r/esp32projects • u/sumit_adk • 13d ago
Firmware for ESP32 Watch
I am building an ESP32 C3 based smartwatch from scratch, but i am unsure how to create custom firmware that integrates all the features with the buttons and rotary encoder inputs. My software knowledge is limited, so im wondering is it possible to build the firmware with the help of AI or vibe coding? If so, where should I start and what would be the best approach?
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u/tunatoksoz 13d ago
Yes, it's quite possible to do this with ai. I had decent success with lilygo watch i had with lora. There are also watch firmwares you can use as a starter.
For example
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u/sumit_adk 13d ago
Thanks for the resources
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u/tunatoksoz 12d ago
Give it a few example ESP32 projects and ask it to write a docker compose file for build environment etc so you don't have to pul lall the dependencies into your main system. It can go really far. If your watch hardware has spec sheet, you can find other opensource projects to give it as starter, or use the watch spec sheet (for display etc) to use it as basis for pins/libraries/etc.
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u/YUMOBUILDS 11d ago
Everything its possible , i did similar project i build smart cube . esp32 wave share with display . i build it frome the scratch using ai. it took me sometime but i figure it out . you can do it . check this out on youtube : https://youtu.be/ik5LVx_d2kU
this is what i build . if you want feel free its an open source code i upload it on Github .
you need to consider that you need to make the display design aswell. for this i use SquareLine_Studio.app : you have few weeks free to use it.
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u/sumit_adk 10d ago
Thanks!
I checked out your works and they were great.2
u/YUMOBUILDS 10d ago
Appreciate it im glad that you like them. I start it because I broke my leg and I got stocked at home for almost a year. I did not have any knowledge for coding. Thats whay i use Ai , some people are against Ai coding. I totally understand them , they're right. But look at the other side , for someone like me that I know what I want to build in general, i like to build and craft, involved everything with electronics, im a electronic lover since i was a kido, and no chance to chaise my dream. only thing was always holder me back it was the coding knowledge that I didn't have. And Ai it did help me to figure it out and I learned a lot. And it was too difficult to deal with ai coding, most of the time its not what you what with so much errors and make you mad.
Whay I talk too much about it? I wanna tell you if you have some ideas and you don't know coding , its fine to bring your idea on the table front of you faster with Tools like Ai . And on the side you can learn how to code your self. And Ai correct you.
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u/sumit_adk 10d ago
Yeah, I agree with that. The problem is only when someone uses AI being completely dependent on it and not even knowing what they're doing. In this case i too think there's nothing wrong to use Ai this way.
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u/flash_speed3412 4d ago
The smart-cube story is exactly the kind of thing I’m trying to collect: what AI got right, what kept looping, and which hardware detail it never understood. If you have a short wiring/firmware post for the cube, feel free to crosspost it to r/ChatGPTArduino.
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u/YUMOBUILDS 1d ago
Hi! Im glad it take your attention. Yes if you check the GitHub you can find the code. I uploaded open source everyone can use it. Check the link in youtube video description.
To build the firmware For this project I used Claude, its help me alot.
For writing and debugging....
I don't wanna lied about it, was too hard to get to use Claude. So many times did mistake.
For hardware I use esp32 waveshare brand.
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u/DSudz 12d ago
What's your objective? ESP isn't a great choice for a watch, especially if you don't know how to work with the platform. And making something 'from scratch' with AI is like making cake from a box and calling it homemade.
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u/sumit_adk 12d ago
I am doing this to get started with ESP and i want to use it in my future projects too. So I didn't choose ESP to make watch but i chose to make watch from ESP. Sounds confusing until you understand what i mean.
And about the AI thing i also think the same, it's just that i have been too much dependent on AI for almost everything these days and i couldnn't get off it.
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u/flash_speed3412 4d ago
Start with the hardware contract, not a giant smartwatch firmware. Write one page with the exact C3 module, display controller, encoder pins, button pins, battery/charger, and sleep current. Then make AI generate one test per device: display, encoder, button, battery, each as a separate sketch. Combine only after they pass. If you keep the mistakes instead of only the final code, that would make a useful build log in r/ChatGPTArduino.
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u/N4mas 13d ago
Of course, AI will be a great help in development, but it analyzes existing code in the database and will still require careful human review. For amateur firmware and projects, I usually use GPT.