# Hardware Signer Port: ESP32-2432S028 ("CYD") ## Goal Port the existing [`firmware/feather_s3_tft/`](../firmware/feather_s3_tft/) hardware signer to the **ESP32-2432S028 "Cheap Yellow Display" (CYD)** board, keeping the on-the-wire protocol identical so the existing [`client/`](../client/) library and the broader n_signer dispatcher stack are unchanged. The new firmware lives at `firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028/` and coexists with the feather firmware — both boards are supported targets from this point forward. A working prototype/test bed of every CYD peripheral we depend on already exists at `/home/user/lt/esp32_playground/cyb-esp32-2432s028/`. This plan reuses those drivers wholesale. ## Hardware comparison (what actually changes) | Concern | feather_s3_tft (existing) | CYD ESP32-2432S028 (new) | | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | | MCU | ESP32-S3 | ESP32-WROOM-32 (classic, dual-core Xtensa) | | Native USB | Yes (TinyUSB CDC + Vendor/WebUSB) | **No** — CH340 USB-UART bridge only | | Host transport | WebUSB (Vendor) + CDC | UART0 framed over CH340; browser uses **Web Serial API** | | Display | 240×135 ST7789 | 240×320 ILI9341 (~6× more pixel area) | | Display bus | SPI | SPI (HSPI), DC=IO2, CS=IO15, SCK=IO14, MOSI=IO13 | | Backlight | GPIO45 | GPIO21 (PWM via LEDC) | | Input | 3 tactile buttons (D0/D1/D2) | XPT2046 resistive **touchscreen** + BOOT button (IO0) | | Touch bus | n/a | Bit-banged SPI on IO25/32/33/36/39 | | Extras available | NeoPixel, battery monitor | SD card, RGB LED (IO4/16/17), LDR (IO34), speaker (IO26) | | Flash | 4 MB | 4 MB | | PSRAM | Yes (quad) | No | | GUI framework | Hand-rolled framebuffer + `font5x7.h` | **LVGL 8.3** (touch + larger screen need it) | Two implications are load-bearing for the rest of this plan: 1. **Transport.** Frames already pass through a byte stream (length-prefix, JSON-RPC payload) via [`cdc_send_frame()` / `cdc_recv_frame()`](../firmware/feather_s3_tft/main/usb_transport.c:1). Swap the TinyUSB backend for UART0 and the dispatcher above it is unchanged. WebUSB is **not reachable on this hardware** (see "WebUSB note" below); the browser-side replacement is the Web Serial API. 2. **GUI.** The touchscreen + 240×320 panel makes the hand-rolled text UI a poor fit. The playground already proves LVGL 8.3 works end-to-end on this board (see `11_lvgl_demo` and especially `12_lvgl_keyboard`, which is a working LVGL on-screen keyboard — exactly what mnemonic entry needs). Adopt LVGL for the new firmware. ## WebUSB note (for the record) WebUSB requires a native USB device with BOS + WebUSB platform descriptors. The CYD's MCU has no USB peripheral; the USB jacks connect to a CH340 UART bridge. The host sees a generic `VID:1A86 PID:7523` serial port — no descriptors we control, no Vendor interface, no WebUSB. The functional equivalent on this hardware is **Web Serial** (`navigator.serial`), Chromium-only but supported in Chrome / Edge / Brave / Opera. For Firefox/Safari users, the existing [`plans/nsigner_browser_extension.md`](nsigner_browser_extension.md) path (native messaging host + extension) remains the fallback — same wire protocol, different bridge. Action item for the `nostr_login_lite` integration: feature-detect both transports and prefer `navigator.usb` when a feather is plugged in, `navigator.serial` when a CYD is plugged in. One build supports both signers. ## Target directory layout ``` firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028/ ├── CMakeLists.txt ├── partitions.csv # same layout as feather, 4MB flash ├── sdkconfig.defaults # target=esp32, no PSRAM, no TinyUSB ├── version.cmake # mirror feather's GIT_HASH injection ├── dependencies.lock # generated ├── components/ │ └── secp256k1/ # symlink or copy from feather (CMakeLists already vendored) └── main/ ├── CMakeLists.txt ├── idf_component.yml # depends on lvgl/lvgl ^8.3.11 ├── lv_conf.h # copied from playground 12_lvgl_keyboard ├── main.c # dispatch loop, ported from feather main.c ├── ili9341.c / ili9341.h # display driver from playground ├── display.c / display.h # thin shim presenting the same API surface feather uses, │ # implemented in terms of LVGL primitives (so the n_signer │ # dispatcher's calls like display_clear() still work) ├── touch.c / touch.h # XPT2046 bit-bang driver + calibration helpers ├── ui_lvgl.c / ui.h # LVGL screens (mnemonic entry, approval, idle) ├── input.c / input.h # approval primitives (approve_once / always / deny / timeout) ├── uart_transport.c / uart_transport.h # replaces usb_transport.c ├── nvs_calib.c / nvs_calib.h # touch calibration persistence ├── bech32.c / bech32.h # copied from feather ├── mnemonic.c / mnemonic.h # copied from feather ├── mnemonic_wordlist.h # copied from feather ├── key_derivation.c / .h # copied from feather └── secure_mem.c / .h # copied from feather ``` Shared files that should not be duplicated (`bech32`, `mnemonic`, `key_derivation`, `secure_mem`) will be copied for now to keep the two firmware trees independent. A future cleanup task can extract them into a shared component under `firmware/common/` once both boards are stable. ## Architecture overview ```mermaid flowchart TB subgraph Host Browser[Browser / nostr_login_lite] --> WS[navigator.serial] Native[Native nsigner / Qubes RPC] --> Tty[/dev/ttyUSB0] WS --> Tty end subgraph CYD_Firmware Tty --> UART[uart_transport.c] UART --> Disp[dispatcher in main.c] Disp --> Sign[sign_event / get_public_key / nip04 / nip44] Disp --> Approve[approval flow] Approve --> UI[ui_lvgl.c - approval screen] UI --> Touch[XPT2046 touch.c] UI --> LCD[ILI9341 ili9341.c] Sign --> Keys[key_derivation.c + secure_mem.c] end ``` Same diagram as feather, with UART replacing TinyUSB and LVGL replacing the hand-rolled framebuffer. The `dispatcher` / `sign_event` / `approval` boxes are byte-for-byte the same code. ## Detailed implementation phases ### Phase 1 — project skeleton (no signer logic yet) Goal: get a blinking-LED-equivalent firmware that compiles, flashes, and shows "n_signer" on the LCD. No transport, no signing, no LVGL yet. 1. Create `firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028/` with `CMakeLists.txt`, `partitions.csv` (copied from feather, both bootloader and app slots fit in 4 MB without OTA), and `sdkconfig.defaults`: ``` CONFIG_IDF_TARGET="esp32" CONFIG_ESPTOOLPY_FLASHSIZE_4MB=y CONFIG_ESP_MAIN_TASK_STACK_SIZE=16384 CONFIG_FREERTOS_HZ=1000 CONFIG_COMPILER_OPTIMIZATION_SIZE=y # UART0 stays the console + transport. Keep it on stock pins (IO1 TX, IO3 RX). ``` 2. Vendor the display driver from `/home/user/lt/esp32_playground/cyb-esp32-2432s028/02_hello_tft/main/ili9341.c` and `.h` into `main/`. 3. Add `main/CMakeLists.txt` registering only `main.c` and `ili9341.c`, with `REQUIRES esp_driver_gpio esp_driver_spi`. 4. Write a stub `main.c` that calls `ili9341_init()`, fills black, draws `"n_signer cyd"` at (10,10), and idles. Exit criterion: flash via `idf.py -p /dev/ttyUSB0 flash` and see text on the LCD. ### Phase 2 — peripherals and LVGL Goal: LVGL on the device with a touch-driven hello-world. 1. Vendor the XPT2046 bit-bang driver from `12_lvgl_keyboard/main/main.c` (extract into `touch.c` / `touch.h` with `touch_init()`, `touch_read_raw()`, `touch_read_calibrated()`, `touch_run_calibration()`). 2. Vendor `lv_conf.h` from `12_lvgl_keyboard/main/lv_conf.h`. 3. Add `main/idf_component.yml`: ```yaml dependencies: idf: { version: ">=5.0.0" } lvgl/lvgl: "^8.3.11" ``` 4. In `main.c`, port the LVGL bring-up sequence verbatim from `12_lvgl_keyboard`: `lv_init` → `lv_disp_drv` with `lvgl_flush_cb` calling `ili9341_blit_rgb565` → `lv_indev_drv` with `lvgl_touch_read_cb` calling `touch_read_calibrated` → 2 ms periodic `esp_timer` for `lv_tick_inc(2)` → loop `lv_timer_handler()` + `vTaskDelay(5)`. 