LCD screen via serial port

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Something I just thought of while looking at Rainmeter again: why not have an LCD screen act like a 2nd monitor to display PC temps?
A small serial LCD screen, like maybe this: http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/tft-serial-display-18 plugged into my Saberkittiy's COM1 port displaying a HWMonitor screen.

I think what I want to do is very similar (if not the same) as having a Raspberry Pi become a gaming emulator and output video to an LCD. I have an Rpi B+ sitting here if need be.


This would be so cool if it can be done, I could mount that little 2" screen to the side of my case and at a glance, always know my temps!
I just don't know where to start... Maybe someone has done a project very similar with an LCD and a Raspberry Pi?

 

[Dlaw]

Something I just thought of while looking at Rainmeter again: why not have an LCD screen act like a 2nd monitor to display PC temps?
A small serial LCD screen, like maybe this: http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/tft-serial-display-18 plugged into my Saberkittiy's COM1 port displaying a HWMonitor screen.

I think what I want to do is very similar (if not the same) as having a Raspberry Pi become a gaming emulator and output video to an LCD. I have an Rpi B+ sitting here if need be.


This would be so cool if it can be done, I could mount that little 2" screen to the side of my case and at a glance, always know my temps!
I just don't know where to start... Maybe someone has done a project very similar with an LCD and a Raspberry Pi?

OMG! If you figure this out, I will so be copying you...

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

I think I may have found an easy solution: https://www.adafruit.com/products/2260 mini HDMI LCD touchscreen!

Without the drivers it would just be a 5" HDMI LCD screen. I just wonder how the resolution would look. If the text would be too small....
There are similar screens on ebay for $40 or less....

Otherwise the next step would be to understand how to hook it up to an Arduino or Rpi and then see if something similar can be done via serial port.

 

[NiHaoMike]

What about buy a cheap smartphone/tablet and just write an app?

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

What about buy a cheap smartphone/tablet and just write an app?

I have a spare Android phone here rooted and everything.

I just can't code. I just don't understand how code works. That's why I don't code....

 

[knoober]

The Crosshair II used to have an lcd that plugged into a special header on the mobo to show POST info and cpu Temps. I think it may have shown fan info as well but am not really sure.

Not really sure if that does much for the goal here, but it might be a decent place to start looking

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

The Crosshair II used to have an lcd that plugged into a special header on the mobo to show POST info and cpu Temps. I think it may have shown fan info as well but am not really sure.

Not really sure if that does much for the goal here, but it might be a decent place to start looking

Really eh? Hmmm that would be a interesting to look into. Thanks knoober!

 

[NiHaoMike]

I have a spare Android phone here rooted and everything.

I just can't code. I just don't understand how code works. That's why I don't code....

Maybe there's an existing app that can do what you want? Something like Nagios?

Also check out CodeBabes for an intro to Android programming.

 

[kyfire]

I use a program called Remote System Monitor from Trigone to monitor my rig on my android tablet http://www.trigonesoft.com/

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Maybe there's an existing app that can do what you want? Something like Nagios?

Also check out CodeBabes for an intro to Android programming.

I like the sound of Nagios, but I need to get VMWare running again.... I have no license anymore.

I use a program called Remote System Monitor from Trigone to monitor my rig on my android tablet http://www.trigonesoft.com/

Hmmm I'm testing this now. My concern is the size of my screen on the spare Android phone. (LG C800G) I might be too hard to read vs a 5" LCD.



EDIT: Trigone runs fairly well on that old LG phone. The text isn't very crisp but it's clear enough to read. Thank you for mentioning that software

I still want to try that HDMI LCD screen though. I feel that it would provide a much easier to read text as well as allow me to run HWMonitor and any other software I need. At least I hope so.

I will save up for said screen and report back once I get it setup.
To run an LCD over serial sounds like the Arduino is the best bet and I didn't want to have to add another layer of hardware just to run the LCD. I bet one could have the Raspberry Pi drive the LCD and read data from my main PC and display that data on the LCD. I think that is totally possible. It would be kinda neat to put the Rpi to use too

 

[knoober]

Without the drivers it would just be a 5" HDMI LCD screen. I just wonder how the resolution would look. If the text would be too small....
There are similar screens on ebay for $40 or less....

