OnxDesk is an independent open-source prototype for a small, multi-function desktop companion. It combines a round display, a rotary encoder, Wi-Fi, and internet data into a glanceable desk object for time, weather, markets, crypto, and focus sessions.
It is built with ESP-IDF and LVGL 9. The current implementation targets the OpenNextion ONX2424G013 round rotary display, but OnxDesk is not an official OpenNextion project, product, firmware release, or endorsement. It is a community prototype made to explore this form factor.
- Make a compact desk display that is useful without a phone app running all day.
- Keep initial setup simple: city search instead of latitude/longitude and keyless data sources wherever practical.
- Keep private configuration, such as Wi-Fi credentials and personal API keys, on the device.
- Use a hardware abstraction approach that can be adapted to other prototype rotary displays in the future.
| Board | Display | Input | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenNextion ONX2424G013 | 1.28 inch, 240×240 GC9A01N round LCD | Rotary encoder and BOOT button | Current implementation target |
The ONX2424G013 is the first OpenNextion-family board supported by this repository. Support for other OpenNextion boards may be added later.
The OnxDesk application is also suitable in principle for other ESP32-based prototype rotary displays. A port still requires board-specific work for the LCD driver, display rotation and colour order, input GPIOs, memory layout, and power/backlight control. Compatibility with any other board is not implied.
| Channel | Purpose | Data source | User configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock | Local time | SNTP | Wi-Fi only |
| Weather | Current conditions and three-day forecast | Open-Meteo | Select a city in the local setup page; no API key |
| Crypto | BTC, ETH, and SOL spot quotes | Binance public spot market data | None |
| Markets | Dow Jones, Nasdaq-100, and S&P 500 ETF proxies | Finnhub | Personal API key |
| Focus | Pomodoro and countdown timer | Device-local | None; 25 minutes by default, adjustable from 1 to 120 minutes |
- The firmware does not scrape finance websites.
- Market API keys are stored in device NVS. They are never committed to the repository or printed to logs.
- Settings → Home pages can hide Weather, Crypto, Markets, and Focus from top-level rotation. Clock and Settings always remain available.
- Settings → About shows the project name, exact ESP-IDF firmware version, and a QR code for the GitHub Issues page.
Download firmware from the GitHub Releases page.
The v0.1.0 release provides one merged, full-flash binary for the supported
display model:
| Display model | Shape | Firmware file | Flash address |
|---|---|---|---|
| ONX2424G013 | Round | onxdesk-v0.1.0-onx2424g013.bin |
0x0 |
Connect the board with a data-capable USB cable, then flash the matching binary
at address 0x0:
python -m esptool --chip esp32s3 -p /dev/cu.usbmodemXXXX -b 921600 write_flash \
0x0 ./onxdesk-v0.1.0-onx2424g013.binReplace the serial port and firmware filename for your computer. If the tool
cannot connect, hold BOOT, start the command, then release BOOT once
the connection starts. If 921600 is unreliable, retry with 460800.
This release image includes the bootloader, partition table, and application; full firmware flashing is recommended. OTA firmware downloads are not provided unless that path is separately validated. See Build, Flash, and Merge Firmware for source builds, erasing Flash, logs, and creating a merged BIN.
- Power on a new device, or factory-reset it by holding BOOT (GPIO0) for three seconds.
- OnxDesk creates an open
OnxDesk-ABCDEWi-Fi network and shows its exact name on the display. - Join that network with a phone. If a captive portal does not open, browse to http://192.168.4.1.
- Choose a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network or enter its SSID, then enter the password.
- After the device connects, join the phone to the same router and scan the on-screen QR code to open the local city setup page.
- Search for and save a city. OnxDesk then synchronizes time and weather and opens the Clock screen.
The final five characters of the setup-network name are derived from the device identity. They distinguish devices while remaining unchanged across normal restarts and factory resets.
- Open Finnhub and select Get free API Key, or use the usual account-registration flow.
- After signing in, open the Finnhub Dashboard to find and copy your API key.
- Send or copy the key to the phone you will use for OnxDesk setup, so it is ready to paste into the local settings page.
- On the device, open Settings → Finnhub Key, confirm the same-router prompt, then short-press to display the setup QR code and save the key.
- If a key is already saved, the local page shows only a masked tail such as
****qu30. Paste a new key and select Replace API key to change it.
Treat the API key as a private credential. Do not post it in issues, logs, or public screenshots.
| Control | Normal behaviour |
|---|---|
| Rotate encoder | Move between visible channels or menu entries |
| Short press | Enter, confirm, or acknowledge a timer reminder |
| Long press | Return one level or perform the page-specific secondary action |
| Hold BOOT for 3 seconds | Restore factory settings |
Factory reset clears Wi-Fi, city, time zone, Finnhub API key, preferences, and cached data.
- Short-press on the Weather channel to switch between current conditions and the three-day forecast.
- The temperature range uses the daily low and high, with the current temperature marked on the bar.
- The default Focus duration is a 25-minute Pomodoro.
- Short-press on Focus to enter time adjustment.
- Rotate in five-minute steps from 5–120 minutes, or in one-minute steps between 1–5 minutes.
- Short-press to confirm the duration. Long-press to start or pause the timer.
- While paused, short-press to resume, or long-press to cancel and restore the selected duration.
- A small orange progress ring appears on other top-level pages while a timer runs.
- At zero, OnxDesk opens Focus and alternates red and black for three minutes. If it is not acknowledged, it stays quiet for ten minutes and repeats the three-minute alert until a short press acknowledges it.
- Acknowledging the alert returns to the normal Focus page with the selected duration restored. Rotate normally to move to another channel.
The local settings centre remains available while OnxDesk is powered on and connected to Wi-Fi.
- Open Settings → City or Settings → Finnhub Key on the device.
- Join the phone to the same Wi-Fi as OnxDesk.
- Open the displayed
http://…/settingsaddress, or scan the on-screen QR code where available. - Update the city or personal Finnhub API key.
City search only runs after OnxDesk has network access. The Finnhub key is saved only in device NVS and is not shown again.
This table is for firmware development and troubleshooting; normal users do not need it.
| Function | GPIO |
|---|---|
| LCD SCLK / MOSI / CS / DC / BL / RST | 5 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 6 / 8 |
| Encoder A / B | 48 / 47 |
| Encoder press | 9 |
| BOOT | 0 |
- The project currently supports one round rotary display: ONX2424G013.
- Hardware bring-up, display orientation/colour validation, Wi-Fi provisioning, local settings, SNTP, city search, weather, crypto, market-key setup, and Focus interactions are implemented in the prototype.
- Future work may add support for more OpenNextion boards and other compatible prototype rotary displays, subject to available hardware and validation.
- Report issues or propose changes through the GitHub Issues page.
- OnxDesk is an independent community prototype. It is not an official OpenNextion project or product.
- Data is retrieved from third-party internet services and may be delayed, incomplete, unavailable, changed, or incorrect.
- This project is for informational and experimental use only. It does not constitute investment, financial, trading, weather-safety, or other professional advice.
- You are responsible for independently verifying data, following provider terms of use, protecting private credentials, and understanding the risks of flashing and using prototype firmware.