# Developer Documentation

Everything you need to build with the Atech platform.

[**Learn How It Works** \
See how to go from an idea to working hardware in minutes.](/content/learn-more/index.html) [**Pre-order Hardware** \
Reserve the Early Adopter Kit. Ships July 2026.](/content/buy/index.html)

## Getting Started

Atech is a modular electronics platform. You describe what you want to build in plain text, and the platform generates a hardware configuration with working ESP32 firmware code. Pre-built modules snap onto a motherboard — no soldering, no breadboards.

1. Describe your project in the prompt box on the home page
2. The AI analyzes your request and selects the right modules
3. You get a board layout, wiring diagram, and generated firmware
4. Drag and drop modules to customize the layout
5. Flash the firmware to your ESP32 directly from the browser

## Board Layouts

The platform currently supports two motherboard configurations:

- **8-Port Board** — 5×2 grid with 6 usable ports and 2 adjacent pairs for double-width modules. Good for smaller projects.
- **14-Port Board** — Landscape perimeter layout with 12 usable ports. Supports more complex builds with many modules.

Each port is a physical connector on the motherboard. Modules plug into one or two adjacent ports depending on their size.

## Modules

Modules are pre-built hardware components that connect to the motherboard. Each module has a matching software driver that gets included in the generated firmware.

| Module | Size |
| --- | --- |
| Color Display (TFT) | 2-port |
| Speaker | 2-port |
| Microphone | 2-port |
| Knob (Rotary Encoder) | 2-port |
| Light Grid (NeoPixel) | 1-port |
| Button | 1-port |
| DC Motor | 1-port |
| Motion Sensor (IMU) | 1-port |
| Temperature & Humidity | 1-port |
| Distance Sensor | 1-port |
| Robot Arm | 1-port |

Modules come in two sizes: **1-port** (single slot) and **2-port** (spans two adjacent slots). The system handles collision detection and valid placement automatically.

## API Reference

The backend exposes a REST API. All requests go through a centralized URL builder that auto-detects the environment (local, staging, production).

`POST`

`/chat`

Send a prompt to the AI to generate a project

`POST`

`/projects`

Create a new project

`GET`

`/projects/:id`

Get project details

`POST`

`/builds`

Start a firmware build

`GET`

`/builds/:id`

Check build status

`GET`

`/builds/:id/firmware`

Download compiled firmware binary

## Firmware & Flashing

Generated firmware targets the ESP32 microcontroller. The build system compiles your project server-side and produces downloadable binaries. You can flash directly from the browser using Web Serial API — no additional tools needed.

WiFi credentials are injected into the firmware at build time. The ESP32 uses WiFi as its only connectivity path for receiving commands and sending sensor data.