5. **Touch calibration persistence.** Add `nvs_calib.c`: - `nvs_calib_load(touch_calib_t *out)` returns `ESP_ERR_NVS_NOT_FOUND` on first boot. - `nvs_calib_save(const touch_calib_t *in)`. - On first boot, run the 4-corner calibration UI from `12_lvgl_keyboard`, save to NVS, never prompt again unless the user holds BOOT (IO0) during reset to force re-calibration. 6. Build a throwaway LVGL screen with `lv_label` "Touch me" and a button that flips a label — verifies touch + flush end to end. ### Phase 3 — UART transport Goal: byte-for-byte protocol parity with feather, over UART instead of USB. 1. Read the existing frame protocol in [`firmware/feather_s3_tft/main/usb_transport.c`](../firmware/feather_s3_tft/main/usb_transport.c) carefully — note the 4-byte big-endian length prefix, the max frame size (`USB_MAX_FRAME = 4096`), and the ring buffer semantics. 2. Implement `uart_transport.c` exposing identical signatures: ```c int uart_transport_init(void); int cdc_recv_frame(uint8_t *payload, size_t payload_max, size_t *out_len); int cdc_send_frame(const uint8_t *payload, size_t len); bool cdc_is_connected(void); /* always true for UART once init runs */ ``` Keep the names `cdc_send_frame` / `cdc_recv_frame` so [`main.c`](../firmware/feather_s3_tft/main/main.c:152-158) needs no changes. 3. Use `driver/uart.h`, `UART_NUM_0`, 115200 baud, 8N1, hardware flow control disabled. RX into a FreeRTOS-queue-backed event task, then drain into the same length-prefix ring buffer logic the feather uses. 4. **Console contention.** UART0 is also where ESP_LOGI prints. Two options: - Route `esp_log` to UART1 on IO22/IO27 (the CN1 connector) so devs can still see logs without disturbing the protocol byte stream. Set `CONFIG_ESP_CONSOLE_UART_CUSTOM=y`, `CONFIG_ESP_CONSOLE_UART_NUM=1`, `CONFIG_ESP_CONSOLE_UART_TX_GPIO=22`. - Or silence logs in release builds (`CONFIG_LOG_DEFAULT_LEVEL_NONE=y`). Recommendation: route logs to UART1. The CN1 connector is exactly the broken-out pin that developers will solder a header to. 5. Smoke-test with a small Python script that opens `/dev/ttyUSB0`, sends a `{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"ping"}` frame, and prints the reply. ### Phase 4 — port shared crypto + dispatcher Goal: signer logic running, with a stub UI that auto-approves everything. 1. Copy these files verbatim from `firmware/feather_s3_tft/main/` to `firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028/main/`: `bech32.c/.h`, `mnemonic.c/.h`, `mnemonic_wordlist.h`, `key_derivation.c/.h`, `secure_mem.c/.h`. 2. Reference the `nostr_core_lib` sources from `CMakeLists.txt` the same way feather does (relative paths to `../../../resources/nostr_core_lib/`). 3. Copy [`firmware/feather_s3_tft/main/main.c`](../firmware/feather_s3_tft/main/main.c) as a starting point. Replace the includes of `buttons.h`, `ui.h`, `display.h` with the new headers (added in Phase 5). For now, stub: ```c static approval_decision_t wait_for_approval(uint32_t timeout_ms) { (void)timeout_ms; return APPROVAL_ONCE; /* PHASE 4 STUB - REMOVE BEFORE MERGE */ } ``` 4. Hard-code a known test mnemonic into `s_mnemonic` so we can exercise `get_public_key` and `sign_event` without an entry UI yet. 5. Exit criterion: from the host, `get_public_key` returns the expected npub for the hard-coded mnemonic, and `sign_event` returns a valid Schnorr signature. ### Phase 5 — LVGL signer UI Goal: real user-facing flows on the LCD/touch. Screens and state machine: ```mermaid stateDiagram-v2 [*] --> Splash Splash --> MainMenu : 1s MainMenu --> Generate : tap Generate MainMenu --> EnterMnemonic : tap Enter MainMenu --> View : tap View (only if has_phrase) Generate --> ConfirmMnemonic EnterMnemonic --> ConfirmMnemonic ConfirmMnemonic --> Idle : confirmed View --> Idle : back Idle --> Approval : RPC sign_event request Approval --> Idle : decision sent ``` Screen designs (240×320, portrait): - **Splash.