LCD Display Configurator

A Windows-based configuration utility and background service for customizing text output on ESP32-connected displays such as a 1602 LCD or a 4.6" TFT screen.

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📦 Features

• 🔌 Communicates with ESP32 over USB serial
• 📊 Displays real-time system metrics (CPU, RAM, etc.)
• ⚙️ Full GUI configurator with support for:
  • 1602 LCD
  • 4.6" TFT LCD (placeholder for future)
• 📁 Config stored in AppData (shared between GUI and background service)
• 🔄 Windows service auto-starts and auto-recovers on crash
• 💡 Modular and future-proof design for multiple display types

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🖥️ Configuration UI

The WinForms-based configuration tool allows you to:

• Select system metrics using a dropdown populated from LibreHardwareMonitor
• Customize line prefixes (e.g., CPU: ) and suffixes (e.g., %, °C)
• Configure different screen types via tabbed interface

🔧 1602 LCD Tab

• Line-by-line customization
• Metric + prefix/suffix control
• Saves to shared config file in AppData

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📺 4.6" TFT LCD Tab

• Coming soon! Layout planned for graphical display customization

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ℹ️ About Tab

Displays app info, version, and author attribution.

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🛠️ Windows Background Service

• Continuously reads system metrics
• Sends output to ESP32-connected LCD
• Detects connected COM port automatically
• Reloads config when config.json changes
• Auto-recovers if the service crashes

Service Config Example:

{
  "ScreenType": "1602",
  "Line1Selection": "Cpu: CPU Total (Load)",
  "Line1CustomText": "CPU: ",
  "Line1PostText": "%",
  "Line2Selection": "Memory: Used Memory (Data)",
  "Line2CustomText": "RAM: ",
  "Line2PostText": " GB"
}

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📂 Config File Location

The config file is shared between the UI and service and stored here:

%AppData%\PCPal\config.json

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📦 Installation

1. Clone the repo
2. Build both projects:
   • DisplayConfigurator (WinForms app)
   • ESP32BackgroundService (Worker service)
3. Publish the service and install via sc.exe or PowerShell
4. Run the configurator to apply your settings

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🧪 Development

• Built using .NET 6+
• Uses:
  • LibreHardwareMonitorLib
  • Newtonsoft.Json
  • System.IO.Ports

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🧰 Tools & Commands

Install the Service:

sc create ESP32BackgroundService binPath= "C:\Path\To\ESP32BackgroundService.exe"
sc failure ESP32BackgroundService reset= 0 actions= restart/5000

Uninstall the Service:

sc stop ESP32BackgroundService
sc delete ESP32BackgroundService

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📄 License

MIT License
© 2025 Christopher Koch aka, NinjaPug