AutoLee

Automated Lee APP conversion — ESP32-C6 firmware with touchscreen UI and web control.

AutoLee converts a manual Lee APP into a fully automated decapping machine using a stepper motor, sensorless homing, and stallguard jam detection. It runs on a tiny 1.47" touchscreen ESP32-C6 module and can also be controlled from any phone/computer via its built-in web interface.

Find the 3D-printable parts here: https://makerworld.com/en/models/2529369-autolee-conversion-kit

Support my work: https://buymeacoffee.com/kl.design

By K.L Design

---

⚠️ SAFETY WARNING — READ BEFORE BUILDING OR OPERATING

This machine will crush fingers and hands without breaking a sweat. It is a motorized press driven by a NEMA 23 stepper motor with significant torque. It does not know or care if something is in the way.

• NEVER run this machine unattended.
• NEVER allow children near the machine, whether it is running or not.
• Keep your hands and fingers away from the machine at ALL times when it is powered on.
• Treat it like any industrial press — it can and will cause serious injury if misused.

The stall detection and jam protection features are designed to detect brass getting stuck in the machine — nothing more. They will not detect or protect your fingers and hands. They were never designed for that. And even for brass jams, they can fail, be misconfigured, or react too slowly. Do not rely on software to protect your body.

LIABILITY DISCLAIMER: This project is provided as-is with absolutely no warranty of any kind. The author(s) accept no responsibility or liability for any injury, damage, or loss resulting from building, modifying, or operating this machine. You build and use it entirely at your own risk.

---

Features

Motion & Calibration

• Sensorless calibration — automatically finds the UP and DOWN mechanical stops using TMC5160 StallGuard, no limit switches needed
• Adjustable endpoints — fine-tune UP and DOWN positions in ±1/10/100 step increments after calibration
• Fast ramp profile — 800,000 steps/s² accel/decel (RUN_DECEL) for maximum cruise time and StallGuard coverage
• Safe return-home — after a jam or stall, creeps back to UP stop using calibration speed with stall detection and retries

Speed Profiles

• Three preset profiles — Slow (15 kHz, SG=350), Normal (35 kHz, SG=15), Fast (45 kHz, SG=1)
• Per-profile StallGuard threshold — each speed has its own SG trip value, eliminating false jams when changing speed
• One-tap switching — change profile from the touchscreen or web UI; speed and SG update together instantly
• Fine-tune SG per profile — type a value directly into text inputs on the web Configuration page, or use ±1/±5 buttons on the touch screen

Motor Current

• Adjustable run current — 1,000–4,500 mA via web slider (default 3,500 mA)
• Overcurrent warning — values above 4,000 mA show a warning (exceeds motor rating, ensure cooling)
• Live adjustment — takes effect immediately, no restart needed

Jam Detection & Protection

• Runtime StallGuard monitoring — reads SG2 via median-of-5 filtered SPI during operation
• Sliding counter stall detection — requires multiple consecutive high-SG readings to trigger (rejects transient spikes)
• Work zone blanking — skips SG monitoring near the DOWN endpoint where primer seating resistance is normal
• Accel/decel blanking — position-based and time-based SG ignore windows during speed transitions
• Automatic backoff — on jam detection, motor stops and backs off in the opposite direction before showing the jam screen
• Jam recovery screen — one-button return-home using the same proven sensorless homing as calibration

Batch Run

• Set a target count (1–9999) and the machine stops automatically when done
• Progress display — remaining count shown on the main screen during batch operation
• Works with all profiles — batch runs at whatever speed profile is active

Counter

• Stroke counter — counts each completed down-up cycle, displayed large on the main screen (max 9999)
• Resettable from touch UI or web interface

Touch UI (172×320 LVGL)

• Main screen — Counter, active speed profile indicator, calibration warning, batch remaining, buttons for Batch Run and Settings
• Settings screen — Calibrate, Configuration, Reset Counter
• Configuration screen — Speed Profile, Endpoints, Stall Guard, WiFi Info
• Speed Profile screen — Three buttons with green highlight on active, info card showing Hz + SG
• Endpoints (tuning) screen — Raw and effective endpoint values, buttons to edit UP and DOWN
• Stall Guard screen — Adjust SG trip for the active profile with ±1/±5 buttons
• Batch Run screen — Set target count with ±1/10/100 buttons, start batch
• Jam screen — Warning display with one-button return home
• WiFi screen — Shows connected SSID and IP address, Reset WiFi button to clear credentials and reboot

