version: "1.0.3" name: kb1-conventions description: KB1 design patterns, protocols, and conventions. Use when implementing new features, modifying BLE protocol, planning breaking changes, reviewing firmware contracts, or understanding system assumptions. Contains LED color conventions, MIDI implementation (Serial MIDI, clock generation), BLE protocol assumptions, breaking changes log, critical checklists, and validation rules. Essential for maintaining consistency and avoiding regressions.

KB1 Design Conventions & Protocols

Design patterns, protocols, and breaking change management for KB1 firmware.

LED Color Conventions

Global LED Color Meaning:

• PINK LED = Up / Forward / Increase / Positive direction
• BLUE LED = Down / Reverse / Decrease / Negative direction

Default Behavior

Levers and press button functions follow this convention by default through their hardware configuration.

Special Mode Overrides

Some modes require explicit LED control to maintain the convention:

Pattern Selector (CC 201)

• Forward cycling (P1→P2→P3...→P6→P1): Pink LED on, Blue LED off
• Reverse cycling (P6→P5→P4...→P1→P6): Blue LED on, Pink LED off
• LEDs override default button/switch assignments only during Pattern Selector operation

Implementation locations:

• TouchControl.h: Detects direction from offsetTime setting
• LeverPushControls.h: Tracks pattern changes to detect direction

Octave Control

• Octave Up: Uses OCTAVE_UP LED (separate from Pink/Blue)
• Octave Down: Uses OCTAVE_DOWN LED (separate from Pink/Blue)

Implementation Rule

When adding new control modes that have directional behavior, ensure LED feedback follows the Pink=Up / Blue=Down convention by explicitly setting LED states in the control logic.

Battery Charging Convention

#1 RULE: Power device ON (running on battery), THEN plug in USB

Why This Matters

The XIAO ESP32-S3's built-in charge controller has two modes determined at boot time:

1. USB at boot → Bypass/power mode → Device powered, battery NOT charging
2. Battery boot → plug USB → Charging mode → Device powered AND battery charging

Once in bypass mode, the charge controller cannot switch to charging mode without power cycling.

User Instructions (MUST be documented)

Correct charging sequence:

1. Turn device ON (ensure it's running on battery)
2. Connect USB cable
3. Pink/blue LEDs pulse = charging active
4. Leave for 5+ hours total (partial sessions accumulate)

If LEDs don't pulse after connecting USB:

• Device was in bypass mode (USB connected during boot)
• Fix: Disconnect USB, wait 5 seconds, reconnect USB
• LEDs should now pulse

Firmware Implementation

// Early in setup(), BEFORE loadBatteryState()
bool usbConnectedAtBoot = isUsbPowered();
 
// Later in battery monitoring
if (!usbConnectedAtBoot && usbNowConnected) {
    // Valid charging sequence - start/resume calibration timer
    isChargingMode = true;
}

See: .github/skills/kb1-hardware/ for complete charging behavior details

MIDI Implementation

Hardware Interface

CRITICAL: KB1 uses SERIAL MIDI ONLY (UART)

MIDI_CREATE_INSTANCE(HardwareSerial, Serial0, MIDI)

• Interface: Serial0 (Hardware UART on ESP32-S3)
• Declaration: MIDI_NAMESPACE::MidiInterface<MIDI_NAMESPACE::SerialMIDI<HardwareSerial>>
• Baud Rate: 31,250 (standard MIDI)
• Physical: 5-pin DIN or 3.5mm TRS MIDI connector
• NOT USB MIDI: KB1 does not support USB MIDI class device mode

MIDI Clock Protocol

CRITICAL: MIDI Clock requires continuous messages (cannot be "set and forget")

Messages:

• 0xF8 (Clock) — Must send 24 times per quarter note at precise intervals
• 0xFA (Start) — Sent once to begin playback
• 0xFC (Stop) — Sent once to halt playback
• 0xFB (Continue) — Resume from stopped position

Timing Example (120 BPM):

120 beats/min × 24 pulses/beat = 2,880 pulses/min
= 48 clock messages per second
= One 0xF8 message every ~20.8ms

If clock messages stop, receiving device (e.g., Tracker Mini) halts immediately.

