136 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
136 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
# LCD Display Configurator
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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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---
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## 📦 Features
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- 🔌 Communicates with ESP32 over USB serial
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- 📊 Displays real-time system metrics (CPU, RAM, etc.)
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- ⚙️ Full GUI configurator with support for:
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- 1602 LCD
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- 4.6" TFT LCD (placeholder for future)
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- 📁 Config stored in AppData (shared between GUI and background service)
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- 🔄 Windows service auto-starts and auto-recovers on crash
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- 💡 Modular and future-proof design for multiple display types
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---
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## 🖥️ Configuration UI
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The WinForms-based configuration tool allows you to:
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- Select system metrics using a dropdown populated from LibreHardwareMonitor
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- Customize line prefixes (e.g., `CPU: `) and suffixes (e.g., `%`, `°C`)
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- Configure different screen types via tabbed interface
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### 🔧 1602 LCD Tab
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- Line-by-line customization
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- Metric + prefix/suffix control
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- Saves to shared config file in AppData
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> 
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---
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### 📺 4.6" TFT LCD Tab
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- Coming soon! Layout planned for graphical display customization
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---
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### ℹ️ About Tab
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Displays app info, version, and author attribution.
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---
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## 🛠️ Windows Background Service
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- Continuously reads system metrics
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- Sends output to ESP32-connected LCD
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- Detects connected COM port automatically
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- Reloads config when `config.json` changes
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- Auto-recovers if the service crashes
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### Service Config Example:
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```json
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{
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"ScreenType": "1602",
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"Line1Selection": "Cpu: CPU Total (Load)",
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"Line1CustomText": "CPU: ",
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"Line1PostText": "%",
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"Line2Selection": "Memory: Used Memory (Data)",
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"Line2CustomText": "RAM: ",
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"Line2PostText": " GB"
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}
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```
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---
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## 📂 Config File Location
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The config file is shared between the UI and service and stored here:
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```
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%AppData%\PCPal\config.json
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```
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---
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## 📦 Installation
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1. **Clone the repo**
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2. Build both projects:
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- `DisplayConfigurator` (WinForms app)
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- `ESP32BackgroundService` (Worker service)
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3. Publish the service and install via `sc.exe` or PowerShell
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4. Run the configurator to apply your settings
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---
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## 🧪 Development
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- Built using `.NET 6+`
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- Uses:
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- [`LibreHardwareMonitorLib`](https://github.com/LibreHardwareMonitor/LibreHardwareMonitor)
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- `Newtonsoft.Json`
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- `System.IO.Ports`
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---
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## 🧰 Tools & Commands
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### Install the Service:
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```powershell
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sc create ESP32BackgroundService binPath= "C:\Path\To\ESP32BackgroundService.exe"
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sc failure ESP32BackgroundService reset= 0 actions= restart/5000
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```
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### Uninstall the Service:
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```powershell
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sc stop ESP32BackgroundService
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sc delete ESP32BackgroundService
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```
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---
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## 📸 Screenshots
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> Replace the image paths with real screenshots when available.
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- `docs/images/banner.jpg` – project header
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- `docs/images/1602.png` – 1602 LCD config tab
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---
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## 📄 License
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MIT License
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© 2025 Christopher Koch aka, NinjaPug
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