DIY — pick your path

Two ways to build a bimmerz box yourself. Same firmware, same web apps, same ECU communication on both — only the hardware construction differs.

At a glance

	From modules	Custom PCB
Construction	Dev board + click / breakout boards + jumper wires	Reflow your own PCB, source SMD parts
Tools	Soldering iron (for headers / wires)	Reflow oven or hot-air station, paste, stencil
Cost	TBC	TBC
Time to first boot	A couple of hours	A weekend
Size	Big — stack of breakouts in a 3D-printed enclosure	OBD-II-dongle sized (~55 × 46 × 15 mm)
Looks like	A prototype	A finished product
Good for	Firmware hacking, single units, "I want it on the bench"	Multiple units, finished installs, gift builds

Where to start

• DIY from modules — Waveshare ESP32-P4 dev kit + MikroE clicks + breakouts. No PCB fab, no SMD reflow. Fastest path to a working dongle on your bench.

• DIY custom PCB — KiCad design files, BOM, build steps. Reflow your own board. Same physical format as the ready-to-ship hardware.

Common to both

• Firmware — same bimmerz_box.bin from the firmware repo. Build for BOARD_VARIANT=waveshare on the modules path, or BOARD_VARIANT=dongle on the PCB path. Both flash the same way.
• Web apps — same SD-card layout under /sdcard/web/<app>/ and /sdcard/data/<app>/.
• OTA + updates — same /admin/ upload form, same USB-MSC SD drop-in mechanism.

Or, skip DIY

If neither sounds appealing, ready-to-ship gets you the production hardware assembled, tested, and in an enclosure.