Repository Analysis

wled/WLED

Control WS2812B and many more types of digital RGB LEDs with an ESP32 over WiFi!

4.6 Likely human-written View on GitHub

Analysis Overview

This report presents the forensic synthetic code analysis of wled/WLED, a C++ project with 18,611 GitHub stars. SynthScan v2.0 examined 119,213 lines of code across 450 source files, recording 406 pattern matches distributed across 10 syntactic categories. The overall adjusted score of 4.6 places this repository in the Likely human-written band.

The scanner applied 160+ deterministic lexical heuristics, multi-line block detectors, abstract syntax tree depth profilers, and a cross-file Jaccard similarity matrix to construct a statistically normalised synthetic code estimate. All matches are individually weighted by severity coefficient and contextual multiplier before summation, and the resulting headline score is temporally discounted to account for the repository's development history relative to the commercial emergence of large language model coding tooling (November 2022 onward).

4.6
Adjusted Score
4.6
Raw Score
100%
Time Factor
2026-08-28
Last Push
18.6K
Stars
C++
Language
119.2K
Lines of Code
450
Files
406
Pattern Hits
2026-08-29
Scan Date
0.01
HC Hit Rate

What These Metrics Mean

Adjusted Score
Primary synthetic code indicator. Raw score normalised per 1,000 lines of code and multiplied by the temporal discount factor. This is the definitive comparative metric — use it to rank repositories by AI authorship density.
Raw Score
The unmodified sum of all severity-weighted, context-multiplied pattern match scores before temporal discounting. Reflects the absolute signal strength independent of when the repository was last active.
Time Factor
The temporal discount multiplier (0–100%) applied to the raw score. Repositories last updated before ChatGPT's launch (Nov 2022) receive a 5% factor. Full signal is only assigned to repositories active in the post-adoption era (Jan 2024+).
Pattern Hits
Total count of individual pattern matches across all files and categories. A high hit count with a low score may indicate a very large codebase with isolated AI snippets; a low count with a high score indicates dense, concentrated AI signatures.
HC Hit Rate
High+Critical pattern hits per file, averaged across the repository. This orthogonal signal catches repositories where a few files are densely packed with high-severity AI tells — a strong indicator even when the normalised score appears moderate due to codebase size.
Lines of Code / Files
Total lines and files analysed. The scanner examines 94 file extensions. These denominators are used to normalise the score, enabling fair comparison between repositories of vastly different sizes.

Score History

This chart maps the temporal evolution of the adjusted synthetic code score across successive scan runs. An upward trajectory indicates ongoing incorporation of AI-generated code or expanding LLM-assisted scaffolding; a stable or declining trajectory may reflect active human refactoring, code removal, or the adoption of stricter authorship policies. The dashed secondary line (right axis) independently tracks total raw pattern hit count, which can diverge from the normalised score when codebase size changes significantly between scans.

Severity Breakdown

Classifies detected patterns by their diagnostic confidence and structural impact. CRITICAL patterns (coefficient 10) represent definitive synthetic signatures — hallucinated imports, explicit LLM attribution metadata — virtually never produced by human authors. HIGH (5) indicates strong structural tells such as cross-file repetition or cross-linguistic idioms. MEDIUM (2) covers recognisable conversational padding and AI-specific vocabulary. LOW (1) captures subtle indicators like tautological comments and generic boilerplate that require density to carry independent signal.

CRITICAL 0HIGH 4MEDIUM 51LOW 351

Directory Score Breakdown

This horizontal bar chart decomposes the repository's raw synthetic code score by top-level directory, allowing you to pinpoint precisely which modules or components carry the highest AI authorship density. Directories with disproportionately high scores relative to their size warrant targeted manual review: concentrated AI signatures often trace back to mass-generated configuration layers, auto-ported test suites, LLM-scaffolded boilerplate classes, or entire subsystems authored under heavy copilot assistance. Use this view to prioritise your human code-review effort.

Pattern Findings

The scanner identified 406 distinct pattern matches across 10 syntactic categories. Each entry below represents a discrete location in the source code where the engine recorded a statistically significant AI authorship indicator. Expand any category row to inspect the individual file paths, line numbers, code snippets, and the lexical context (CODE, COMMENT, or STRING) in which each match was detected.

Reading the findings table: The Severity column indicates the diagnostic confidence level (CRITICAL / HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW). The Context column identifies whether the match occurred inside executable code, an inline comment, or a string literal — comment-context matches receive a ×1.5 weight because LLMs systematically over-annotate. The ⚡ bolt icon marks clustered matches: three or more patterns within a 10-line window, each receiving an additional ×1.5 density multiplier as dense clusters constitute far stronger evidence of synthetic authorship than isolated hits.

