How to build a badge status display with Claude Code
A developer used Claude Code to turn a Pimoroni Tufty 2350 badge into an animated agent-status display. Claude inspected the firmware over USB and built a desktop simulator to inspect screen renders before flashing hardware.
reddit.com
Original prompt
Shared by the source author. See source notes for context.
build the internet relay so it works away from home, im running tailscale already
Reach people exploring AI agents
See placements →Evidence at a glance
Sourced account- Source poster / publisher
- u/pureyang
- Original account
- Read the source ↗
- Published
- Source link checked
- Reported result
- The author reports a working badge display built over about a week and roughly 140 commits, with an open-source repository. The display shows agent activity, usage limits and sessions waiting for input. These are source-reported results, not a tested hardware build by Agents In Use.
- Human involvement
- The owner tested the badge and requested changes. The post says the bridge forwards event types rather than prompts, commands or file paths; that privacy boundary has not been independently audited here.
A linked account supports attribution. It does not mean we independently reproduced its result.
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How the agent did it
- The owner asked Claude Code to explore a Pimoroni Tufty 2350 badge's stock firmware over the USB REPL.
- Claude built a desktop simulator for the badge drawing API so it could render screens as PNG images and inspect them.
- The owner tried the badge and requested changes to animations, session names and remote access.
u/pureyang had a Pimoroni Tufty 2350 badge from an event and used Claude Code to turn it into a second screen for coding-agent activity. The source describes about a week of work and roughly 140 commits, with the resulting project available in an open-source repository.
The most useful part of the account is the development loop. Claude first explored the stock firmware through the USB REPL. It then built a desktop simulator for the badge's drawing API, rendered screens to PNG files and inspected the images. That reduced the need to flash the physical badge for every visual change.
The owner tested the device and asked for changes. The finished display uses an animated character for agent activity, hearts for remaining five-hour usage, a weekly-limit bar and a reset countdown. It can also identify sessions waiting for human input. The quoted prompt is one short original request about remote access, not a complete build specification.
The author says a desktop bridge connects over Wi-Fi or USB and passes event types rather than prompts, commands or file paths. Usage comes from Claude Code's status-line rate-limit data. These implementation and privacy claims have not been independently tested here.
Who it's for: developers repurposing small displays who want an example of an agent creating its own visual test tool before iterating on hardware.
Prompt
Original prompt
Source: Reddit · u/pureyang
Frequently asked questions
Why did Claude Code build a desktop simulator?
The author says the simulator reproduced the badge drawing API so Claude could render screens to PNG images and inspect them without flashing the badge after every change.
What does the badge show during coding sessions?
The source reports animated agent activity, usage limits, a reset countdown and sessions waiting for input. The project connects through a desktop bridge over Wi-Fi or USB.
More details
Remaining steps
- The project connected a desktop bridge to the badge over Wi-Fi or USB and exposed usage and waiting-session status on the display.
About this account
Claude Code inspected the badge firmware, implemented a simulator and used rendered screen images to inspect its own drawing output. The owner guided later changes through hands-on testing and requests.
Firsthand account by u/pureyang: https://www.reddit.com/r/ClaudeCode/comments/1x8q2yh/concerned_about_usage_so_built_this_2nd_screen/. Full public RSS post and returned comments captured on 19 October 2026. Body eligibility passed at 0.96. Results are author-reported and not independently reproduced. Original prompt: Exact original remote-relay request from the source, not a complete build specification.
Credit: u/pureyang on Reddit
Source published
Added to Agents In Use
Source checked
Tools and topics
Claude Code · Pimoroni Tufty 2350 · USB REPL · Desktop simulator
hardware · status display · simulation · agent monitoring
Editorial completeness: 100/100. Measures documented fields, not agent performance or verified outcomes.