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Assembly Overview

The golden rule: add one component at a time and verify it works before adding the next.

If you wire everything at once and it does not work, you have no idea which component or connection is the problem. If you add the RTC, verify it, then flash the LittleFS partition, then add the display — any failure immediately points to the thing you just added.

Assembly Order​

Breadboard vs. Final Build​

Start on a breadboard. No soldering, no permanent mistakes. Jumper wires pull out easily if you connect something wrong.

The breadboard prototype will be somewhat unreliable — wires wiggle out, contacts oxidise. That is expected and fine for testing. Once all components work on the breadboard, the final assembly section covers moving to perfboard.

Each Wiring Doc Follows the Same Format​

Every component wiring page contains:

  1. Overview — what the component does and why it is needed
  2. WireViz diagram — a visual wiring diagram (pre-rendered SVG)
  3. Pin table — a precise table of every connection to make
  4. Verification — a short firmware test to confirm the wiring is correct before moving on
  5. Gotchas — common mistakes and how to avoid them

Before You Wire Anything​

  1. Check the pin table to know which GPIO is used for what.
  2. Disconnect USB before adding or removing components on the breadboard.
  3. Verify power rails with a multimeter before connecting sensitive components like the display.