Front Panel¶
The optional front panel module provides a physical interface for controlling PicoIDE and seeing its status. It also includes a WiFi interface - see Web Interface for details.
Button Layout¶
| Button | Position | Functions |
|---|---|---|
| Up | Top | Navigate up, previous image |
| Down | Bottom | Navigate down, next image |
| Select (✓ symbol) | Right | Confirm selection, enter menu |
| Cancel ( ×symbol) | Left | Cancel, exit menu, eject |
Screens¶
Splash Screen¶
Displayed briefly at power-on, showing:
- PicoIDE logo
- Front panel firmware version
- Initialization progress
Status Screen¶
The main display when PicoIDE is running:
- Top bar: Current directory path and image position (e.g., "3/12")
- Center: Current image name (scrolls horizontally if too long)
- Bottom: Playback status (mixed-mode discs in CD-ROM mode only)
Navigation from Status Screen¶
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Up | Load previous image in directory |
| Down | Load next image in directory |
| Select | Open main menu |
| Cancel | Eject current image (ATAPI mode only) |
IDE Mode Limitations
In IDE (hard disk) mode, ejecting is not available because fixed hard disks don't support hot-swapping. Selecting a new image will only take effect when the system resets.
Main Menu¶
Press Select from the status screen to access the main menu:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Select Image | Browse and select a new image |
| Eject Image | Eject current image (ATAPI only) |
| Settings | Access device settings |
| System Info | View firmware versions and status |
Select Image Menu¶
Navigate your SD card to select images:
- Directories shown in
[brackets] - Files shown by name
..entry to go up one level (or press Cancel button)- Scrollbar appears when list exceeds screen
- Long file names will scroll to show the full file name
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Up/Down | Navigate list |
| Select | Open directory or load image |
| Cancel | Return to parent directory |
Settings Menu¶
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Firmware Update | Check for and install firmware updates |
| WiFi | Configure WiFi settings |
WiFi Submenu¶
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| WiFi Status | View current connection info (SSID, IP address) |
| Reset WiFi | Clear saved credentials, restart in AP mode with default password |
Display Behavior¶
Screen Saving¶
The display automatically dims and turns off to save the life of the OLED:
| State | Timeout | Brightness |
|---|---|---|
| Active | - | full |
| Dimmed | 30 seconds idle | half |
| Off | 2 minutes idle | zero |
Any button press wakes the display:
- From dimmed: Button action is performed
- From off: Display wakes, no action performed
CD-ROM Playback Display¶
In ATAPI mode, the status screen shows audio playback information:
- Play/Pause/Stop status
- Current track number
- Track position (MM:SS format)
Data-only tracks display "Data track" instead of timing information.