Ever wandered off the beaten path and wished you had a super simple way to point back home? Whether you're hiking a mountain trail 🌲, paddling across a lake 🛶, backpacking through the wilderness 🎒, walking the dog in a new park 🐕, or even flying your paramotor 🪂, the Mini ENAV has got your back!
This project turns a nifty little LilyGO E-Paper Watch into a minimalist navigation device. Forget complex maps! Mini ENAV focuses on one core mission: getting you back to where you started.
- Navigation Indicators:
- Displays distance and heading to a home point, takeoff point, or any active waypoint/location.
- Updates dynamically based on GPS data.
- Support for up to 20 waypoints and 5 regular locations, all managed via BLE and the web interface.
- Cycles through navigation targets (Home, Takeoff, Waypoints, Locations) on the device.
- Navigation Modes:
- Three navigation modes: Off, Location, and Waypoint, selectable via device settings or web interface.
- Bluetooth LE Connectivity:
- Connect with the web interface (see badge/link above) through your phone or computer browser to manage waypoints and locations.
- Save, activate, and deactivate custom locations and waypoints remotely.
- View all saved locations and waypoints when connecting to the device.
- BLE auto-shutdown after inactivity, re-enabled by button press.
- Fuel Tracking:
- Tracks remaining fuel in liters.
- Displays estimated flight time based on fuel burn rate.
- Flight Hours Tracking:
- Accumulates total flight hours and stores them persistently in EEPROM.
- Displays total flight hours on the "Wait GPS" screen.
- Settings Screen:
- Allows adjustment of:
- Fuel quantity: Set the current fuel level in liters.
- Fuel burn rate: Adjust the fuel consumption rate in liters per hour.
- Fuel display visibility: Toggle the visibility of the fuel display.
- Navigation mode: Select Off, Location, or Waypoint mode.
- Displays estimated flight time based on the current fuel and burn rate.
- Allows adjustment of:
- Takeoff Point Logic:
- Takeoff point is set automatically when moving >500m from Home.
- Energy Efficiency:
- CPU frequency reduced to 40 MHz to maximize power efficiency.
- E-paper display refresh rate optimized to 0.8 seconds.
- Deep sleep mode implemented for inactivity or long button press.
- Improved UI:
- Rotating dot animation while waiting for GPS.
- Compass rose, battery, satellite, and fuel indicators.
- Partial display refreshes for efficiency.
- Haptic Feedback:
- Vibration motor for tactile feedback during key actions.
- LilyGO E-Paper Watch (ESP32)
- 1.54" GxEPD e-paper display
- GPS module (connected to RX/TX)
- Vibration motor
- Battery (LiPo)
- Button for setting home point
A 3D-printable case is available for this project.
Download STL files here (GitHub)
Note: To fit the watch into the provided 3D case, you will need to use a half-size GPS antenna. The standard antenna that comes with the watch is too large.
- Install Visual Studio Code
- Install PlatformIO extension
- Clone this repository
git clone https://github.com/parahooners/Mini-ENAV.git - Open the project folder in VSCode
- Connect your ESP32 device via USB
- Select the correct serial port in PlatformIO (bottom bar)
- Build and upload the firmware
- Click the "PlatformIO: Upload" button (checkmark/arrow icon)
- Or run:
pio run --target upload
- Monitor serial output (optional)
- Click "PlatformIO: Monitor" or run:
pio device monitor
- Click "PlatformIO: Monitor" or run:
- Power On:
Device starts and waits for GPS fix ("Wait GPS" message). - Set Home Point:
Short press the button to set your current location as "Home". The device validates GPS accuracy to ensure reliable home points. - Takeoff Point Detection:
After moving >500m from Home, the device automatically marks your takeoff location with a "T" indicator. - Display Overview:
- Center: Distance to Home (in meters if you're close, kilometers if you're further out). Speed shown below.
- Top Right: Altitude (feet)
- Bottom Left: Battery percentage
- Bottom Right: Number of satellites
- Ring Indicators:
- "H" = Home direction
- "T" = Takeoff point direction
- "1-5" = Custom waypoint directions (when set via BLE)
- Long Press (5 seconds):
Long-press the button for 5 seconds to enter sleep mode. - Sleep Mode:
Device also enters sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity. Press the button to wake. - Charging:
Charge via USB as per your ESP32 board's instructions.
