Idea: status display on the front of the Framework Desktop

[Scott_Todd]

As I was designing and printing some custom tiles ( Custom tiles for Framework Desktop by scotttodd | Download free STL model | Printables.com ), I had some wild ideas that I started prototyping for before I remembered I had a day job to get back to . Maybe I can inspire someone else or others can give me the motivation to pick this back up.

So… there’s all this space on the front of the case with mounting points, easy access to USB ports down below, and slightly harder access to pins on the motherboard. What if instead of just putting static tiles on the front, we put something dynamic, like a display that could show system stats, a touchscreen, or programmable keyboard/macro buttons?

Seems… plausible, right? So, I picked up some small displays from adafruit ( LCDs & Displays, OLED Products Category on Adafruit Industries ) that could get even smaller by ditching the supporting breakout boards. That’s as far as I am right now though.

One industry term for this sort of display is a “sensor panel” and there are a few plug-and-play versions on the market and DIY versions people have built into larger PC cases. I was thinking about making something custom to get it as thin as possible and to design a bracket that would fit into the tile slots for it. I figure that some hints of breadboarding like loose wires could look cool, but it should also be possible to hide them well enough under a 3D printed cover or by using a custom PCB. Another option would be to fully replace the front panel and not use the tiles at all, or I could cut out some material from the front panel (or even the case ) so the electronics could use that extra depth.

[bron]

LOVE THIS. (Cmon Framework, start on batch 3…)

It looks like you’ll need to print a 2-bay-wide adapter for those displays, and the display will have to be a little proud of the rest of the tiles?

[Alan_Pearce]

@Scott_Todd

What if instead of just putting static tiles on the front, we put something dynamic, like a display that could show system stats,

I remember way back when a mainframe operator describing how they had some program that would turn the debug register display lights into a smiley face when the machine was lightly loaded, then as the program load increased it would work its way into an unhappy face.

[catastrophic]

[Nexxo]

In the olden days of computer modding, we sometimes would add a 5” TFT in the bezel (just the right size to fill 2 3.5” floppy bays) set up as a second monitor, to show system stats. We used Rainmeter or Samurize to display these.

[Scott_Todd]

Oh cool! DesertFroggo posted Framework Desktop with front panel snap-on display | /r/framework with model files for 3D printing at Front Panel Monitor System for Framework Desktop by DesertFroggo | Download free STL model | Printables.com . I gave that a try and the off-the-shelf components were certainly quicker to set up than DIY electronics

I still like the idea of being able to mix static tiles with dynamic tiles and keep the whole front panel thinner as the group over at OSHE Desktop Display Progress Update has been doing. This display and the brackets together stick out about 25mm.