linux-voice-assistant/docs/xvf3800_usb_led_testing.md

Call for Testing: XVF3800 USB LED Support in linux-voice-assistant

The XVF3800 branch now includes USB-based LED ring support using the XVF3800’s legacy LED control commands (LED_EFFECT, LED_BRIGHTNESS, LED_SPEED, LED_COLOR). This post outlines how to pull the branch, refresh your virtualenv, and enable XVF3800 support in config.json.

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1. Get the XVF3800 Branch

If you already have the repo:

cd ~/linux-voice-assistant
git fetch origin
git switch xvf3800      # or: git checkout xvf3800
git pull

If you’re cloning fresh:

cd ~
git clone https://github.com/imonlinux/linux-voice-assistant.git
cd linux-voice-assistant
git switch xvf3800      # or: git checkout xvf3800

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2. Refresh the Virtualenv (New Dependencies)

The XVF3800 backend uses pyusb and system libusb.

From the project root:

cd ~/linux-voice-assistant

# Create venv if you don't already have one
python3 -m venv .venv

# Activate it
source .venv/bin/activate

# Upgrade pip and reinstall project deps (including pyusb)
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -e .

On Debian/RPi OS, make sure libusb is installed:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install libusb-1.0-0

No extra hidapi is required for the LED integration (this path is pure pyusb).

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3. Enable XVF3800 Support in config.json

Edit linux_voice_assistant/config.json and set the led block to use the XVF3800 USB backend.

Minimal example:

{
  "app": {
    "name": "Linux Voice Assistant XVF3800"
  },

  "audio": {
    // Set this to your XVF3800 input device name or index if needed
    // "input_device": "reSpeaker XVF3800 4-Mic Array",
    "input_block_size": 1024
  },

  "led": {
    // New: XVF3800 USB LED backend
    // led_type can be "dotstar", "neopixel" or "xvf3800"
    "led_type": "xvf3800",

    // For XVF3800 we currently support only "usb"
    "interface": "usb",

    // Used for internal logic / MQTT, not hardware-driven on XVF3800
    "num_leds": 12,

    // Optional (defaults to true if omitted)
    "enabled": true
  },

  // If you previously used the 2-Mic HAT button, disable it here
  "button": {
    "enabled": false
  },

  "mqtt": {
    "host": "192.168.1.2",
    "port": 1883,
    "username": "mqtt_username",
    "password": "mqtt_password"
  }
}

✅ For non-XVF3800 setups, keep using led_type: "dotstar" / "neopixel" and your existing interface (spi or gpio).

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4. Run the Assistant with XVF3800 LEDs

From the project root:

cd ~/linux-voice-assistant
source .venv/bin/activate
script/run --debug

With the XVF3800 branch + config above, the USB LED ring should now:

• Show the configured idle / listening / thinking / responding / error effects
• Turn solid dim red when the mic is muted
• Track changes coming from the MQTT LED state entities

Please report back:

• Which distro / Pi model you’re using
• Firmware version on the XVF3800 (if known)
• What you see on the LED ring for each LVA state
  (idle, listening, thinking, responding, error, muted)

This will help tighten the mappings and prepare for a follow-up pass that uses the newer LED_RING_COLOR capabilities.