Web Interface (5-page layout)

• Full control from any browser — responsive dark-theme UI works on phone and desktop
• Real-time updates — Server-Sent Events (SSE) push state changes at 250 ms intervals
• Main page — status, counter, RUN/STOP, calibrate, reset counter, speed profile selector, batch run controls
• Configuration page — motor current slider (1,000–4,500 mA with overcurrent warning), endpoint tuning with collapsible offsets, per-profile StallGuard text inputs, work zone adjustment
• Log page — full-height 500-line scrollable log with real-time streaming and clear button
• Firmware page — drag-and-drop OTA .bin upload with progress bar
• WiFi page — shows connection status, SSID, and IP address; change credentials, reset to AP mode
• Footer navigation — blue text links on every page to jump between all five pages

WiFi & Networking

• Auto-connect — attempts saved credentials on boot, falls back to AP if it fails
• Captive portal — open AP mode (AutoLee-Setup, no password) with DNS redirect so any device gets the setup page automatically
• Network scanner — scans available WiFi networks and presents them in a dropdown
• ArduinoOTA support — update firmware from PlatformIO/Arduino IDE over the network (hostname: autolee, password: autolee)

---

File Structure

As of v1.8, the firmware is split into modular files for maintainability. All files must be in the same sketch folder.

File	Purpose
AutoLee.ino	Main entry point — globals, setup(), loop(), include order
config.h	All tuning constants, pin definitions, speed profiles
motion.h	Motion control, stall detection, calibration, creep home
ui_touch.h	LVGL touch UI — screen builders, helpers, event handlers
web_server.h	Web server, API endpoints, SSE broadcast, HTML, OTA upload
wifi_ota.h	WiFi connection, captive portal, ArduinoOTA
globals.h	Reference document — lists all shared variables and forward declarations (not included in the build)
lv_conf.h	LVGL configuration — display size, enabled features, font selections

The Arduino IDE compiles everything as a single translation unit. Include order in AutoLee.ino resolves all dependencies: config.h → globals → motion.h → ui_touch.h → wifi_ota.h → web_server.h.

---

Bill of Materials

Support this project: The product links below are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you — it's a simple way to help fund continued development of AutoLee. Thank you!

Electronics

#	Component	Specs	Link
1	WaveShare 1.47" ESP32-C6	Touchscreen controller & UI	Amazon.se · Amazon.com
2	TMC5160T Plus	Silent stepper driver with StallGuard2	Amazon.se · Amazon.com
3	Buck Converter	24 V → 5 V	Amazon.se · Amazon.com

Mechanical

#	Component	Specs	Link
4	NEMA 23 Stepper Motor	2.4 Nm, 4.0 A, 57×57×82 mm, 8 mm shaft	Amazon.se · Amazon.com
5	Shaft Coupling	Motor-to-leadscrew (8 mm to 10 mm)	Amazon.se · Amazon.com
6	Ball Screw Kit SFU1605 250 mm	250mm SFU1605 BK12/BF12 10 mm Shaft	Amazon.de · Amazon.com

Power

#	Component	Specs	Link
7	Power Supply	24 V, 5 A DC	Amazon.se · Amazon.com
8	On/Off Switch	Panel mount	Amazon.se · Amazon.com
9	DC Power Jack	2.5 mm socket	Amazon.se · Amazon.com
10	Emergency Stop	Button	Amazon.se · Amazon.com

Cooling

#	Component	Specs	Link
11	Fan	24 V, 40×40×20 mm	Amazon.se · Amazon.com

Wiring Supplies

#	Component	Specs	Link
12	Silicone Wire	18 AWG, 24 V power wiring (PSU → driver)	Amazon.com
13	Silicone Wire	24 AWG, flexible stranded, signal wiring	Amazon.com
14	Dupont Connector Kit + Crimping Tool	2.54 mm connectors, housings, and ratcheting crimper	Amazon.com
15	Ferrule Connector Kit + Crimping Tool	For power and motor wires to TMC5160 terminal block	Amazon.com

Hardware (Fasteners & Inserts)

Bolts / Screws

Qty	Size	Used For
15 pcs	M4 x 16mm	Motor, Motor mount, Backplane upper, Backplane lower
11 pcs	M5 x 40mm	Ballscrew mounts, Sled clamp
4 pcs	M5 x 25mm	Sled mount
1 pcs	M4 x 20mm	Display mount
4 pcs	M3 x 30mm	24V Fan
4 pcs	M3 x 5mm	TMC5160T
1 pcs	M3 x 10mm	Driverhousing mounting to backplane
2 pcs	M3 x 10mm	Driverhousinglid
4 pcs	M2 x 5mm	Display

