ESP-Daemon

ESP32-C3 robot status daemon and wireless emergency stop


Home Page Battery log, emergency button, power controls, micro-ROS link status.	Settings Page Identity & security, runtime modules, ROS parameters, GPIO and I/O logic.

E-STOP hardware Physical button unit for field wireless stop.	E-STOP status (mobile) Switch state, ESP-NOW channel, peers/routes, packet counters, route configuration.

Features • Quick start (Flash firmware, Network & web access) • E-Stop over ESP-NOW • Voltmeter • micro-ROS & Docker (Typical topics) • LED and WLED • Configuration & telemetry • Updates • HTTP API • Repository layout

Features

Capability	Summary
ESP-Daemon (main image)	HTTP dashboard and settings, three power control groups (GPIO outputs), ADC voltmeter and battery state, onboard NeoPixel strip, ESP-NOW receiver for whitelisted E-STOP sources, optional micro-ROS over UART.
E-Stop (sender image)	Debounced GPIO input, ESP-NOW routes to one or more daemon MACs, optional passive buzzer and WLED preset sync over HTTP.
micro-ROS	`micro_ros_agent` on serial; node publishes `std_msgs` telemetry and subscribes to `std_msgs/Bool` per control group (Typical topics).
ESP-NOW emergency path	Daemon matches sender MAC against `emergencySources[]`; authorized `STOP` traffic triggers emergency shutdown of selected groups.
Configuration	Structured JSON export/import, NVS storage; factory reset wipes NVS including Wi-Fi credentials.

Quick start

Phase	Action
Flash Firmware	Select `ESP-Daemon` or `E-STOP` and flash with the Web Flasher.
Network Setup	First boot: join device AP and complete Wi-Fi provisioning (captive portal).
Web Access	Open `http://<device-name>.local` after provisioning.
Default Settings	Runtime modules (ESP-NOW, micro-ROS, LED task, sensor task) are enabled by default; adjust in Settings as needed.

Flash Firmware

Web Serial (Chrome / Edge 89+): connect USB (e.g. XIAO ESP32-C3), open the ESP-Daemon Flasher, choose product ESP-Daemon or E-Stop, CONNECT & FLASH. If enumeration fails, hold BOOT and retry.

PlatformIO (local upload):

cd esp_firmware

# Flash firmware
pio run -e seeed_xiao_esp32c3_prod -t upload
pio run -e seeed_xiao_esp32c3_estop -t upload

# Flash the filesystem (for web UI/assets)
pio run -e seeed_xiao_esp32c3_prod -t uploadfs
pio run -e seeed_xiao_esp32c3_estop -t uploadfs

Network Setup & Web Access

State	Behavior
Unprovisioned	Device opens AP: Daemon `ESP-Daemon_XXXXXX`, E-STOP `ESP-EStop_XXXXXX`. Captive portal (192.168.4.1) or manual browser for Wi-Fi setup.
Provisioned	Prefer mDNS: `http://esp-daemon_xxxxxx.local`, `http://esp-estop_xxxxxx.local`. Fallback: DHCP-assigned IP.

E-STOP over ESP-NOW

Overview: The E-STOP sender transmits ESP-NOW frames while the button is pressed. The daemon accepts packets only from MAC addresses listed under E-Stop Emergency Sources and applies emergency shutdown to the selected control groups.

ESP-Daemon Settings E-Stop Emergency Sources and Voltmeter

Prerequisites

Requirement	Notes
Images	One board flashed `E-STOP`, one `ESP-Daemon`.
Runtime	ESP-NOW enabled on both (`Runtime Modules`).
RF / channel	Same Wi-Fi environment so channel alignment is possible; offline operation uses manual `ESP-NOW Channel`.
Identity	E-STOP MAC required for whitelist (see `GET /device` or UI banner).

Daemon configuration (whitelist)

On the Settings page, card E-Stop Emergency Sources (figure above).

Field	Constraint
`ESP-NOW Channel`	1–13 (default 6).
`Source MAC address`	12 hex digits; UI accepts `AA-BB-CC-DD-EE-FF` style.
`Targets (control groups)`	At least one of Group 1 / 2 / 3 per entry.

Duplicate MACs are rejected. SAVE SETTINGS persists to NVS. Matching is exact MAC; no payload parsing beyond authorized source.

E-Stop sender configuration

UI: /estop.html. Configure one or more routes:

Route field	Purpose
`ESP-Daemon MAC (target)`	Destination peer MAC.
`E-Stop GPIO`	Switch input pin.
`Switch active when HIGH` / `Invert pressed/released logic`	Debounced logic.

While pressed, firmware sends STOP to configured targets at approximately 80 ms intervals.

Voltmeter

Same Settings page (see figure above, Voltmeter card).

