The Froth Machine is the workshop board built around an ESP32, a TM1629 12x8 display, a joystick with click, two knobs, an LED, and a handful of raw pins.

The right way to learn it is not by memorizing every low-level word first. Start with the friendly board layer:

  • matrix.* for display setup and drawing
  • grid.* for the smallest workshop-facing drawing helpers
  • joy.* for the joystick directions and click
  • knob.* for the two potentiometers
  • demo.pong.* for a real built-in game-shaped example

If you want one five-line proof that the board is alive, use this:

matrix.init:
grid.clear:
grid.set: 1, 1, true
grid.show:
joy.click?:

That does three useful things at once:

  • it initializes the display
  • it proves you can light a pixel
  • it proves the input helper layer is present

From here, the Machine docs split by the questions most people actually ask:

Use Reference when you want exact behavior. Use Machine when you want the board as a thing you can actually hold, draw on, and play with.

  1. 01. First Steps What the Froth Machine is, what is on it, and the first words to try.
  2. 02. Display and Drawing How the display layers fit together, how to draw, and when to reach for `grid`, `matrix`, or `tm1629`.
  3. 03. Inputs and Controls Joystick, knobs, raw buttons, and the usual way input enters a board sketch.
  4. 04. Games and Loops The usual shape of a small board game, plus built-in Pong and a Game of Life example.