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Roadmap

This roadmap tracks planned Overland Controller development.

The roadmap is flexible and may change as the project evolves.

Phase 1: ESP32 Controller Foundation

Status: mostly complete

Goals:

  • Establish ESP32 firmware structure
  • Implement relay control
  • Implement status reporting
  • Implement local configuration
  • Implement BMS telemetry
  • Implement generic relay/sensor naming
  • Establish HTTP and UART communication models

Completed:

  • Relay control
  • JSON status API
  • Configuration persistence
  • Factory reset
  • BMS BLE telemetry
  • Cell voltage telemetry
  • Generic relay IDs
  • Generic temperature sensor IDs
  • HTTP API
  • Serial console commands
  • Documentation cleanup

Remaining:

  • Finish UART parity
  • Improve BLE setup reliability
  • Add stronger config validation
  • Add better command help output

Phase 2: UART Parity

Status: next priority

Goal:

The Pico dashboard should be able to configure and control the ESP32 over UART without relying on WiFi.

Minimum UART v1 messages:

  • status_request
  • set_relay
  • config_request
  • config_device
  • config_relay
  • config_temp
  • config_bms
  • save_config
  • factory_reset
  • enter_bms_setup
  • scan_ble
  • select_bms
  • exit_bms_setup

Expected result:

The Pico can:

  • Read full system status
  • Display current configuration
  • Control relays
  • Rename relays
  • Rename temperature sensors
  • Configure BMS
  • Run BMS setup workflow
  • Save configuration

Phase 3: Temperature Sensors

Status: partially started

Goals:

  • Complete DS18B20 hardware wiring
  • Add proper 4.7k pull-up resistor
  • Detect connected sensors
  • Report sensor addresses
  • Assign sensors to config slots
  • Persist sensor address assignments

Planned serial commands:

  • scan temps
  • assign temp 1
  • clear temp 1

Planned UART messages:

  • scan_temps
  • assign_temp
  • clear_temp

Expected result:

A user can connect multiple DS18B20 sensors, identify each one, name it, and save the configuration.

Phase 4: Pico Dashboard Bring-Up

Status: not started on hardware

Goals:

  • Bring up Pico 2 W
  • Bring up touchscreen
  • Establish UART connection to ESP32
  • Display status response
  • Display battery data
  • Display relay states
  • Display temperature data
  • Send relay commands

Initial dashboard screens:

  • Main overview
  • Battery screen
  • Temperature screen
  • Relay control screen
  • Settings screen

Phase 5: Pico Configuration UI

Status: planned

Goals:

  • Configure device name
  • Configure relay names
  • Configure temperature names
  • Configure BMS
  • Run BLE scan workflow
  • Save config
  • Factory reset

Expected result:

A new installation can be configured from the dashboard without using a laptop.

Phase 6: Vehicle Inputs

Status: planned

Possible inputs:

  • Ignition signal
  • Vehicle battery voltage
  • OBD-II
  • CAN bus
  • GPS

Potential data:

  • Ignition state
  • Engine RPM
  • Coolant temperature
  • Vehicle speed
  • Fuel level
  • Diagnostic trouble codes
  • Location
  • Trip data

Phase 7: Logging and History

Status: planned

Goals:

  • Log battery history
  • Log temperature history
  • Log relay events
  • Log alarm events
  • Show historical charts

Possible storage:

  • ESP32 flash
  • SD card
  • External service
  • Future InfluxDB integration

Phase 8: Integrations

Status: planned

Potential integrations:

  • MQTT
  • Home Assistant
  • Grafana
  • InfluxDB
  • Node-RED

Design goal:

Integrations should consume the same generic status/config model used by HTTP and UART.

Phase 9: Enclosure and Installation

Status: planned

Goals:

  • Design ESP32 enclosure
  • Design Pico dashboard enclosure
  • Design wiring harness
  • Document installation
  • Create BOM
  • Create printable STL files
  • Validate thermal and vibration behavior

Phase 10: Public Release

Status: future

Goals:

  • Clean documentation
  • Stable API
  • Stable UART protocol
  • Installation guide
  • Wiring guide
  • Build guide
  • Example configurations
  • Versioned releases

Potential release name:

Overland Controller v1.0

Long-Term Ideas

Potential future features:

  • OTA firmware updates
  • Multi-controller support
  • Expansion modules
  • Water tank monitoring
  • Inverter monitoring
  • Solar charge controller monitoring
  • Starlink diagnostics
  • Bluetooth sensor support
  • Mobile web dashboard
  • Plugin-style integrations

Networking Roadmap

Current

The ESP32 currently operates as a local access point.

Default local access:

http://192.168.4.1

This provides a reliable recovery/setup path even when no other WiFi network is available.

Planned: AP + STA Mode

The ESP32 should support AP and STA mode at the same time.