Tracker Mini MIDI Configuration

Key Insight: Clock and Transport are SEPARATE settings

Clock Settings

• Clock In: Internal / USB / MIDI In jack
• Clock Out: Off / USB / MIDI Out jack / USB+MIDI jack
• Clock Sync Delay: -50 to +50 (latency compensation, 1/250 pattern step units)

Transport Settings

• Transport In: Internal / USB / MIDI In jack
• Transport Out: Off / USB / MIDI Out jack / USB+MIDI jack

Other MIDI Settings

• Notes In: Off / USB / MIDI In jack / USB+MIDI jack
• Notes Input Channel: All channels or Ch 1-16
• CC In: Off / USB / MIDI In jack / USB+MIDI jack
• CC In Channel: All channels or Ch 1-16
• MIDI Out: Off / USB / MIDI Out jack / USB+MIDI jack
• Middle C: C-3, C-4, C-5, C-6 (calibrate note ranges)

KB1 + Tracker Mini Workflow Options

Option 1: Clock Sync Only (Recommended)

Tracker Settings:

• Clock In = MIDI In jack (receives KB1's Serial MIDI timing)
• Transport In = Internal (manual play/pause on Tracker)

KB1 Sends:

• MIDI Clock (0xF8) continuously when enabled
• No Start/Stop/Continue

Result: KB1 provides timing reference, Tracker playback controlled manually. Arpeggiator and Tracker stay in perfect sync.

Option 2: Full Remote Control

Tracker Settings:

• Clock In = MIDI In jack
• Transport In = MIDI In jack

KB1 Sends:

• MIDI Clock (0xF8) continuously
• Start (0xFA) when arpeggiator engages
• Stop (0xFC) when arpeggiator disengages

Result: Arpeggiator controls Tracker playback automatically. More integrated but invasive.

Clock Generation Implementation

// At given BPM, calculate microseconds between clock pulses
unsigned long microsBetweenClocks = 2500000 / bpm; // 24 PPQN formula
 
// Send 0xF8 at precise intervals
if (micros() - lastClockMicros >= microsBetweenClocks) {
    MIDI.sendRealTime(midi::Clock);
    lastClockMicros = micros();
}

Default Recommendation:

• Clock: ON (always synced)
• Transport: OFF (user controls playback)
• BPM: 40-300 range (shared with arpeggiator)

Chord Settings: Gate vs Swing

CRITICAL: Gate and Swing are SEPARATE parameters for DIFFERENT play modes

Gate (gateValue)

• Range: 10-100%
• Used in: CHORD mode (playMode = 0 or 1)
• Purpose: Controls note duration as percentage of step time
• Effect:
• 100% = Legato (notes held until next note)
• 50% = Note on for half the step, silence for half
• 10% = Staccato (very short notes, mostly silence)
• Implementation: Strum cascade in updateStrum() schedules note-offs based on gateValue
• UI Location: CHORD mode section, visualized with pie chart

Swing (strumSwing)

• Range: 0-50 (firmware), displayed as 50-100% in UI
• Used in: ARP mode (playMode = 2)
• Purpose: Controls timing variation for odd-indexed notes (shuffle/swing feel)
• Effect:
• 0 (50% UI) = Straight timing (no swing)
• 25 (75% UI) = Moderate swing
• 50 (100% UI) = Maximum swing (every other note significantly delayed)
• Implementation: Arpeggiator in updateArpeggiator() adds swing delay to odd-indexed notes
• UI Location: ARP mode section, labeled as "SWING"

Common Mistake to Avoid

DO NOT:

• Use gateValue in arpeggiator code
• Use strumSwing in chord strum code
• Confuse the two when implementing timing logic

Remember:

• CHORD mode = gate controls note duration
• ARP mode = swing controls timing variation
• These are orthogonal parameters that never interact

