BossOfBlinks

About This Project

BossOfBlinks is an open-source project that lets you control an LED matrix display wirelessly through a web interface. Using a Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266) connected to a MAX72XX LED matrix, you can display custom text and emojis from anywhere on your local network. It offers a web interface for controlling the LED matrix, supports displaying custom text and emojis, and allows saving message templates for quick access. Messages update in real time between the web interface and the display. The setup is simple via USB configuration, it supports multiple WiFi networks, and can be expanded to control multiple displays. To run the project, you need a Wemos D1 Mini (ESP8266), a MAX72XX LED Matrix of type FC-16, a Micro USB cable, and a computer for the initial setup. The wiring is straightforward: Wemos D1 Mini pin D8 goes to DIN on the matrix, D7 goes to CS, D6 goes to CLK, 3.3V goes to VCC, and G goes to GND. Getting started involves cloning the repository, uploading the firmware to the Wemos D1 Mini, starting the Node.js server, configuring the device via USB, and then accessing the web interface at [http://localhost:3000](http://localhost:3000). Detailed instructions are available in the setup guide. The project structure includes a firmware folder with ESP8266 firmware written in C++ using PlatformIO, a server folder, a public folder with the web interface (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), and documentation with images and setup instructions. The main server is run from server.js with dependencies listed in package.json. The technology stack consists of C++ with the Arduino framework for firmware, the MD\_Parola and MD\_MAX72XX libraries for LED control, Node.js with Express for the server, and HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for the web interface. Documentation includes a setup guide, command reference, and troubleshooting instructions. Contributions are welcome through pull requests. The project is licensed under the MIT License. Acknowledgements go to MD\_Parola (LED matrix library), ArduinoJson (JSON library for Arduino), and Express (web framework for Node.js).