** Centered "N_SIGNER", red, large font. 1 s timeout → MainMenu. - **MainMenu.** Three large buttons (full-width minus padding, ~60 px tall): "Generate new", "Enter existing", "View current" (disabled until a phrase exists). Footer status bar with firmware version and "ready" / "no mnemonic". - **Generate.** Show 12-word mnemonic with each word numbered, in a scrollable list. Bottom: "I wrote it down" button (large, primary). Pressing it advances to ConfirmMnemonic. - **ConfirmMnemonic.** Pick the *N*th word from a 4-choice multiple-select to confirm the user actually wrote it down. Two random positions tested. Wrong answer → back to Generate. - **EnterMnemonic.** Top: word count chip ("3 / 12"). Middle: list of entered words. Bottom: `lv_keyboard` in lowercase mode. User taps letters → an `lv_textarea` above the keyboard shows the prefix → autocomplete matches are shown as 3 chips above the textarea (tap to commit). This is exactly the [`12_lvgl_keyboard`](../../esp32_playground/cyb-esp32-2432s028/12_lvgl_keyboard) layout adapted for BIP-39 wordlist autocomplete. - **Idle.** Top: "nostr:" + truncated npub (first 11, ellipsis, last 6). Middle: short mnemonic preview (first 2 words, ellipsis, last 1). Bottom: "v0.0.1 ready". This is the steady state where the firmware waits for RPC. - **Approval.** Red header "Approve sign request?". Body: caller pubkey (truncated), event kind, content preview (3 lines, ellipsized). Bottom: three large buttons side-by-side: green "Once", amber "Always", red "Deny". A 30 s countdown bar at the very bottom — when it empties, deny is auto-selected. Implementation steps: 1. Create `ui_lvgl.c` with `ui_show_splash()`, `ui_run_until_working(char out_mnemonic[256])`, `ui_show_idle(const char *npub, const char *mnemonic_short)`, `ui_show_approval(const char *caller, int kind, const char *content_preview, approval_decision_t *out, uint32_t timeout_ms)`. 2. The approval call is **synchronous from the dispatcher's point of view** — `main.c` calls it and blocks waiting for a decision. Internally it builds the LVGL screen, registers button callbacks that store the decision into a static, posts to a `xSemaphoreCreateBinary`, returns, and tears the screen down. 3. The mnemonic-entry flow uses a custom `lv_keyboard` event filter: only accept letters present in any BIP-39 word that matches the current prefix. After 3 unambiguous letters, auto-commit the word. 4. Replace the Phase 4 stub `wait_for_approval` with a real call into `ui_show_approval`. ### Phase 6 — build + flash plumbing 1. `scripts/flash_cyd.sh`: ```bash #!/usr/bin/env bash set -e PORT="${PORT:-/dev/ttyUSB0}" cd firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028 idf.py -p "$PORT" -b 460800 flash monitor ``` 2. Top-level [`Makefile`](../Makefile) gets new targets paralleling the existing feather ones: ``` cyd-build: cd firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028 && idf.py build cyd-flash: ./flash_cyd.sh cyd-monitor: cd firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028 && idf.py -p $${PORT:-/dev/ttyUSB0} monitor cyd-clean: cd firmware/cyd_esp32_2432s028 && idf.py fullclean ``` 3. Document driver requirements (CH340 kernel module, `dialout` group membership) in `firmware/README.md`. ### Phase 7 — host side (Web Serial) 1. Add a `transport_serial.ts` (or `.js`) to `nostr_login_lite` and to [`examples/`](../examples/) mirroring the existing WebUSB transport but using `navigator.serial`. Same length-prefixed frame protocol; the only differences are connection setup and read/write APIs. 2. Add a transport-selection shim: ```js async function connectSigner() { // Prefer the feather (WebUSB) if available. try { const dev = await navigator.usb.requestDevice({ filters: [{ vendorId: 0x303A }] }); return new WebUsbTransport(dev); } catch (_) {} const port = await navigator.serial.requestDevice({ filters: [{ usbVendorId: 0x1A86, usbProductId: 0x7523 }], // CH340 }); await port.open({ baudRate: 115200 }); return new WebSerialTransport(port); } ``` 3. Update [`examples/feather_webusb_demo.html`](../examples/feather_webusb_demo.html) or add a new `examples/cyd_webserial_demo.html` that exercises `get_public_key` and `sign_event` end-to-end. ### Phase 8 — testing and docs 1. Manual test matrix on real hardware: - First-boot calibration runs. - Generate → confirm → idle → sign_event from host → approval prompt → signature returned. - Enter existing mnemonic via on-screen keyboard. - Approval timeout fires correctly (set timeout to 5 s for the test). - "Always" approval persists for the session. - Power cycle, re-enter mnemonic, verify same npub (proves key derivation parity with feather). 2. Cross-board parity test: same mnemonic on a feather and a CYD, both sign the same event, signatures verify against the same npub. 3. Add a `tests/test_uart_transport.c` host-side framing test (we can't unit-test the device-side UART, but the framing helpers are pure functions and testable). 4. Update [`firmware/README.md`](../firmware/README.md) with a "Supported boards" table and per-board flashing instructions. ## Deferred decisions - **LVGL GUI designer.** EEZ Studio (GPL-3, mature) vs the official LVGL Editor (MIT, in beta) vs hand-written. Decision punted until the firmware is working — by then we'll know whether the screens are stable enough to be worth round-tripping through a designer. - **Shared `firmware/common/` component.** The duplicated `bech32` / `mnemonic` / `key_derivation` / `secure_mem` files are a future refactor target once both boards are stable. - **OTA updates.** Both boards currently use single-app partition tables. Out of scope for this port. - **Locked-down release config.** Disabling JTAG, enabling flash encryption, secure boot — these apply equally to both boards and should be a separate hardening pass. ## Risks and mitigations - **UART0 console contention.** Mitigated by routing logs to UART1 (Phase 3, step 4). If a dev forgets to reroute, the host will see log spam interleaved with frames and the framing layer will reject them — fail-loud, not silent corruption. - **LVGL RAM footprint.** Classic ESP32 has 512 KB internal SRAM, no PSRAM on the CYD. LVGL 8.3 with a 240×320 single buffer at 12-row stripes is ~5.6 KB; full double-buffer would be ~150 KB. Use the partial-buffer mode from playground 11 (already proven). Watch heap with `esp_get_free_heap_size()` in `idf.py monitor` once the signer is wired in — secp256k1 verification can spike usage. - **Touchscreen drift.** Resistive panels drift with temperature and age. The "hold BOOT during reset to recalibrate" escape hatch (Phase 2, step 5) means a stuck calibration never bricks the device. - **CH340 driver on macOS / Windows.** Macs need a kext or DriverKit driver, Windows 10+ ships one. Document this in `firmware/README.md`; not a code problem. - **Web Serial browser support.** Chromium-only. Firefox/Safari users fall back to the native-bridge path that the desktop signer already uses ([`plans/nsigner_browser_extension.md`](nsigner_browser_extension.md)). ## Acceptance criteria The port is "done" when all of the following are true: 1. `make cyd-build && make cyd-flash` produces a working device from a clean checkout. 2. From the same mnemonic, a CYD and a feather produce the same npub and identical Schnorr signatures for the same event payload. 3. The Web Serial example page in `examples/` can connect to a CYD and successfully sign an event end-to-end, including the on-device approval prompt. 4. The hand-written feather firmware is unchanged by this work (no regressions on the existing board).