Parameter	Role
`Voltmeter Pin`	ADC GPIO.
`Divider R1` / `Divider R2`	Divider network; calibration factor `x = (R1+R2)/R2` when R2 > 0.
`Calibration`	Read-only display from R1/R2 in UI; firmware recomputes from divider values.
`Offset (V)`	Trim after bench measurement.
`Sliding Window Size`	Averaging depth.
`Timer Period (us)`	Sample timer.
`Battery Disconnect Threshold` / `Battery Low Threshold`	`batteryLowThreshold` ≥ `batteryDisconnectThreshold`.

Status output: NORMAL, LOW, or DISCONNECTED (debounced connect/disconnect detection).

Host-side low-battery alerting

The device exposes low-battery data via HTTP and ROS 2; desktop or fleet alerting is implemented on the host. DIT-Scripts can provision an Ubuntu desktop host; integrate with either:

GET /readings → batteryStatus
Topic /robot_status/battery_voltage (std_msgs/Float32) when micro-ROS is active

micro-ROS & Docker

ESP-Daemon Settings Runtime Modules and ROS

Device settings (Daemon)

Section	Fields
Runtime Modules	`micro-ROS` enabled.
ROS	Node name, domain ID (0–232), timer (ms), micro-ROS timeout (ms), ping interval (ms).

Transport: UART to micro_ros_agent (see firmware Serial).

Agent workspace (one-time bootstrap)

Builds micro_ros_setup and agent workspace inside the mounted tree (esp_daemon_ws/micro-ROS_install.sh):

docker compose run --rm esp-daemon bash -lc 'cd /home/ros/esp_daemon && chmod +x micro-ROS_install.sh && ./micro-ROS_install.sh'

Routine operation

docker compose up -d --build

docker-compose.yaml runs entrypoint.sh, which sources ~/esp_daemon/install/setup.bash and then:

ros2 run micro_ros_agent micro_ros_agent serial --dev /dev/ttyACM0

Requires /dev/ttyACM0 present (device USB, privileged: true, /dev bind mount).

Host environment: docker-compose.yaml passes ROS_DOMAIN_ID from the host into the container. Set it to the same value as ROS Domain ID on the device (Settings → ROS); default is 0 on both sides if unset. Build args use ROS_DISTRO from .env (e.g. humble).

Typical topics

Defined in esp_firmware/lib/ros_node/ros_node.cpp. All messages use std_msgs.

Topic	Dir	Message type	Field
`/esp32_counter`	Pub	`std_msgs/msg/Int32`	`data` — monotonic counter from timer
`/robot_status/battery_voltage`	Pub	`std_msgs/msg/Float32`	`data` — pack voltage (V)
`/robot_status/control_group1_enable`	Sub	`std_msgs/msg/Bool`	`data` — group 1 power enable
`/robot_status/control_group2_enable`	Sub	`std_msgs/msg/Bool`	`data` — group 2 power enable
`/robot_status/control_group3_enable`	Sub	`std_msgs/msg/Bool`	`data` — group 3 power enable

LED and WLED

Daemon (NeoPixel strip)

Setting	Notes
Runtime Modules	`LED Task` enabled.
`LED Pin`, `LED Count`, `LED Brightness`, `LED Override Duration (ms)`	Hardware strip.

Patterns reflect system state (e.g. battery, emergency). Override duration caps temporary modes.

E-STOP (WLED HTTP API)

Setting	Notes
`estopWledEnabled`	Master switch.
`estopWledBaseUrl`	Must include `http://` or `https://`; trailing slash stripped.
`estopWledPressedPreset` / `estopWledReleasedPreset`	Preset IDs 1–250.

On press/release edges, firmware calls POST {baseUrl}/json/state with {"on": true, "ps": <preset>} when Wi-Fi is connected. Status is exposed on /estop/status (wledStatus).

Configuration & telemetry

Topic	Details
Persistence	Settings are stored in NVS (`Preferences`). Export/import uses structured JSON (`esp-daemon.settings-export` / `esp-estop.settings-export` schemas).
UI actions	EXPORT / IMPORT — backup and restore. RESTORE DEFAULTS — firmware defaults, keeps NVS layout. FACTORY RESET — erases NVS including Wi-Fi credentials; device reboots.
PIN (Daemon only)	When PIN protection is enabled, `POST /settings/*` bodies must include a valid `authPin`; use `POST /settings/unlock` from the UI flow. E-STOP settings endpoints do not use PIN.
Battery telemetry	`GET /telemetry` returns a discharge session sampled at 1 Hz while connected (max ~7200 points, ~2 h). Default UI responses are downsampled with LTTB; use `?full=1` for full export, or `?maxPoints=<n>` to cap response points.

Updates

Method	Entry
Web Flasher	ESP-Daemon Flasher (USB, Web Serial).
OTA	`http://<device-name>.local/update` (ElegantOTA).
PlatformIO	Commands under Flash Firmware.

