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DIY retro analog gauges for real-time system and Claude usage monitoring

42 starsRust

Pointify – Retro analog gauges for system stats and Claude usage

by luftaquila·Mar 11, 2026·3 points·0 comments
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AI Analysis

●●●●GemWizardryCozyEye Candy

Real analog needles twitching for Claude rate limits beats any dashboard widget.

Strengths
  • •Complete open-hardware stack: Rust firmware, PCB gerbers, BOM, OpenSCAD housing files
  • •CH32X033F8P6 RISC-V MCU costs $0.15 — genuinely affordable hobbyist hardware
  • •Tauri desktop app works without hardware for software-only gauge display
Weaknesses
  • •GPU metrics don't work on AMD cards or Apple Silicon VRAM — hardware limitations
  • •Requires soldering and 3D printing — not plug-and-play for non-hardware folks
Category
Hardware
Target Audience

Hardware hobbyists, desk setup enthusiasts, Claude power users

Post Description

If you use Claude a lot, you end up checking your rate limit all the time. I got sick of refreshing claude.ai/settings/usage, so I wired up some old-school analog voltmeters and put them on my desk instead. There are apps for that, but I wanted something I could glance at in the real world.

They're 91C4 DC voltmeters, the ones with a needle from old lab equipment. Up to seven. Claude rate limit, CPU, GPU, memory, disk, network - you pick what each one shows.

I vibe-coded the whole thing except the PCB layout with Claude Code. Rust firmware for a CH32X033F8P6 $0.15 RISC-V MCU, Tauri desktop app, OpenSCAD (script CAD) housing you can 3D print. Also made a web tool for designing the gauge face graphics.

Everything is open-source and open-hardware. Firmware, app (macOS/Windows/Linux), PCB design, gerbers, BOM, SCAD/STL files are all in the repo. Order the PCB assembled from JLCPCB, solder wires to the voltmeters, print the housing, and that's it.

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