The ESP32-S3 Schematic is Fully Wired
Today the Dilder schematic got its biggest overhaul yet. The RP2040 is officially gone, replaced by the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 module with every net wired and validated.
Hardware¶
Teaching the Octopus to Feel — Motion & Location Without GPS
The Dilder just got a new sense. We swapped out the $6.88 MPU-6050 gyroscope for a $0.46 accelerometer that does more with less — and designed a location system that doesn't need GPS at all.
PCB Fabrication Pricing — Where to Build the Board
With the Dilder PCB design taking shape, it was time to figure out where to actually get it made. I spent a session researching five different PCB fabrication and assembly houses, comparing pricing for our specific board (45x80mm, 4-layer, 27 components, SMT assembly).
PCB v0.4 — Board Routed, Gerbers Next
The Dilder PCB design hit a milestone: v0.4 is fully placed and routed. 30 components on a 30x70mm 4-layer board, 34 nets, 125 pad connections. The board is ready for design rule checks and Gerber export.
From Breadboard to Custom PCB — The Research
The breadboard prototype works. The e-ink display refreshes, the joystick clicks, the octopus emotes. But a pocket-sized virtual pet can't live on a breadboard forever. It's time to research what a purpose-built Dilder board looks like.
First Real Input — Joystick Wired, Octopus Responds
The octopus can finally hear us. For the first time, the Dilder responds to physical input — a 5-way joystick module wired to the Pico W's GPIO pins, driving mood changes on the e-ink display in real time.
New Hardware: Joystick Module and LiPo Battery
Two new components arrived for the Dilder build — a 5-way navigation joystick and a 1000mAh LiPo battery. Both have been fully documented with wiring guides, test code, and integration plans.
First Pixels — Hello World on the E-Ink Display
We got pixels. Real, physical, black-on-white pixels on the Waveshare 2.13" e-ink display, driven by C firmware on the Pico W. Phase 1's proof-of-life is alive.
Phase 1: Hardware — Pico W + E-Ink, Let's Go
The planning phase is done. We've got hardware on the bench. Phase 1 begins now.