Lock Nuts

Qty	Size	Used For
3 pcs	M5 Lock nut	Sled clamp
4 pcs	M3 Lock nut	24V Fan

Heat Inserts

Qty	Size	Used For	Link
16 pcs	M4 Heat insert	Motor, Motor mount, Backplane upper, Backplane lower, Display mount	Amazon.se · Amazon.com ¹
8 pcs	M5 Heat insert	Ballscrew mount	Amazon.se · Amazon.com ¹
5 pcs	M3 Heat insert	TMC5160T mount, Driverhousing to backplane	Amazon.se · Amazon.com ¹

¹ The US link is a bundle kit that includes M3, M4, and M5 inserts.

---

Wiring

ESP32-C6 → TMC5160T Plus (SPI)

ESP32-C6 Pin	TMC5160 Pin	Function
GPIO 1	SCK	SPI Clock
GPIO 2	SDI (MOSI)	SPI Data In
GPIO 3	SDO (MISO)	SPI Data Out
GPIO 8	CS	SPI Chip Select
GPIO 4	EN	Enable (active low)
GPIO 5	STEP	Step pulse
GPIO 6	DIR	Direction
GPIO 7	DIAG1	StallGuard diagnostic output

Power

Connection	Details
24 V PSU → TMC5160 VM	Motor power (24 V)
24 V PSU → Buck converter IN	Feeds the buck converter
Buck converter OUT (5 V) → ESP32-C6	Logic power
24 V PSU → Fan	Direct 24 V to cooling fan
GND	Common ground between all boards

Important: The display and TMC5160 share the SPI bus (GPIO 1, 2). The firmware manages chip-select lines (GPIO 8 for TMC, GPIO 14 for display) to avoid bus conflicts. The display CS is forced high before every StallGuard SPI read.

---

Software Setup

Dependencies (Arduino / PlatformIO)

Library	Version	Install	Purpose
LVGL	v8.4.0	Online	Touchscreen UI framework
GFX_Library_for_Arduino	v1.5.9	Online	ST7789 display driver
TMCStepper	—	Online	TMC5160 SPI communication
FastAccelStepper	—	Online	Step pulse generation with acceleration
ESPAsyncWebServer + AsyncTCP	—	Online	Web server & SSE
ArduinoOTA	—	Online	Over-the-air firmware updates
DNSServer	—	Online	Captive portal redirect
esp_lcd_touch_axs5106l	—	Offline	AXS5106L touch controller driver

Note: The esp_lcd_touch_axs5106l library is not available in the Arduino Library Manager. You must install it manually from Waveshare's demo package — see step 3 below.

Build & Flash

1. Clone this repo
2. Install all "Online" libraries above via the Arduino Library Manager
3. Install the touch driver offline:
   • Download the Waveshare ESP32-C6-Touch-LCD-1.47 demo package
   • Find the esp_lcd_touch_axs5106l library folder inside the package
   • Copy it to your Arduino libraries directory
4. Set up LVGL:
   • Copy lv_conf.h from this repo to sit next to your lvgl library folder (not inside it)
   • Copy the demos folder from inside the LVGL library into its src folder
5. Open AutoLee.ino in Arduino IDE or PlatformIO — all .h files must be in the same folder as the .ino
6. Select board: ESP32-C6
7. Set partition scheme: Minimal SPIFFS (1.9 MB APP with OTA/190 KB SPIFFS) — the firmware is too large for the default partition layout
8. Compile and flash

Flash Pre-Compiled Binary (No Arduino IDE Required)

If you don't want to set up the Arduino IDE and compile the firmware yourself, you can flash a pre-built binary directly to the ESP32-C6 using a web browser.

What You Need

• A Chrome or Edge browser (Web Serial is not supported in Firefox or Safari)
• A USB-C cable connected to the Waveshare ESP32-C6 board
• The merged firmware .bin file from the /Firmware folder in this repo

Steps

1. Download the latest AutoLee_vX.X_merged.bin from the /Firmware folder
2. Open the Espressif Web Flasher in Chrome or Edge
3. Click Connect and select the port for your ESP32-C6
4. In the Program section, enter 0x0 in the Flash Address field
5. Click the file picker next to the address and select the downloaded .bin file
6. Set Flash Mode as dio and Flash Size as 4MB
7. Click Program
8. Wait for flashing to complete — progress will show in the Console section at the bottom
9. After programming is complete click the rst button on the esp32 board to reboot
10. System should now be online

Tip: If the board doesn't show up as a COM port, hold the BOOT button on the Waveshare board while plugging in USB, then release after connecting. You may also need to install the CH343 USB driver if your OS doesn't recognize the board.

