, you can use the shell.nix file to set up the environment for PlatformIO.

PlatformIO Commands

• pio run: Compiles the software
• pio run --target upload: Flashes the software to the ESP32C3
• pio run --target clean: Removes compiled files
• pio device monitor: Opens a terminal to view the ESP32C3 output

Makefile Commands

• make: Compiles the software
• make upload: Flashes the software to the ESP32C3
• make clean: Removes compiled files
• make monitor: Opens a terminal to view the ESP32C3 output
• make flash: Flashes the software and opens the monitor
• make start: Cleans, compiles, flashes the software, and opens the monitor

Libraries Used

• ArrayList for dynamic arrays
• Button2 for button input handling
• Adafruit_VL53L0X for the distance sensor
• FastLED for LED control
• ArduinoJson for message serialization
• ESP-NOW (built-in ESP32 library) for wireless communication

For more details on the libraries, refer to the platformio.ini file.

👨‍💻 Development

The software is written in C++ and is structured as a typical PlatformIO project. The main file is src/main.cpp, which contains the setup and loop functions. The different modes, services, and the controller are implemented in separate files in the /lib folder.

Technical Diagrams

For a comprehensive understanding of the GlowLight system architecture and operation, see the Technical Diagrams which includes:

• Class Diagram: Complete class structure and relationships
• Main Program Flow: Startup sequence and main loop execution
• Mode System Flow: Lighting modes management and switching
• Service Integration Flow: LightService, DistanceService, and CommunicationService interaction
• **[Button Interaction Flow](docs/diagrams.md#button-in