M5Timer

What Is It?

M5Timer is a pocket-sized hardware Pomodoro timer built on the M5Capsule. It has real physical buttons, color-coded LED feedback, and a browser-based configuration interface — all without touching your phone.

No apps. No notifications. No distractions. Just press a button and focus.

Why I Built It

I love the Pomodoro technique, but phone apps are too distracting. Every time I unlock my phone to check the timer, I see messages, social media, and a hundred things that pull me out of flow state.

I wanted a dedicated device that:

• Has no notifications except the timer itself
• Works without my phone — no internet, no apps
• Feels satisfying to use with real buttons and LED feedback
• Can still be customized via web when I want to tweak settings

The M5Capsule is perfect for this — tiny enough for a pocket, powerful enough to run everything locally, and the RGB LED is perfect for color-coded status.

How It Works

Hardware:

• M5Capsule (ESP32-S3) — main brain

That's it!

Software:

The firmware runs on the Arduino/ESP32 framework via PlatformIO. Key modes:

• Initial: 10-second countdown before first work session — LED rainbow fade
• Work: 25-minute focus timer — LED red
• Short Break: 5-minute rest — LED green
• Long Break: 15-minute rest after 4 work sessions — LED blue
• Sync: Web configuration mode — LED purple

Web Configuration:

Connect M5Timer to your computer via USB, open https://qqshi13.github.io/M5Timer, and click "Connect." The Web Serial API lets you adjust timer durations, LED brightness, buzzer volume, and more. Settings are saved to flash memory.

Power Management:

• CPU underclocked to 80MHz — saves ~40% power
• Light sleep between ticks — wakes on button press
• RTC keeps time — device can sleep for hours without drifting

What Makes It Special

• Physical button: No touchscreen fatigue, works with gloves
• Color-coded LED: Glance across the room — you know your mode
• Web Serial config: Customize without installing an app
• Persistent storage: Set it once, use it forever
• Light sleep: Battery lasts days, not hours
• Offline: Works in a Faraday cage

Credits

Built with love by QQ & Nova

Powered by M5Stack & OpenClaw

License: GPL-3.0