Simple Serial Display

The Simple Serial Display is the result of a quick hack that I put together with Hilary Mason one April evening after a run by the river in Manhattan.  Hilary and I were discussing ways of keeping an eye on long-running processes without constantly squinting at a computer screen from across the room.  This slideshow was presented at barcampNYC4. The Simple Serial Display is a very “simple” project for most developer types to assemble and apply to their own challenges, be it a long compile run, a data set analysis job, or a huge file upload.  The device consists of parts which require no soldering, and only a few connections.  It’s powered from the USB port and can be written to from Python or any other environment which allows you to write to a serial port.  Through simple control codes, developers can output status information to the display rather than leaving the monitor on all night.

More details are located in the show and at my blog, including parts lists and where to buy them.