[TESTING] OpenFIRE ESP32 v6.2-beta2: True Wireless Lightgun Firmware (Zero Lag)

[Alessandro Satanassi]

Hello everyone,

I am developing the advanced ESP32-S3 port of the OpenFIRE firmware. Building upon the solid foundation of the original project, the primary goal of this port is to provide a fully wireless lightgun experience. I have introduced native communication via the ESP-NOW protocol, which cuts the cord while maintaining the exact real-time responsiveness and zero latency of a direct USB connection.

I have just released version v6.2-beta2. The code is now 100% "Feature Complete" across the entire ecosystem (Lightgun, USB Dongle, and wireless Pedal).

What to expect in this release:
* Refined IR Tracking: Deep anti-jitter techniques and better rotation handling have been integrated. You will notice much smoother cursor behavior and rock-solid precision, even near the edges of the screen.
* True Wireless Freedom: Highly optimized ESP-NOW protocol for zero-lag communication.

Call for Testing:
Before labeling this as our final Stable release, I need your help to stress-test the system in real-world scenarios. While the protocol is heavily optimized, ESP-NOW operates on the 2.4GHz band. I want to gather feedback on how the system behaves in real home environments and arcade cabinets, especially under heavy Wi-Fi interference.

All technical details, flashing instructions, and download links are available in the official GitHub Issue here:
https://github.com/alessandro-satanassi/OpenFIRE-Firmware-ESP32/issues/13

Associated Hardware Project (PICON-AS):
Since this is a community of builders, I would also like to point out that if you want to physically build a battery-powered wireless lightgun to fully utilize this firmware, the release notes also contain references to the PICON-AS open-source hardware project. It includes all necessary 3D printing files and assembly instructions.

Thanks in advance for your help. Looking forward to your feedback on GitHub!

[Alessandro Satanassi]

[Alessandro Satanassi]

Beta5 ...  I've improved the responsiveness and stability of the pointing  and fixed known issues.. and added support for esp32s3-zero (N.B. it will surely be supported by the OpenFIRE configuration app soon too): https://github.com/alessandro-satanassi/OpenFIRE-Firmware-ESP32/releases/tag/v6.2-Beta5

[Alessandro Satanassi]

I am pleased to announce that OpenFIRE ESP32 Beta7 (https://github.com/alessandro-satanassi/OpenFIRE-Firmware-ESP32/releases/tag/v6.2-Beta7) is now officially available. In this release, I have fine-tuned the pointer's reactivity and stability to provide a smoother and more precise tracking experience, in order to achieve the best compromise and overall user experience. Additionally, I am excited to introduce our new custom Web Flasher tool. You can now flash the firmware directly from your web browser without the need to download, install, or configure any external software, making the entire update process significantly faster and more user-friendly. You can access the new flashing tool here: https://alessandro-satanassi.github.io/OpenFIRE-ESP32-WebFlasher/ . I look forward to hearing your feedback.

[Alessandro Satanassi]

OpenFIRE ESP32 Port - v6.2-RC1 is now available!

Hi everyone! I'm happy to announce that the Release Candidate 1 for the OpenFIRE ESP32 port is officially out.

Compared to the previous Betas, I have further refined the tracking system and the wireless transmission protocols. The codebase is now extremely stable and no new features or logic changes will be made, unless bugs are discovered during this final testing phase.

No more complex installations! To make things accessible to everyone, I've created a Web Flasher. You can now flash the firmware directly from your browser (Chrome/Edge) in a few clicks, without having to download or install any extra software.

Flash the firmware in one click here: https://alessandro-satanassi.github.io/OpenFIRE-ESP32-WebFlasher/

Release notes & Source Code: https://github.com/alessandro-satanassi/OpenFIRE-Firmware-ESP32/releases/tag/v6.2-RC1

Any feedback during this RC phase is highly appreciated to help reach the final stable release. Have fun!