Critical Assumptions

BLE Protocol Assumptions

Assumption: Single 256-Byte Buffer

What: All device settings are sent as a single 256-byte buffer over BLE Why: Firmware expects atomic updates to prevent partial/inconsistent state Violation: Sending settings in multiple chunks would desync firmware state Validation: Check buffer size in encodeSettings() — must be exactly 256 bytes

Assumption: Firmware Validates on Receive, NOT on Encode

What: Web app encodes settings, firmware validates and may reject Why: Firmware is source of truth for what's valid (hardware constraints) Violation: Web app must not assume encoded settings will be accepted Validation: Always check device response after BLE write, handle rejections

Assumption: Invalid Settings Reject ENTIRE Update

What: If ANY field is invalid, firmware ignores the whole settings buffer Why: Prevents partial updates that would leave device in inconsistent state Violation: Assuming individual fields can fail independently Validation: Use validateSettingsDetailed() before sending to get clear errors

Strum Speed Assumptions

Assumption: Signed 16-bit Value (-360 to +360)

What: Strum speed is ALWAYS stored as signed int, negative = reverse Why: Firmware uses sign bit to determine strum direction Violation: Storing as unsigned or separate direction field breaks firmware contract Validation: Type is number in TS, but range check in validation

Assumption: Steps of 5ms Only

What: Strum speed must be multiple of 5 (e.g., 5, 10, 15, not 7 or 13) Why: Firmware timer resolution is 5ms, other values round unpredictably Violation: Sending non-multiples causes inconsistent timing Validation: speed % 5 === 0 in firmware-contract.ts

Assumption: Forbidden Range -4 to +4

What: Values in range -4 to +4 are NOT allowed (firmware rejects them) Why: Too fast to be physically usable, firmware enforces minimum 5ms Violation: Sending values in this range causes BLE update to fail Validation: Check abs(speed) >= 5 in validation

Assumption: CC 200 is BIPOLAR, All Others are UNIPOLAR

What: Only CC 200 uses bipolar mapping (0-63=negative, 65-127=positive) Why: Allows single lever to control forward AND reverse smoothly Violation: Treating CC 200 like other CCs breaks lever sync Validation: Use isBipolarCC() from firmware-contract.ts

Root Note Assumptions

Assumption: Chromatic Mode Ignores Root Note

What: When scaleType=0 (Chromatic), firmware ignores the rootNote value Why: Chromatic scale includes all 12 notes regardless of root Violation: Assuming rootNote matters in Chromatic causes confusion Validation: UI can allow rootNote=0 for Chromatic, displays as C for clarity

Assumption: Non-Chromatic Requires 60-71 Range

What: For all scales except Chromatic, rootNote must be 60-71 (C to B) Why: Firmware uses rootNote as base for interval calculation Violation: Values outside this range cause firmware to reject settings Validation: Check isValidRootNote(note, isChromatic) in firmware-contract.ts

Assumption: UI Defaults to C (60) for Invalid Values

What: If loaded rootNote is outside 60-71, UI displays/uses 60 (C) Why: Prevents broken UI when legacy presets have invalid values Violation: Displaying invalid value confuses users, may break picker controls Validation: rootNoteValue computed in KeyboardSettings.vue

Voicing Range Assumption

Assumption: 1 to 3 Only (Inclusive)

What: Voicing must be exactly 1, 2, or 3 (number of octaves to stack) Why: Firmware has fixed array size for chord note stacking Violation: 0 or 4+ causes buffer overflow or silent failure Validation: Use isValidVoicing() from firmware-contract.ts

Performance Assumptions

Assumption: Drag Handlers Only Emit on Value Change

What: updateValueFromPosition() checks if value changed before emitting Why: Prevents 100+ redundant model updates during single drag gesture Violation: Assuming updates happen on every pixel breaks performance Validation: Always check if (newValue !== currentValue) before emit

Assumption: Validation Happens BEFORE Send, NOT During Drag

What: Expensive validation (validateSettingsDetailed) only runs on BLE send Why: Keeps drag interactions smooth (60fps), validation when it matters Violation: Calling validation in drag handlers kills performance Validation: NO validation calls in updateValueFromPosition()