HTTP API

JSON request bodies use Content-Type: application/json unless noted. Routes depend on firmware image: Daemon and E-STOP expose different paths (see esp_firmware/lib/web_server/web_server.cpp).

Route map

ESP-Daemon (main image)

Method	Path	Purpose
`GET`	`/`	Web UI (`index.html`)
`GET`	`/health`	Liveness (`ok`)
`GET`	`/device`	Version, MAC, `settingsPinRequired`
`GET`	`/readings`	Sensors + `batteryStatus`
`GET`	`/telemetry`	Battery discharge session JSON (`?maxPoints=<n>`, `?full=1`)
`POST`	`/power`	JSON: `controlGroup{1,2,3}Power`
`POST`	`/emergency`	JSON: `emergency` (bool) — control group 1 only (legacy shortcut)
`POST`	`/settings/unlock`	JSON: `pin`
`POST`	`/settings/read`	JSON: `authPin`
`POST`	`/settings`	Full settings JSON + `authPin`
`POST`	`/settings/export`	JSON: `authPin`
`POST`	`/settings/import`	JSON: `authPin`, `settings`
`POST`	`/settings/reset`	JSON: `authPin`
`POST`	`/settings/factory-reset`	JSON: `authPin`
`POST`	`/esp/reboot`	JSON: `authPin`
—	`/update`	OTA UI (ElegantOTA)

E-STOP (sender image)

Method	Path	Purpose
`GET`	`/`	Web UI (`estop.html`)
`GET`	`/device`	Version, MAC
`GET`	`/estop/status`	Switch, routes, ESP-NOW, WLED status
`POST`	`/esp/reboot`	Reboot

curl examples

Environment variables:

ESP="http://esp-daemon_xxxxxx.local"
ESTOP="http://esp-estop_xxxxxx.local"
PIN="1234"   # if PIN protection enabled in Settings

ESP-Daemon

curl -fsS "$ESP/health"
curl -fsS "$ESP/device"
curl -fsS "$ESP/readings"
curl -fsS "$ESP/telemetry"
curl -fsS "$ESP/telemetry?maxPoints=120"   # UI-style downsampled response
curl -fsS "$ESP/telemetry?full=1"          # full session (for export/download)

curl -fsS -X POST "$ESP/power" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"controlGroup1Power":true}'
curl -fsS -X POST "$ESP/power" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"controlGroup1Power":false,"controlGroup2Power":false,"controlGroup3Power":false}'

# Legacy: group 1 only
curl -fsS -X POST "$ESP/emergency" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"emergency":true}'

curl -fsS -X POST "$ESP/settings/read" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{\"authPin\":\"$PIN\"}"
curl -fsS -X POST "$ESP/settings/export" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{\"authPin\":\"$PIN\"}"
curl -fsS -X POST "$ESP/esp/reboot" -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{\"authPin\":\"$PIN\"}"

E-STOP

curl -fsS "$ESTOP/device"
curl -fsS "$ESTOP/estop/status"
curl -fsS -X POST "$ESTOP/esp/reboot" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"authPin":""}'

Optional: desktop shortcut (Ubuntu)

Settings → Keyboard → Custom Shortcuts: command example for disabling groups 2 and 3 via non-interactive shell:

bash -lc 'curl -fsS -X POST "http://esp-daemon_xxxxxx.local/power" -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d "{\"controlGroup2Power\":false,\"controlGroup3Power\":false}"'

Repository layout

ESP-Daemon/
├── docs/                  # Documentation assets
├── esp_daemon_ws/         # ROS 2 / micro-ROS agent workspace
├── esp_firmware/          # ESP32 firmware (ESP-Daemon / E-STOP)
├── tools/                 # Web Flasher and related tooling
├── docker-compose.yaml    # ROS 2 container
└── README.md

License

MIT License. See LICENSE.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 32 Commits
.github		.github
docs/images		docs/images
esp_daemon_ws		esp_daemon_ws
esp_firmware		esp_firmware
tools/flasher		tools/flasher
.bashrc		.bashrc
.env		.env
.gitignore		.gitignore
Dockerfile		Dockerfile
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
docker-compose.yaml		docker-compose.yaml
entrypoint.sh		entrypoint.sh

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ESP-Daemon

Features

Quick start

Flash Firmware

Network Setup & Web Access

E-STOP over ESP-NOW

Prerequisites

Daemon configuration (whitelist)

E-Stop sender configuration

Voltmeter

Host-side low-battery alerting

micro-ROS & Docker

Device settings (Daemon)

Agent workspace (one-time bootstrap)

Routine operation

Typical topics

LED and WLED

Daemon (NeoPixel strip)

E-STOP (WLED HTTP API)

Configuration & telemetry

Updates

HTTP API

Route map

curl examples

Optional: desktop shortcut (Ubuntu)

Repository layout

License

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