Access Point mode:

Overland-Controller
192.168.4.1

Station mode:

Connects to a configured WiFi network such as Starlink, home WiFi, or shop WiFi.

The AP should remain enabled even when STA mode is connected.

Reason:

  • Always available recovery path
  • Easier setup
  • Less risk of locking yourself out
  • Useful when Starlink/home WiFi is unavailable

Planned: Multiple Saved WiFi Networks

The controller should eventually support multiple saved WiFi profiles.

Example priority order:

1. Starlink
2. Home WiFi
3. Shop WiFi

Expected boot behavior:

Start AP
Try Starlink
If Starlink fails, try Home WiFi
If Home WiFi fails, try Shop WiFi
If all fail, remain AP-only

The ESP32 only connects to one STA network at a time, but it can remember and try multiple networks.

Planned WiFi Configuration

Future configuration should include:

ap_enabled
sta_enabled
hostname
saved networks
priority order

Future setup options:

  • Serial console
  • HTTP API
  • Pico dashboard UI
  • Embedded web dashboard

Planned mDNS

The controller should eventually support mDNS.

Example:

http://overland-controller.local

This would avoid needing to look up the controller IP when connected through Starlink or home WiFi.

Embedded Web Dashboard

Current Direction

The ESP32 should serve a lightweight mobile-friendly dashboard.

Purpose:

  • Check battery status from a phone
  • Check fridge/temp status from camp
  • Toggle relays if needed
  • View alarms
  • Provide fallback UI without the Pico display

Design limits:

  • No React
  • No external libraries
  • No images
  • Small inline HTML/CSS/JS
  • Poll /status every few seconds
  • Use existing relay endpoints

This dashboard is not intended to replace the physical Pico dashboard.

Optional Future Pi Zero Module

The base system should not require a Pi Zero.

Base system:

ESP32 controller
Pico 2 W dashboard

Optional future advanced module:

Pi Zero 2 W

Possible Pi Zero functions:

  • Rich web dashboard
  • Historical logging
  • Graphs
  • SQLite database
  • MQTT bridge
  • Home Assistant bridge
  • Advanced configuration UI

The core controller should remain functional without the Pi Zero.

Configuration Backup and Restore

Planned future feature.

Goals:

  • Export configuration JSON
  • Import configuration JSON
  • Backup install-specific setup
  • Restore after factory reset
  • Make support easier for future users

This is important if the project becomes shareable or sellable.

Post-0.4.0 Roadmap

Near Term

  • Verify complete WebUI setup workflow.
  • Add config backup/export/import.
  • Improve BMS out-of-range behavior without reducing NimBLE connection reliability.
  • Build permanent DS18B20 distribution board.
  • Test multiple temperature probes.
  • Update enclosure wiring layout.

Pico Dashboard MVP

  • UART status request.
  • Battery summary screen.
  • Temperature screen.
  • Relay control screen.
  • Alarm indicators.
  • Screen sleep based on ignition signal later.

Future

  • mDNS hostname.
  • OTA update workflow.
  • Optional Pi Zero logging module.
  • Historical graphs.
  • MQTT/Home Assistant bridge.
  • Ignition sense.
  • House battery voltage sense.

Pico Dashboard MVP Plan

MVP means Minimum Viable Product.

Goal:

Prove Pico 2 W can reliably read ESP32 status over UART and display live data.

Phase 1:

  • MicroPython on Pico 2 W / RP2350
  • UART to ESP32 dashboard UART
  • USB debug output
  • Request status from ESP32
  • Parse status JSON

Phase 2:

  • ST7796S display bring-up
  • Backlight control
  • Hello World screen
  • Static dashboard layout

Phase 3:

  • Live battery card
  • Runtime / time-to-full card
  • Temperature list
  • Relay state list
  • ESP32 connection indicator

Phase 4:

  • Touch support using FT6336U
  • Page navigation
  • Relay controls
  • Alarm details

Do not start with touch or config UI on the Pico. The WebUI is the preferred configuration workflow.

Revised Dashboard Roadmap

Phase 1

ESP32 cargo controller backend

  • WiFi
  • WebUI
  • Relay control
  • JBD/Xiaoxiang BMS
  • DS18B20
  • Config persistence

Phase 2

Waveshare 5" ESP32-S3 Dashboard

  • Connect to cargo ESP AP
  • Read /status API
  • Basic dashboard
  • Battery SOC
  • Voltage/current
  • Temps
  • Relay status

Phase 3

LVGL Dashboard UI

  • Touch support
  • Relay controls
  • Alarm screens
  • Config/status pages

Phase 4

Extended Vehicle Telemetry

  • OBD-II
  • Coolant temp
  • GPS
  • Trip data
  • Vehicle metrics

Phase 5

Advanced Integrations

  • Home Assistant
  • MQTT
  • Grafana
  • InfluxDB
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