The settings page is accessible only within the first 10 seconds after the unit starts up by pressing the button. On the settings page, you can:
- Adjust the starting fuel litres (increments by 0.5).
- Adjust the fuel burn rate (increments by 0.1).
- Toggle the visibility of the Jerry Can and fuel litres display on the main navigation and GPS wait screens.
- Select navigation mode (Off, Location, Waypoint).
To change a value, press the button while the selection box is on the desired setting. After 5 seconds of inactivity, the selection box moves to the next setting. When all settings are configured, the values are saved to EEPROM and the unit restarts.
The Mini ENAV now includes Bluetooth LE connectivity with a web interface for managing waypoints and locations:
-
Accessing the Web Interface:
- Use a Web Bluetooth compatible browser (Chrome, Edge, or Opera on Android/Windows/Mac)
- Visit the Live Web Interface (recommended) or open the
docs/index.htmlfile locally - Click "Connect to Mini ENAV" to establish a connection
-
Managing Waypoints and Locations:
- View Saved Locations/Waypoints: When connected, all saved waypoints and locations are displayed automatically
- Add/Update Waypoint or Location:
- Select a location or waypoint number
- Set status (ON/OFF)
- Enter coordinates manually or click on the map
- Click "Send Location"
- Modify Waypoint/Location: Click "Load" on an existing entry to edit it
- Switch Navigation Modes: Use the web interface to change between Off, Location, and Waypoint navigation modes
-
Navigation Interface:
- The map displays all active waypoints and locations
- Each appears as a numbered marker
- The device cycles through and shows directions to active targets on the display
-
Notes:
- The web interface works best on mobile phones for on-the-go management
- Waypoints and locations persist through device reboots and power cycles
- Up to 20 waypoints and 5 locations can be stored
- BLE will auto-disable after 2 minutes of inactivity or disconnect; press the device button to re-enable
- Expanded BLE support: Now supports up to 20 waypoints and 5 locations, all managed via the web interface
- Added navigation modes (Off, Location, Waypoint) and cycling through navigation targets
- Improved settings screen: Now includes navigation mode selection and better persistence
- Takeoff point logic: Automatically sets takeoff point when moving >500m from Home
- Flight hours tracking: Tracks and displays total flight hours, saved in EEPROM
- BLE auto-shutdown and re-enable logic
- Improved UI: Rotating dot animation, compass rose, battery, satellite, and fuel indicators, partial refreshes
- Power management: Deep sleep after inactivity or long button press, lower CPU frequency
- Added Bluetooth LE connectivity for managing waypoints via a web interface
- Implemented a web-based interface for saving, viewing and managing waypoints
- Added support for up to 5 custom Points of Interest that appear on the navigation display
- Labels are now aligned to the far left for improved readability.
- Added the ability to adjust:
- Fuel quantity: Set the current fuel level in liters.
- Fuel burn rate: Adjust the fuel consumption rate in liters per hour.
- Fuel display visibility: Toggle the visibility of the fuel display.
- Displays estimated flight time based on the current fuel and burn rate.
- Total flight hours are now displayed on the "Wait GPS" screen.
- Flight hours are stored persistently in EEPROM and updated periodically during flight.
- CPU frequency reduced to 40 MHz to conserve power.
- E-paper display refresh rate optimized to match its 0.8-second refresh limitation.
- All unnecessary
Serial.printdebugging statements have been removed to save power. - Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are disabled throughout the program.
- Ensure GPS has a clear view of the sky for best accuracy.
- Battery voltage calibration may be needed for your hardware.
- For 3D case printing, adjust STL scaling as needed for your printer and hardware tolerances.
- Web Bluetooth is not supported on iOS devices (iPhone/iPad).
This project was written by Matty Austen, a lifelong coder who started programming at a very young age. Matty is passionate about making technology accessible to everyone, not just a select few. His love for paramotoring inspired this project, and he hopes it will be useful to the paramotoring community and beyond.
Matty is also the creator of the Parahooners YouTube channel, where he shares his adventures in paramotoring. Be sure to check it out for exciting content and insights into the world of paramotoring!
If you find Mini ENAV useful and want to show your appreciation, you can buy me a coffee! It helps fuel late-night coding sessions and future adventures (both digital and real-world!).
MIT License. See LICENSE for details.