SystemMonitorLCD# System Monitoring with Serial LCD Control

This project is a Linux-based bash script that monitors various system parameters such as uptime, disk usage, load averages, CPU temperature, memory usage, and more. The output is sent to a serial-connected LCD screen via /dev/ttyUSB0. Additionally, the script can turn the LCD display on or off based on the current time.

3D-printed files and a BOM can be found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6762931

Features

LCD screen

• Display uptime: Shows how long the system has been running.
• Disk usage: Displays the current disk usage.
• Load averages: Shows system load averages over 1, 5, and 15 minutes.
• CPU temperature: Monitors and displays the CPU temperature.
• Memory usage: Displays memory usage as a ratio of used to total memory.
• Swap usage: Displays swap memory usage.
• Top processes:
  • CPU: Shows the process consuming the most CPU.
  • Memory: Shows the process consuming the most memory.
• IP Address: Displays the system's IP address.
• Network speeds: Monitors Ethernet upload and download speeds.
• Number of logged-in users: Shows how many users are currently logged in.
• System time: Displays the current system time.
• Security updates: Lists available security updates (requires apt-get).
• Disk I/O: Monitors total disk read and write speeds.
• Process count: Displays the number of running processes.
• Open files: Displays the number of open file descriptors.
• Last login: Displays the username and time of the last login.
• LCD control: Automatically turns the LCD off between 22:00 and 08:00 and back on during the day.

LED light

• LED Strip Control:

  • Static Color: Set the color of a WS2812B LED strip using RGB values in the format ledRRRGGGBBB/static.
  • Blinking: Make the LED strip blink in a specified color with the command ledRRRGGGBBB/blink.
  • Rainbow Mode: Cycle through a rainbow effect with the command led/rainbow.
  • Gradient: Create a gradient from green to red based on a percentage value from 0 to 100 using led<percentage>/gradient.

  By default the led light goes from green to red, based on cpu usage. Updates every time the screen updates.

  Example: Set the led light to blink as red

  echo "led255000000/blink" > /dev/ttyUSB0
  

Buzzer

• Buzzer Control:

  • Short Beep: Activate a short beep with the command beep/short.
  • Long Beep: Activate a long beep with the command beep/long.
  • Rapid Beep: Activate a series of five short beeps with the command beep/rapid.

  Not used by default.

  Example: Make a short beep

  echo "beep/short" > /dev/ttyUSB0
  

You can use the main loop at the end of the script to comment out or change order of prints you wish to see on the lcd.

Installation

1. Dependencies: Ensure the following packages are installed:

   • screenfetch
   • sensors (for CPU temperature monitoring)
   • iostat (for disk I/O monitoring)
   • bc (for arithmetic calculations)
   • procps (for system monitoring)

   You can install them using the following command:

   sudo apt-get install screenfetch lm-sensors sysstat bc procps
   

2. Wiring and arduino library

   Wiring an I2C 1602 LCD Screen to an Arduino If you're using an I2C 1602 LCD screen with an Arduino, follow these steps to wire it correctly:

   Components: Arduino (e.g., Uno, Nano, etc.) 1602 LCD screen with I2C module Jumper wires

   Wiring: Connect the I2C pins of the LCD to the Arduino:

   • GND (LCD) -> GND (Arduino)
   • VCC (LCD) -> 5V (Arduino)
   • SDA (LCD) -> A4 (Arduino)
   • SCL (LCD) -> A5 (Arduino)

   Install the I2C LCD library:

   In the Arduino IDE, go to Sketch -> Include Library -> Manage Libraries. Search for "LiquidCrystal I2C" and install the library by Frank de Brabander.

3. Permissions on the server

   You can use ls /dev/ to check which USB device port was assinged to your arduino. If you don't have any other serial USB-devices it probably shows up as /dev/ttyUSB0.

   If your device gets some other serial port just change the serial_device="/dev/ttyUSB0" row accordingly.

   You might need to add your user to dialout user group in order to have permissions to write into the serial port.

   Other option is to set 777 permission on the /dev/ttyUSB0 port but I don't know how bad of a idea that might be.

   After your user have the permissions you just run the script.

Contributions

Feel free to fork the project, make improvements, and submit pull requests. If you find any issues or have feature requests, please open an issue on the repository.