Getting Started

Get SpojBoard up and running in minutes with this quick start guide.

What You'll Need

• Hardware: Either a MatrixPortal S3 (plug & play) or generic ESP32-S3 with manual wiring
• Display: 2× HUB75 64×32 LED Matrix panels (128×32 total)
• Power: 5V 2A+ power supply (3A recommended)
• Data source: Golemio API key (Prague), BVG (Berlin, no key needed), or MQTT broker

Quick Start

1. Flash the Firmware

Download the appropriate firmware for your board:

• spojboard-matrixportal_s3-r*.bin — for MatrixPortal S3
• spojboard-esp32_s3_n8r2-r*.bin — for generic ESP32-S3

Flash using PlatformIO or your preferred ESP32 flashing tool:

pio run -t upload

2. Connect to Setup AP

After flashing, the display will show WiFi credentials:

WiFi Setup Mode
SSID: SpojBoard-XXXX
Pass: xxxxxxxx
Go to: 192.168.4.1

Connect your phone or computer to this WiFi network. A captive portal will open automatically.

3. Configure via Web UI

1. Enter your home WiFi credentials
2. Select your data source (Prague, Berlin, or MQTT)
3. Enter your API key and stop ID(s)
4. Click "Save & Connect to WiFi"

The device will restart, connect to your WiFi, and start showing departures.

Getting Your Stop ID

Prague (Golemio API)

1. Get an API key at api.golemio.cz/api-keys
2. Find your stop ID at data.pid.cz/stops
3. Look for the gtfsIds value (e.g., U693Z2P)

Berlin (BVG API)

1. No API key required
2. Find your stop at v6.bvg.transport.rest
3. Use the numeric stop ID (e.g., 900013102)

MQTT (Home Assistant / Custom)

No stop IDs needed — configure your MQTT broker to aggregate departures server-side. See the MQTT Integration Guide for setup.

If WiFi Fails

If the device can't connect to WiFi (wrong password, network down), it will automatically:

1. Stop trying after 20 attempts (~10 seconds)
2. Create a new AP with a random password
3. Display the credentials on the LED matrix

Just connect to the new AP and reconfigure.

Next Steps