If it is just a 5inch screen with HDMI then would you be able to plug it in as a second monitor and mount it where you like? Then you would just maximize hwmonitor on your tiny monitor? Or am I missing something? Are you trying to free up system resources by turning those tasks over to the Rpi instead?

Alternatively there must be some sort of RDP option that could be used with the Pi. Whether it would be running Android on the Pi (which I have read is possible with certain models but have no firsthand experience with) and using the app @kyfire suggested, or some sort of SSH/VNC to view on the Pi... Would that fit what you want it to do and be simpler? I just don't know enough about serial ports and Rpi to know what direction you're heading... But I'm obviously on board because I want this too

 

[NiHaoMike]

I don't see anything about Nagios requiring VMWare.

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

If it is just a 5inch screen with HDMI then would you be able to plug it in as a second monitor and mount it where you like? Then you would just maximize hwmonitor on your tiny monitor? Or am I missing something? Are you trying to free up system resources by turning those tasks over to the Rpi instead?

Alternatively there must be some sort of RDP option that could be used with the Pi. Whether it would be running Android on the Pi (which I have read is possible with certain models but have no firsthand experience with) and using the app @kyfire suggested, or some sort of SSH/VNC to view on the Pi... Would that fit what you want it to do and be simpler? I just don't know enough about serial ports and Rpi to know what direction you're heading... But I'm obviously on board because I want this too

I have the Rpi here if I need to use it. I'd prefer to not use it to keep this little project simple and compact.
You are correct in what I would do with the little 5" LCD. Simply just run monitoring tools on it. That would be the simplest way to do this whole project.

I don't see anything about Nagios requiring VMWare.

Nagios XI doesn't run natively on Windows it says

 

[knoober]

Now I get the want for simplicity but a second monitor that small is kind of short changing yourself isn't it? I mean depending on what you like for a monitor you could have a full size second for that price?

Maybe bringing the Pi in is EXACTLY what you want. Set it up as a network load leveler and a network cache/proxy server for its main purpose and then use ssh and vnc to send an image from your main rig to the little monitor (not sure if ssh and vnc work in that direction but I know they work the other way, come to think of it : TeamViewer can do it!)

Hehe, like I said I understand the want for simplicity, but you've already got most of the parts and I don't think the rest will be too much to set up. I'll bet TeamViewer runs on Rasbian or Noobs?

Edit: isn't VMware free? If not virtualbox is

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Now I get the want for simplicity but a second monitor that small is kind of short changing yourself isn't it? I mean depending on what you like for a monitor you could have a full size second for that price?

Maybe bringing the Pi in is EXACTLY what you want. Set it up as a network load leveler and a network cache/proxy server for its main purpose and then use ssh and vnc to send an image from your main rig to the little monitor (not sure if ssh and vnc work in that direction but I know they work the other way, come to think of it : TeamViewer can do it!)

Hehe, like I said I understand the want for simplicity, but you've already got most of the parts and I don't think the rest will be too much to set up. I'll bet TeamViewer runs on Rasbian or Noobs?

Edit: isn't VMware free? If not virtualbox is

I simply do not have any space on my desk for another monitor. I'd also never want another monitor, it would be a waste of money for me.
Hence the small 5" LCD. I can mount it to the side of my case

Ehhhh... That idea with the Pi and network load leveling... That's far from simple. Not at all what I want to do.
I already built my dual PIII server for a cache and data storage.

VMWare is not free AFAIK. I had a nice 2 year license from my college days but it's since expired... I can still run my old VM's with it though. Can't make a new one.

I have 2 Server 2008 VM's for old college labs and homework a Kali Linux VM for the security class and Windows XP mode
I could run those.. If I actually re-installed VMWare

 

[knoober]

I guess I don't know if an SD card would be ideal for caching anyway. Constant read and write would kill the card sooner than need be.

I just figured if you already had the pi, them why not go for it right? Keep us posted in any case

 

[Silver_Pharaoh]

Of course

I hope to buy the LCD by the end of the month or mid next month depending.