Breaking Changes Log

Track all breaking changes to prevent accidental regressions.

v1.7 (April 2026)

Scale Validation - rootNote=0 Now Valid for Chromatic

What Changed:

• BLE protocol validation now allows rootNote: 0 when scaleType: 0 (Chromatic mode)
• Previously rejected rootNote < 60, now skips validation for Chromatic

Why:

• Firmware ignores rootNote in Chromatic mode (all 12 notes active regardless)
• Old validation was overly strict, causing false rejections

Impact:

• Firmware: Old firmware (v1.6 and earlier) may reject settings with rootNote=0
• Web App: Old web app (v1.6 and earlier) won't send rootNote=0
• Presets: Existing presets likely have rootNote=60, no migration needed

Migration:

• Update both firmware AND web app together for v1.7
• If rootNote=0 causes issues, set to 60 (C) — firmware ignores it anyway

Code Locations:

• KB1-config/src/ble/kb1Protocol.ts — validateScale()
• KB1-config/src/components/KeyboardSettings.vue — rootNoteValue computed

Strum Speed - Bipolar CC 200 Mapping

What Changed:

• CC 200 now uses BIPOLAR mapping: MIDI 0-63 = reverse, 65-127 = forward
• Previously used unipolar mapping (exact behavior varied by firmware version)
• Lever controls now sync correctly with negative strum speeds

Why:

• Allows single physical lever to control both forward AND reverse strum smoothly
• Eliminates need to toggle direction separately when using lever
• Matches user expectation: full left = full reverse, full right = full forward

Impact:

• Firmware: Lever behavior completely changed — MUST update firmware
• Web App: Lever assignments to CC 200 will behave differently
• Presets: Stored strum speeds are unchanged (still -360 to +360)

Migration:

• CRITICAL: Update firmware before using lever for strum speed
• Old firmware with new web app: Lever will send wrong values
• Re-test lever assignments after firmware update

Code Locations:

• firmware/src/controls/LeverControls.h — Constructor and syncValue()
• firmware/src/controls/LeverPushControls.h — Send conversion

UI Model - Strum Speed Now Unipolar Display

What Changed:

• UI now displays strum speed as positive value (5-360) with separate FWD/REV toggle
• Previously displayed bipolar value (-360 to +360)
• Model still stores signed value for firmware compatibility

Why:

• Cleaner UX: speed and direction are independent concepts
• Matches user mental model: "how fast" vs "which direction"
• Eliminates confusing negative numbers

Impact:

• Breaking: Custom code reading chord.strumSpeed directly may need updates
• Non-Breaking: BLE protocol unchanged, presets unchanged
• UI Only: Pure display change, no data model changes

Code Locations:

• KB1-config/src/components/KeyboardSettings.vue — smartSliderValue computed

Performance - Drag Update Optimization

What Changed:

• Drag handlers now only emit updates when value actually changes
• Previously emitted on every pixel movement (~100 updates per drag)
• Now emits only on value changes (~7 updates per drag for strum speed)

Why:

• Eliminates unnecessary re-renders and model cloning during drag
• Dramatically improves drag responsiveness
• Reduces CPU/battery usage on mobile devices

Impact:

• Non-Breaking: Pure performance optimization
• Behavior: Drag feels more responsive, no functional change
• Warning: Do NOT add code that expects updates on every pixel

Code Locations:

• KB1-config/src/components/KeyboardSettings.vue — updateValueFromPosition()

v1.6 (Previous Release)

Battery Persistence

What Changed:

• Battery % now persists correctly after reboot
• Fixed: Manual battery set now calculates equivalent consumed time

Impact:

• Requires firmware update to take effect
• Old firmware: Battery resets to 100% after reboot

Critical Checklist

⚠️ READ BEFORE ANY ARCHITECTURE CHANGES ⚠️

Before Modifying Task Core Assignments, I2C, BLE, or Touch Sensor Code:

MANDATORY: Check These First

1. `/memories/repo/esp32-architecture.md` (now .github/skills/kb1-hardware/) — Core constraints, I2C limitations
2. `/memories/repo/led-conventions.md` (now here) — LED color meanings (Pink=Up, Blue=Down)
3. `/memories/repo/serial-output-format.md` (now .github/skills/kb1-optimization/) — Compact logging formats
4. `/memories/repo/touch-sensor-optimizations.md` (now .github/skills/kb1-optimization/) — Touch sensor behavior

Hard Constraints (DO NOT VIOLATE)

❌ NEVER Move These Off Core 1:

• BLE Stack → ESP-IDF hardware limitation, causes disconnects
• Touch Sensor → Hardware peripheral affinity, returns garbage on Core 0
• ALL I2C Tasks → readInputs + ledTask MUST be same core
• MCP23X17 GPIO expanders (buttons, levers, LEDs)
• Cross-core I2C causes: Unfinished Repeated Start transaction! crashes

❌ NEVER Split I2C Devices Across Cores:

• mcp_U1 and mcp_U2 both require Core 1
• All keyboard, lever, octave button, and LED updates use I2C
• ESP32 I2C driver mutex cannot handle cross-core coordination

Safe Optimizations (Always Allowed)

✅ Serial Output Changes:

• Compact format (already optimized ~80% reduction)
• Auto-detection (USB CDC connection detection)
• Throttling/rate limiting

✅ I2C Speed:

• Current: 400kHz (safe, tested)
• Maximum: 1.7MHz (MCP23X17 spec limit)
• Heat: Negligible at any supported speed

✅ Task Priorities:

• Adjust priority within same core (readInputs can be priority 2, ledTask priority 1)
• Does NOT move tasks between cores

✅ Logic Changes:

• LED patterns, control algorithms, MIDI mapping
• Anything that doesn't touch core assignment or hardware peripherals

Battery/Charging Hardware Constraints

⚡ CRITICAL: Charge Controller Boot Sequence Requirement

Hardware behavior:

• USB at boot (boot with USB already connected) → Bypass/power mode → Device powered but NOT charging battery
• Boot on battery → THEN plug USB → Charging mode → Device powered AND charging battery

Firmware tracking:

• Detect boot sequence: usbConnectedAtBoot = isUsbPowered() captured EARLY in setup(), BEFORE loadBatteryState()
• Valid sequence (boot on battery → plug USB): isChargingMode = true → Run calibration timer, track charge
• Invalid sequence (USB at boot): isChargingMode = false → Stay uncalibrated (254), show ? in GUI
• Partial charges DO NOT accumulate (all-or-nothing: 5hrs continuous required)

⚠️ BOOT SEQUENCE BUG PATTERN (Fixed April 2026 - DO NOT REINTRODUCE)

The trap: setup() has a fresh-boot block that runs AFTER loadBatteryState() to handle sleep/wake:

if (resetReason != ESP_RST_DEEPSLEEP) {
    usbConnectedAtBoot = false;       // ← WRONG: throws away early hardware detection
    batteryState.lastUsbState = false; // ← WRONG: causes fake "USB just plugged" event
}

Why it causes charging LEDs on bypass boot:

1. usbConnectedAtBoot = isUsbPowered() correctly detects USB at line ~956
2. loadBatteryState() overwrites it with stale NVS at line ~997
3. Fresh-boot block then sets it to false → usbConnectedAtBoot is now wrong
4. lastUsbState = false but USB IS connected → usbJustPlugged = true
5. usbConnectedAtBoot == false → takes charging path → LEDs pulse

The fix (MUST keep): Capture early detection BEFORE loadBatteryState, restore in fresh-boot block:

bool usbAtBootEarlyDetection = isUsbPowered();  // Before loadBatteryState()
// ... after loadBatteryState() ...
if (resetReason != ESP_RST_DEEPSLEEP) {
    usbConnectedAtBoot = usbAtBootEarlyDetection;      // Restore hardware detection
    batteryState.lastUsbState = usbAtBootEarlyDetection; // Match actual state (no fake event)
}

When Proposing Performance Improvements:

1. Check memory files FIRST before suggesting
2. Verify against esp32-architecture.md constraints
3. State assumptions explicitly (e.g., "Assuming I2C can be split..." → WRONG)
4. If uncertain, ask user rather than implementing

Firmware Release Process (v1.6.2+)

⚠️ NEVER copy .pio/build/firmware.bin directly as a release binary

.pio/build/seeed_xiao_esp32s3/firmware.bin is the app partition only (must be flashed at offset 0x10000).