Over-Commented Block336 hits · 324 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
LOWrequirements.txt1#COMMENT
LOWrequirements.txt21colorama==0.4.6COMMENT
LOWplatformio.ini61COMMENT
LOWplatformio_override.sample.ini521# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
LOW.coderabbit.yaml1# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://coderabbit.ai/integrations/schema.v2.jsonCOMMENT
LOWwled00/fcn_declare.h1#pragma onceCOMMENT
LOWwled00/fcn_declare.h521 #elseCOMMENT
LOWwled00/fcn_declare.h541inline size_t getFreeHeapSize() { return ESP.getFreeHeap(); } // returns free heapCOMMENT
LOWwled00/network.cpp381 return status; // scan is still running or there was an errorCOMMENT
LOWwled00/network.cpp401 #define ARDUINO_EVENT_WIFI_STA_DISCONNECTED SYSTEM_EVENT_STA_DISCONNECTEDCOMMENT
LOWwled00/NodeStruct.h1#ifndef WLED_NODESTRUCT_HCOMMENT
LOWwled00/NodeStruct.h21//#define NODE_TYPE_ID_ESP32S2 34COMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_boards.h21 WLED_HAVE_I2S1_LEDS (for bus_wrapper.h)COMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_boards.h41COMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_boards.h61 #define WLED_HAVE_FAST_int_DIVIDE 1 // integer division is fast (no need to use bitshifts with rounding instead of intCOMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_boards.h81 #define WLED_HAS_PARALLEL_I2S 1 // esp32-S2 supports I2S parallel leds driver (NeoPixelBus)COMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_boards.h101 #define WLED_HAVE_RTC_MEMORY_HEAP 1 // has byte-accessible fast RTC memory that can be used as heapCOMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_boards.h121 // has no FPUCOMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_boards.h141COMMENT
LOWwled00/util.cpp1#include "wled.h"COMMENT
LOWwled00/util.cpp21 #endifCOMMENT
LOWwled00/util.cpp281 // Use a recursive mutex type in case our task is the one holding the JSON buffer.COMMENT
LOWwled00/util.cpp781 }COMMENT
LOWwled00/util.cpp1341#endifCOMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_manager.h1#pragma onceCOMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_manager.h21#include "asyncDNS.h"COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_manager.h41 #define DEBUGOUT SerialCOMMENT
LOWwled00/cfg.cpp1#include "wled.h"COMMENT
LOWwled00/wled_metadata.cpp1#include "ota_update.h"COMMENT
LOWwled00/pin_manager.h1#ifndef WLED_PIN_MANAGER_HCOMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h21#include "colors.h"COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h41#define DEFAULT_BRIGHTNESS (uint8_t)127COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h61#define WLED_FPS 42COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h81#endifCOMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h101/* How much data bytes each segment should max allocate to leave enough space for other segments,COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h121#define WHITE (uint32_t)0xFFFFFFCOMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h141#define REVERSE_Y_2D (uint16_t)0x0040COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h161#define FX_MODE_FADE 12COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h181#define FX_MODE_CHASE_FLASH_RANDOM 32COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h201#define FX_MODE_RUNNING_DUAL 52 // candidate for removal (use Running)COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h221#define FX_MODE_NOISE16_3 72COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h241#define FX_MODE_BOUNCINGBALLS 91COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h261#define FX_MODE_CHUNCHUN 111COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h281// WLED-SR effects (SR compatible IDs !!!)COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h301#define FX_MODE_PERLINMOVE 147COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h321#define FX_MODE_2DWAVERLY 165COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h341#define FX_MODE_ROCKTAVES 185COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h361#define FX_MODE_PSDANCINGSHADOWS 204COMMENT
LOWwled00/FX.h381#define TRANSITION_FAIRY_DUST 0x01 // universalCOMMENT
LOWwled00/improv.cpp1#include "wled.h"COMMENT
LOWwled00/ir.cpp21static uint16_t irTimesRepeated = 0;COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h1#pragma onceCOMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h21#define P_32_VS_CLK 18COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h41#define I_8266_U0_TM1_4 13COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h61#define I_8266_U0_FW6_5 29COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h81#define I_8266_U0_SM16825_5 45COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h101#define I_32_I2_TM2_3 18COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h121#define I_32_RN_SM16825_5 45COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h141#define I_HS_LPO_3 109COMMENT
LOWwled00/bus_wrapper.h161#define B_8266_U0_400_3 NeoPixelBus<NeoGrbFeature, NeoEsp8266Uart0400KbpsMethod> //3 chan, esp8266, gpio1COMMENT
276 more matches not shown…
Decorative Section Separators35 hits · 128 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
MEDIUMplatformio.ini5# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini10# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini52# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini56# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini62# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini83# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini125# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini127# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini135# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini141# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini157# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini163# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini506# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini508# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini632# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini634# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini1080# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio.ini1082# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini2# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini4# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini10#----------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini12#----------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini203# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini207# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini221# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini223# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini498# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini501# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini521# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini524# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini527# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUMplatformio_override.sample.ini529# ------------------------------------------------------------------------------COMMENT
MEDIUM.coderabbit.yaml68 # ── Security hardening — firmware (trust-boundary-aware) ────────────────COMMENT
MEDIUM.coderabbit.yaml98 # ── Security hardening — WebUI (always an ingress/output surface) ────────COMMENT
MEDIUM.coderabbit.yaml186 # ── Secrets / sensitive information scanning ────────────────────────────COMMENT
AI Slop Vocabulary15 hits · 45 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
MEDIUMusermods/AHT10_v2/AHT10_v2.cpp245 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of single COMMENT
MEDIUM…2_four_line_display_ALT/usermod_v2_four_line_display.h8 #define FLD_ESP32_USE_THREADS // comment out to use 0.13.x behaviour without parallel update task - slower, but more COMMENT
MEDIUM…2_four_line_display_ALT/usermod_v2_four_line_display.h8 #define FLD_ESP32_USE_THREADS // comment out to use 0.13.x behaviour without parallel update task - slower, but more COMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/BME280_v2/BME280_v2.cpp421 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of single COMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/wizlights/wizlights.cpp39 // Better utilize WLED existing white mixing logicCOMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/EXAMPLE/usermod_v2_example.cpp257 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of singlCOMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/audioreactive/audio_reactive.cpp1129 // warning!! Absolutely experimental code. Audio on 8266 is still not working. Expects a million follow-on problCOMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/audioreactive/audio_source.h45// Uncomment the line below to utilize ADC1 _exclusively_ for I2S sound input.COMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/LD2410_v2/LD2410_v2.cpp171 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of singlCOMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/Cronixie/Cronixie.cpp285 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of singlCOMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/deep_sleep/deep_sleep.cpp268 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of singlCOMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/mpu6050_imu/mpu6050_imu.cpp381 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of singlCOMMENT
MEDIUMusermods/mpu6050_imu/usermod_gyro_surge.h151 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of singlCOMMENT
MEDIUM…ermods/usermod_v2_word_clock/usermod_v2_word_clock.cpp456 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of singlCOMMENT
MEDIUM…2_klipper_percentage/usermod_v2_klipper_percentage.cpp116 // setting them inside readFromConfig() is slightly more robust, handling the rare but plausible use case of single COMMENT
Synthetic Comment Markers4 hits · 30 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
HIGHAGENTS.md277### Attribution for AI-generated codeCOMMENT
HIGHwled00/ws.cpp72 // publish state to MQTT as requested in wled#4643 even if only WS response selectedCOMMENT
HIGHwled00/udp.cpp796 /*1*/ddpUdp.write(sequenceNumber++ & 0x0F); // sequence may be unnecessary unless we are sending twice (as requeCOMMENT
HIGHwled00/wled_server.cpp466 // publish state to MQTT as requested in wled#4643 even if only WS response selectedCOMMENT
Hyper-Verbose Identifiers6 hits · 6 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
LOWtools/cdata.js211function isAnyFileInFolderNewerThan(folderPath, time) {CODE
LOWtools/cdata-test.js115 async function runAndCheckIfBuiltFilesExist() {CODE
LOWtools/cdata-test.js120 async function checkIfFileWasNewlyCreated(file) {CODE
LOWwled00/data/index.js1669 function setSelectedEffectPosition() {CODE
LOWwled00/data/pixelforge/omggif.js225function GifWriterOutputLZWCodeStream(buf, p, min_code_size, index_stream) {CODE
LOWwled00/data/pixelforge/omggif.js662function GifReaderLZWOutputIndexStream(code_stream, p, output, output_length) {CODE
Slop Phrases2 hits · 4 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
MEDIUMplatformio.ini77# When building on core >= 2.5, you can add the build flag -DBEARSSL_SSL_BASIC in order to build BearSSL with a limiteCOMMENT
LOWwled00/util.cpp793 #warning "BOARD_HAS_PSRAM defined, make sure to use -mfix-esp32-psram-cache-issue to prevent issues on rev.1 ESP32 bCOMMENT
Deep Nesting4 hits · 4 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
LOWpio-scripts/load_usermods.py143CODE
LOWpio-scripts/validate_modules.py103CODE
LOWusermods/pixels_dice_tray/generate_roll_info.py123CODE
LOWusermods/JSON_IR_remote/ir_json_maker.py59CODE
Redundant / Tautological Comments2 hits · 3 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
LOWpio-scripts/set_metadata.py44 # Check if it's a GitHub URLCOMMENT
LOWpio-scripts/build_ui.py5# Check if Node.js is installed and present in PATH if it failed, abort the buildCOMMENT
TODO Padding1 hit · 2 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
LOWpio-scripts/dynarray.py69 # TODO: consider using ESP-IDF linker fragment (https://docs.espressif.com/projects/esp-idf/en/stable/esp32/api-COMMENT
Excessive Try-Catch Wrapping1 hit · 1 pts
SeverityFileLineSnippetContext
LOWpio-scripts/set_metadata.py75 except Exception:CODE