How can we help you today?

Discussions OpenEVSE Forums Announcements

New 3.5" Color LCD display

We are currently building the first batch of full color graphical displays with WiFi.

2 people like this
59 CommentsSorted by Popular

@ Ken


The current repartition process for the TFT LCD in the short term requires a USB => Serial adapter and esptools (requires Python and pyserial). 


Download the 5.1.2 - openevse_wifi_tft_v1.bin, bootloader_16mb.bin and partitions_16mb.bin from

https://github.com/OpenEVSE/openevse_esp32_firmware/releases/tag/v5.1.2


Connect the module to the USB => Serial adapter, then put the module in bootloader mode by holding BOOT and then pressing RESET then release BOOT


Run the command:


esptool --baud 921600 --before default_reset --after hard_reset write_flash -z --flash_mode dio --flash_size=detect 0x1000 bootloader_16mb.bin 0x8000 partitions_16mb.bin 0x10000 openevse_wifi_tft_v1.bin

@ OpenEVSE Support I can’t seem to enter bootloader mode using the boot and the reset buttons and the instructions above. Maybe the boot button doesn’t work on my board? The reset button resets the screen and just boots it up normally. But holding the boot button and pressing the reset button just resets the screen and boots back up.
@OpenEVSE Support I’m having some trouble putting the 3.5” TFT LCD board into bootloader mode. Maybe the boot button doesn’t work on my board? When I follow the steps mentioned in a previous post, the screen just resets and boots back up normally. The reset button appears to work. Are there any workarounds?
@ OpenEVSE Support Never mind my previous question. I found the GPIO0 pin on the ESP32 and shorted it to simulate the boot button press and then pressed the reset button. I was able to get into bootloader mode and update to 5.1.2.

The backlight timeout is set by the value of TFT_BACKLIGHT_TIMEOUT_MS in platformio.ini  If you comment this out it should stay on permanently.  Regardless, the backlight should wake up whenever the EVSE state changes (eg. plugging or unplugging the vehicle), and stay on as long as the charging current is more than TFT_BACKLIGHT_CHARGING_THRESHOLD amps.

I tested Kim's version on my client's unit two weeks ago, and while it will display the current amps (in the small field), the screen blanks (goes black) after a couple of minutes and can't be restored without a power cycle, so I re-flashed to the older firmware.


With both versions, the web page will reflect a change to Max Current, but the change isn't reflected on either the TFT display nor the app's Setpoint field for quite a while.  I can move the slider to change Max Current, but there's no indication that anything is changed at the unit side.  


In the example image below, see the Max Current field, the Setpoint display, and the unit display.  The three do not agree.


image


@Ken Gillett


The wire is the correct way around for its intended purpose, connecting the WiFi module to older OpenEVSE controllers (v5 and prior). If the USB serial module is ordered from OpenEVSE it comes ready to go with the correct serial to WiFi/LCD harness, with all pins terminated and TX/RX correct for the use. Your use of the legacy harness was creative, good for you.


We do plan on many future updates for the new display, now that you have repartitioned you should be good to go for github updates.

Looking forward to them :-)

I would like to also say the screen is nice but the information currently shown on it is not so useful.  Actual charging current (or power) would be the most useful. Also you might consider a knock style input control.  That would eliminate any sealing issues and allow some user control of the display (or system).  With a display this large I don't think any user input is even needed if the display was just formatted to show all relevant information.

@Miguel 


Yes, it your station has the plastic enclosure with the 2 line display you can upgrade. You need:


Enclosure Lid Only Option

https://store.openevse.com/collections/all-products/products/custom-enclosure-poly-carbonate-standard


3.5" Color Display

https://store.openevse.com/collections/all-products/products/openevse-color-lcd-wifi


Temperature sensor (Not Required but Highly recommended)

https://store.openevse.com/collections/all-products/products/temperature-sensor


Your OpenEVSE controller may need a firmware update as well if you are running firmware before 7.2.1.

https://store.openevse.com/collections/all-products/products/openevse-programmer


Better, but I still have to ask, "why the huge max A display". I don't really see the need for any display of this number, but maybe it would be handy to have there somewhere. However it definitely does NOT have to be the biggest of all the screen info. Something small would be much better IMO and use the space for other more useful info.


And let's get the touch screen usable. Now that would be useful.

well done everyone with the TFT LCD. Ive just assembled two for clients here in Oz. I managed to update the display to the 5.1.2 release. Not too hard. Like some others, Id like to change the large charging limit field on the display. My thoughts were when idle display the set limit and when actually charging display the actual charging current. Looking at the source code, in "lcd_tft.cpp" if Im understanding it correctly, this information is being displayed at lines 370-372? Can somebody explain in a little more detail how this renders the relevant information please? Second unrelated question... The new TFT display doesnt seem to support the old manual overrride button. My client wants to restore that functionality. Can someone point me in the right direction regards schematic and relevant code locations please?

@Ken Gillett, The software is open source, anybody can make any change to their own software and submit their changes it to the community as a whole.. Kimbl4 had some ideas, edited a few lines of code, created a couple icons and then submitted a pull request. We liked the changes and accepted the pull request.


If you are not able to do this, create a mockup of what you would like to see.


Touch screen requires a giant hole in the enclosure and extensive seals to keep the water out. Not an easy thing to do but, we are working on it.



That's why I like OpenEVSE. :-)

Login or Signup to post a comment
More topics in Announcements
See all 13 topics