Flashing it at offset 0x0 causes immediate boot loop: Checksum failure. Calculated 0x57 stored 0xf3

✅ Always use build_complete.sh to produce the release binary

cd firmware
bash build_complete.sh

This runs esptool.py merge_bin to combine:

• bootloader.bin @ 0x0
• partitions.bin @ 0x8000
• firmware.bin @ 0x10000

Output: KB1-firmware-v1.6.2.bin — merged, flashes at offset 0x0

Release Checklist (All Three Repos)

1. Bump FIRMWARE_VERSION in src/objects/Constants.h
2. Update FIRMWARE_VERSION in build_complete.sh
3. Run bash build_complete.sh → outputs KB1-firmware-vX.Y.Z.bin in firmware root
4. Copy bin → kb1-studio/public/firmware/KB1-firmware-vX.Y.Z.bin
5. Add entry to kb1-studio/public/firmware/releases.json (use wc -c for exact byte size)
6. Bump APP_VERSION in KB1-config/src/constants.ts
7. Commit + push all three repos; tag firmware repo with vX.Y.Z

KB1-Config Web App Architecture Notes (post-v1.6.2)

Connect Sequence — Order is Critical

All sequential in useDeviceState.connect():

1. BLE connect + characteristic discovery (each char individually — DELETE failure doesn't block SAVE/LOAD/LIST)
2. refreshDevicePresets() — preset list read
3. handleLoad() — reads all 8 settings characteristics → triggers lastDeviceLoadTime → MobileScales resets hasChanges = false
4. useBatteryStatus().initBatteryStatus() — battery read LAST (BLE stack free)

Battery Icon (isAvailable flag)

• Starts false, must be set true for icon to render
• Set by: initBatteryStatus() or updateBatteryFromKeepAlive() (whichever fires first)
• MobileHeader no longer owns battery init — useDeviceState.connect() owns it

Upload Button Dirty State

• lastDeviceLoadTime ref in useDeviceState — updated after every successful handleLoad()
• MobileScales watches it → resets localSettings + hasChanges = false
• Prevents upload button activating on connect auto-load

Keep-Alive State Sync (active — firmware v1.6.2+)

• onKeepAliveState callback in bleClient updates deviceSettings.chord.strumPattern, scale.scaleType, scale.rootNote every 60s
• Firmware v1.6.2 binary (rebuilt Apr 11) populates bytes 2-5 from live _chordSettings and _scaleSettings refs

Guidelines for Future Changes

When is Something "Breaking"?

1. Breaking: Changes BLE protocol format or validation
2. Breaking: Changes firmware behavior that affects saved presets
3. Breaking: Changes data model in ways that old code can't handle
4. Non-Breaking: Pure UI changes with no data model impact
5. Non-Breaking: Performance optimizations that don't change behavior

How to Minimize Breaking Changes

1. Add new fields as optional, keep old fields working
2. Version the BLE protocol and check version on connect
3. Use feature flags to test new behavior alongside old
4. Document ANY change to validation rules
5. Test with old presets before releasing

When Breaking Changes are Necessary

1. Fixing critical bugs (like scale validation being too strict)
2. Adding features that fundamentally change how hardware works
3. Performance improvements that require behavioral changes
4. Aligning with user expectations (like bipolar lever mapping)

Always document WHY the break was necessary!

Revision History

• April 22, 2026: Migrated from /memories/repo/ to .github/skills/kb1-conventions/
• April 11, 2026: v1.6.2 release — Battery set%, keep-alive notifications, 88% eval mode stuck bug fixes
• March-April 2026: v1.7 development — Scale validation, strum speed bipolar mapping, drag optimization