banglejs.com - hackable smart watch?!?

Thanks!

Yeah, as far as I know from them and previous companies I contacted, they're not really that bothered either way - they just don't want to provide schematics. At the end of the day I'm buying their hardware - if I install Espruino on the watches it's really a win for them, because they don't have to provide any support :)

Joined the impatient group, so there is one early bird available, if anyone wants it :)

Nice! If I want to solder something small inside, is there any space left? Or maybe to pull outside i2c bus? Looks like No.1 F18.

Yep, it's a DT No.1 F18 watch. I reckon there is space for something small - and if you cut away at some of the plastic surround that's inside (the 'puck' shape you can see in the video) or 3D printed your own you could definitely get quite a lot of extra space.

Actually getting IO to connect to could be a bit more difficult - but at the very least the piezo speaker IO could be used for OneWire stuff and is very accessible, and there is an analog IO for the heart rate monitor that you could use as well.

the 'puck' shape you can see in the video

I wonder what is the part shown in the video at 1:09 see also https://ibb.co/fHrDtHX
The other three that come next are button areas but what is the first one?

Gps antenna maybe?

OK, thank you. What is "VT100 Terminal support on LCD"?

Gps antenna maybe?

Oh, indeed, it is whole gps module, looks similar to e.g. this https://www.rhydolabz.com/wireless-gps-c-130_186/gps-smd-module-with-antennapa6h-p-1911.html

Wow, Bangle.js has attention and buyers from all over the world.

For details check community on Kickstarter.

Oh, more backers from Germany than from the US? Anybody any idea why? I thought the US is a bigger market. Or everybody there already has a big-brand watch? Import tax & shipping cost outside EU?

Yep, that's the GPS antenna. However it is just the antenna - the chip itself is on the main board (it's a UBlox M8).

What is "VT100 Terminal support on LCD"?

It's what Pixl.js has - basically the REPL can be put on the LCD, which means that if your program has some error when you're not connected via Bluetooth you have a fighting chance of knowing something is wrong and maybe even finding out what it is (if it's not scrolling too fast ;).

more backers from Germany than from the US?

Espruino just seems really popular with Germans - also I know someone from Heise.de that wrote an article, and I think Bangle.js hasn't really been featured in any big US publications yet.

In previous KickStarters (and in general really) Germany is basically the biggest buyer of Espruino stuff apart from the US.

How much space is there for other devices in the watch?

I just got the crazy idea that I could stuff a 433mhz transmitter in there (smallest looks like 0.4" x 0.2"), and then I'd be wearing a watch that would know when I got home and send out the signal to turn the lights on and heat up the dab rig.

Travis Goodspeed's Goodwatch might be interesting. It's a complete watch pcb replacement for casios, but the info there might give some ideas.

I just got the crazy idea that I could stuff a 433mhz transmitter in there (smallest looks like 0.4" x 0.2"), and then I'd be wearing a watch that would know when I got home and send out the signal to turn the lights on and heat up the dab rig.

This can be done over existing Bluetooth LE without putting anything inside? the 433 transmitter could be attached to something else (let's say Pi Zero W or cheap nrf52 board) that sits at home and connects to the watch over BLE. Seems easier to me than breaking the watch.

@DrAzzy, THE walking advertiser constantly asking: Who can put the lights on for me early and late in the dark winter days on the way to and from work? ...and switch all traffic lights to green, so I have less to wait!!! --- haha!

Yes, I reckon you could get something in there... There's a plastic 'chassis' that comes out, and it takes up quite a bit of space, It'd be trivial to grind a bit out or 3D print a new one without the padding. Or worst case you could replace the battery with a smaller one.

In terms of IO, there are no 'free' pins brought out, but the piezo speaker isn't that great, and it's connected right to a GPIO pin via a wire that's easily accessible on the back of the watch. Something like a 433MHz transmitter that only needs one IO pin would be super easy to add to that.

Switched power is also available (less easily, but not that hard) on the heart rate monitor PCB, so you'd be laughing.

For those of us who missed on the beta and are waiting for March -- and with a bunch of existing defunct Pebble smartwatch faces aching to be ported -- what would be a good representative development/test setup for Bangle.js? Ideally, an emulator or simulator, of sorts.

I don't know about emulator or simulator but you could likely just use a Breakout MDBT42Q and pick up a similar screen to get a very good approximation of it.

You would have to likely flash it with the Bangle.js code and I am not sure if flashing the breakout is as simple as usual when swapping board types so YMMV.

@Gordon Sounds like a lab version of the BangleJS kit, spread on a wider board for tinkering could be a nice addition to the shop :D

Someone asked on the KickStarter as well - about maybe having an online emulator :)

In terms of graphics and bluetooth, a Pixl.js would be reasonably similar (just lower res and not colour).

Another option is to compile Espruino under Linux (on a rasberry pi?) and you can compile it with SDL support which will pop up a window containing the graphics.

I can have a go at an emulator at some point, but I'm afraid right now my hands are a bit full :)

edit: another option is to try and pick up an F18 smartwatch (which Bangle.js is based on) and try and reflash it with the new softdevice and firmware - but that's not something I'm supporting right now as there's a quite reasonable (10-20%) chance that the update will brick it and you'll have to crack it open and reflash with an SWD programmer.

You can emulate quite many things, but as @Gordon says, it has it's limitations... unzip attached file into any directory, then open .../uixdev/uiExampleSelect.html in your browser. To run the examples on the target device, make .../_sbx your sandbox folder in the ide. I use it most for developing UIs. Se also (not updated/most recent doc yet) Modular and extensible UI framework and ui elements. First steps for BangleJs emulation working.

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That's really cool - I hadn't considered that, but yes you could use @allObjects' code for writing Graphics stuff in the browser :)

I like numbers - especially the "Schnapszahl" (repetition of numbers) - but I missed the 999 - which was probably the one that made the stretch goal. But 1000 as the number of backers is a satisfying number... and the safe crossing of the line defined by 2nd stretch goal! Congratulations @Gordon

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Found a "Schnapszahl" , take the cross sum of new and returned backers.

2 + 1 +8 +7 +9 +6 = 33

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And you can now emulate Bangle.js in the browser: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gfw/banglejs-the-hackable-smart-watch/posts/2693751

For example: https://www.espruino.com/ide/emulator.html?codeurl=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/espruino/BangleApps/master/apps/blobclk/clock-blob.js (just press the upload button)

wow, just wow!

It showed unconnected web ide so I was not sure what am I supposed to do but then I just bravely pressed upload and it magically connected, uploaded and run! Only then I checked article and it clearly suggests to click connect so definitely my fault :-)

And BTW when I click disconnect and then connect again I see initial Espruino logo text output (which is not shown first time), then red "Unable to retrieve board information. Connection Error?" and console cursor blinks but no entry is possible.