• Overview
• Features
• Hardware Requirements
• Installation
• Configuration
• Web Interface
• API Reference
• Security Features
• Troubleshooting
• Contributing
• License
• Acknowledgments
• Release & Binary

This project lets your ESP8266 control an LED matrix display like a boss. Features a web interface, OTA updates, real-time text updates, and more security than your email account. All without breaking your fragile little heart.

• AP Mode: Because configuring WiFi is too mainstream
• Modern Web Interface: Looks fancy, works… mostly
• Secure Authentication: Login sessions and rate-limits, because hackers exist
• Live Updates: Messages and effects change without your intervention (or consent)
• OTA Updates: Flash firmware without touching your precious ESP8266
• Network Resilience: It tries to reconnect when your WiFi dies, like a clingy ex

• 🖊️ Live Text Updates – Type, it shows, no magic involved
• 🎨 28 Visual Effects – Because 1 effect is for quitters
• 🔧 Brightness Control – 15 levels of blinding glory
• ⚡ Speed Control – Slow to insane, your choice
• 🕐 Auto Clock – Because you clearly need reminders

• 🎨 Material Design UI (fancy icons for fancy people)
• 📱 Works on mobile, because tiny screens are fun
• 🔒 Login protected, because trolls exist
• 👁️ Live status, IP, uptime, SSID, because you need to flex

• 🛡️ IP rate-limiting – Three wrong logins? See ya for 30s
• 🔐 Bearer token login – Fancy words, same result
• ⏱️ Auto logout – So lazy people don’t hog sessions
• 🧰 OTA Upload – Upgrade firmware without leaving your couch

• 🏠 Automatic AP Mode
• 📶 Auto WiFi Reconnect
• ⚙️ Web-based WiFi Configuration
• 🌐 NTP Clock Sync – Because your ESP8266 cares about punctuality
• 🔍 IP Reporting – Flex your local network
• 🧩 Fail-safe Display Suspension – Clears screen when disconnected

• ✅ ESP8266 (NodeMCU, Wemos D1 Mini)
• ✅ 4x MAX7219 8x8 LED matrix (FC16)
• ✅ Jumper wires
• ✅ 5V 2A+ power supply

Hint: Mess up wiring, you get… nothing.

Because why compile when you can download?

1. Download ESP Flash Tool or esptool.py
2. Grab the binary: Direct Download
3. Flash command:

esptool.py --port COM3 --baud 460800 write_flash --flash_size=detect 0 parola_v1.ino.bin

1. Arduino IDE 1.8+ or PlatformIO
2. ESP8266 Board Package installed
3. Libraries installed:

#include <ESP8266WiFi.h>
#include <ESP8266WebServer.h>
#include <ESP8266HTTPUpdateServer.h>
#include <ArduinoOTA.h>
#include <EEPROM.h>
#include <MD_Parola.h>
#include <MD_MAX72XX.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#include <NTPClient.h>
#include <WiFiUdp.h>

4. Open .ino, connect board, upload

• Default AP: Parola / parola123
• Web Login: admin / admin@parola
• Manual: edit ssid, password, adminUser, adminPass in code

#define HARDWARE_TYPE MD_MAX72XX::FC16_HW
#define MAX_DEVICES 4
#define CLK_PIN D5
#define DATA_PIN D7
#define CS_PIN D8

Reset button resets brightness, speed, effects, and shows clock. Because sometimes, we need a clean slate.

• Connect to AP Parola → open browser → login
• Dashboard: Status, WiFi, Effects, Sliders, OTA, Reset
• Mobile-friendly, because your thumbs deserve it

• Base URL: http://192.168.4.1 (AP) or http://[device-ip] (WiFi)
• Login, set brightness, speed, effect, messages, and OTA
• Tokens required because we’re fancy

• IP login lockout
• Session token expiration
• Input sanitization
• Automatic reconnection

0–27: Various scrolls, fades, wipes… basically everything except magic.

• PRs, effects, bug reports, docs improvements
• Fork → branch → commit → PR

MIT. Free to modify, commercialize, and brag. Retain license notice if you want to be legal-ish.

• MD_Parola
• ESP8266 Arduino Core
• Google Fonts & Icons

• GitHub Release: v1
• Direct .bin Download: parola_v1.ino.bin

Flash this and pretend you know what you’re doing.