📟 SAM – Send A Message v1.0

🔧 Getting Started

Follow these steps to set up both the ESP32 CYD firmware and the Flask dashboard so your SAM device can receive and display messages.

âś… Prerequisites

📲 ESP32 CYD Firmware

1. Open the Firmware Folder

Navigate into the firmware folder: 

cd SAM-CYD/src/main

2. Update config.txt

Edit config.txt to include your Wi-Fi and API server details. Example: 

device_id=samID
ssid=YourNetworkSSID
password=YourWiFiPassword
api=http://<SERVER_IP>:5000/api/sendMessage

• device_id: Unique identifier for your device • ssid & password: Your Wi-Fi credentials • api: URL of your Flask dashboard’s endpoint

3. Load & Upload Arduino Sketch

Open your Arduino IDE (or PlatformIO) and open SAM-CYD/src/main/main.ino. Ensure the board is set to ESP32 Dev Kit (or equivalent ESP32 target). Then click “Upload” to flash the firmware.

Once uploaded, the ESP32 will reboot, connect to your Wi-Fi, and wait for incoming messages from the dashboard.

4. Verify Connection on Your Device

If Wi-Fi credentials and API URL are correct, the TFT should show:

  • Device ID: samID
  • Status: Connected to Wi-Fi
  • “Awaiting messages...” prompt

đź’» Flask Dashboard

1. Enter the Dashboard Directory

Switch to the dashboard folder: 

cd SAM-CYD/src/web_dashboard

2. Create & Activate Virtual Environment

(Recommended to isolate dependencies.) 

python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate   # (Windows: venv\Scripts\activate)

Install required Python packages: 

pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the Dashboard

Launch Flask so it listens on all interfaces at port 5000: 

flask run --host=0.0.0.0 --port=5000

• If Flask complains about missing `FLASK_APP`, set it first: export FLASK_APP=app.py (Windows: set FLASK_APP=app.py).

4. Access the Dashboard in Your Browser

Visit http://<SERVER_IP>:5000/ (e.g. http://192.168.1.100:5000/). You should see a form to enter:

  • Sender: Name displayed on the TFT
  • Message: Text to show on the device
  • Timestamp: Auto-generated or custom (e.g. 2025-06-06 14:30)

⚙️ Configuration Recap

Your ESP32 CYD reads config.txt for Wi-Fi & API details. Example content: 

device_id=samID
ssid=MyHomeNetwork
password=SuperSecurePass
api=http://192.168.1.100:5000/api/sendMessage

Make sure the API URL matches exactly where your Flask dashboard endpoint is reachable.

✔️ Verify End-to-End

1. On the web dashboard, send a test message—e.g.: 

Sender: Alice
Message: Hello, SAM!
Timestamp: (automatically set)

2. The ESP32 CYD TFT should display:

If nothing appears, check: