AI Dev Dashboard Matrix

An open-source, local-first desktop status matrix powered by an ESP32, TCA9548A I2C multiplexer, and up to eight SH1106 OLED displays.

Each screen can show an independent widget: system metrics, local service health, Git information, timers, custom webhook data, or optional adapters for AI development tools.

Important

This project is in the early design stage. Hardware pinouts, protocols, and software architecture may change before the first stable release.

Design Goals

• Support 1-8 independent SH1106 128x64 OLED displays.
• Use a TCA9548A multiplexer for displays that share I2C address 0x3C.
• Keep authentication, log parsing, and data collection on the computer.
• Keep ESP32 firmware lightweight and independent from specific data sources.
• Add community widgets without requiring firmware changes.
• Avoid mandatory cloud services and telemetry.

Architecture

flowchart LR
    A["Local Data Sources"] --> B["Python Relay"]
    B --> C["Widget Formatters"]
    C --> D["WebSocket Protocol"]
    D --> E["ESP32"]
    E --> F["TCA9548A"]
    F --> G["OLED CH0-CH7"]

Loading

The local relay will normalize widget data into a generic screen payload:

{
  "screens": [
    {
      "channel": 0,
      "title": "CPU USAGE",
      "value": "42%",
      "status": "live",
      "alert": false,
      "msg": ""
    }
  ]
}

The ESP32 only renders screen data. It does not need to understand the original data source.

Planned Widgets

Widget	Default Data Source
Clock	Local time
Focus Timer	Relay timer
CPU Usage	psutil
RAM Usage	psutil
Disk Usage	psutil
Network Activity	psutil
Git Branch	Local Git repository
Git Dirty Files	Local Git repository
Local Service Health	HTTP health checks
Custom Webhook	Local REST endpoint
Custom JSON File	Local file
Pending Approvals	Optional tool adapters

Optional experimental adapters may be added for AI development tools when reliable local APIs or log sources are available.

Reference Hardware

Component	Quantity
ESP32 development board	1
TCA9548A I2C multiplexer	1
SH1106 128x64 OLED display	1-8
USB cable or power supply	1
Wires or custom PCB	As required

Reference Wiring

ESP32	TCA9548A
3.3V	VIN
GND	GND
GPIO 22	SCL
GPIO 21	SDA

Connect each OLED to a separate TCA9548A channel:

OLED	TCA9548A Channel
OLED 1	SC0 / SD0
OLED 2	SC1 / SD1
OLED 3	SC2 / SD2
OLED 4	SC3 / SD3
OLED 5-8	SC4 / SD4 through SC7 / SD7

Displays may share power and ground. Each display must use a separate TCA9548A channel because SH1106 modules commonly use the same I2C address: 0x3C.

Planned Repository Structure

ai-dev-dashboard-matrix/
|-- firmware/                 # ESP32 PlatformIO firmware
|-- relay/                    # Local Python relay
|   |-- collectors/           # Data-source adapters
|   |-- widgets/              # Widget formatters
|   `-- webui/                # Desktop configuration UI
|-- docs/
|   |-- wiring.md
|   |-- protocol.md
|   `-- custom-widget.md
|-- examples/
|-- CONTRIBUTING.md
|-- SECURITY.md
|-- LICENSE
`-- README.md

Privacy Principles

• Local-first operation.
• No mandatory cloud account.
• No telemetry by default.
• Tokens and credentials must never be sent to the ESP32.
• Local web endpoints should bind to 127.0.0.1 by default.
• LAN WebSocket access should require authentication before stable release.

Roadmap

• Define the generic screens[] protocol.
• Implement TCA9548A firmware with 1-8 OLED support.
• Build the local Python relay.
• Add a desktop web configuration UI.
• Add at least 10 built-in widgets.
• Document custom widget development.
• Publish BOM and wiring diagrams.
• Add enclosure and PCB design files.
• Run hardware integration tests.
• Prepare the first tagged release.

Maintainer

Maintained by MiinkLab.

License

Licensed under the MIT License.