Updating Firmware Later

Once AutoLee is on your WiFi, go to the web UI → Firmware page and drag-and-drop the app-only .bin file (not the merged binary). The merged binary is only needed for the initial USB flash.

OTA Updates

After first flash, firmware can be updated two ways:

• Web UI — open the AutoLee web interface, go to the Firmware page, drag and drop a .bin file
• ArduinoOTA — hostname autolee, password autolee

---

Configuration

Key constants are in config.h:

Constant	Default	Description
profiles[0] (Slow)	15,000 Hz / SG 350	Low speed, high SG threshold — max torque for tough primers
profiles[1] (Normal)	35,000 Hz / SG 15	Balanced speed and sensitivity
profiles[2] (Fast)	45,000 Hz / SG 1	High speed, very sensitive stall detection
RUN_CURRENT_MA	3,500 mA	Motor run current (adjustable 1,000–4,500 via web UI)
RUN_DECEL	800,000	Accel/decel rate (steps/s²)
CAL_CURRENT_MA	3,200	Calibration current (mA, fixed)
CAL_SPEED_HZ	8,000	Calibration speed (Hz)
SG_WORK_ZONE_STEPS	5,500	SG blanking zone near DOWN endpoint
DOWN_OFFSET_DEFAULT	−500	Default DOWN endpoint offset after calibration
CAL_SGT	−1	StallGuard sensitivity for calibration

---

API Reference

All endpoints accept POST requests.

Endpoint	Parameters	Description
GET /api/state	—	Returns full JSON state
/api/toggle_run	—	Start or stop running
/api/profile	idx=0|1|2	Switch speed profile
/api/sg_trip	value=N or delta=N, &profile=N (optional)	Set or adjust SG threshold; targets active profile by default
/api/current	ma=N	Set motor run current (1,000–4,500 mA)
/api/work_zone	delta=N	Adjust work zone blanking steps
/api/endpoint	which=up|down &delta=N	Adjust endpoint offset
/api/batch	delta=N or action=start|clear	Adjust batch target or start/clear
/api/action	do=calibrate|return_home|reset_counter	Trigger actions
/api/wifi	ssid=... &pass=...	Save WiFi credentials and reboot
/api/wifi_reset	—	Clear saved WiFi, reboot to AP mode
/api/ota	multipart .bin upload	Firmware update
/api/log_clear	—	Clear the log buffer

SSE stream available at /events — pushes JSON state every 250 ms and log lines as log events.

---

Version History

Version	Changes
v1.8	Firmware split into modular files (config.h, motion.h, ui_touch.h, web_server.h, wifi_ota.h) for maintainability — no functional changes from v1.7
v1.7	WiFi Info moved to Configuration sub-menu; Reset WiFi button on WiFi info screen; speed profile buttons resized to fit display; WiFi info centered in card
v1.6	Adjustable motor current (1,000–4,500 mA) via web; multi-page web UI (Main, Configuration, Log, Firmware, WiFi); touch UI restructured (Settings → Configuration sub-menu); WiFi page shows SSID + IP; SG text inputs with auto-submit on blur; profiles retuned (Slow 15kHz/350, Normal 35kHz/15, Fast 45kHz/1); all labels fitted to 172px display
v1.5	Speed profiles (Slow/Normal/Fast) replace speed slider; per-profile SG thresholds; profile API
v1.4	Captive portal WiFi; work zone SG blanking; RUN_DECEL 800k; median-of-5 SPI filter; sliding counter stall detection; 500-line log; redesigned web UI
v1.3	Batch run; jam screen with return-home; runtime StallGuard monitoring; web log viewer
v1.2	Web UI with SSE; OTA updates; endpoint tuning; WiFi AP/STA
v1.1	Sensorless calibration; basic touch UI
v1.0	Initial release

---

License

This project is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

You are free to use, modify, and share this work for personal, non-commercial purposes, provided you give appropriate credit. Commercial use is not permitted without prior written permission.

Commercial use — including selling devices, kits, or services based on this project — is prohibited without prior written permission from the author.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Copyright (c) 2025 K.L Design