What I am Doing Now

This is what I’m currently tinkering with in my spare time: a full-colour LED matrix display that sits somewhere between a smart-home status bar, a clock, and a slightly over-engineered toy.

The Matrix Display Project

My current obsession is a modular RGB LED matrix driven by an ESP32 and controlled over MQTT. It’s wired into my smart home so it can switch between being a calm clock, a notification bar, and a little character display when the house feels like showing off.

The panels are the kind you’d normally see in indoor signage: bright, sharp, and very good at telling you the time in a dramatic way. On top of that sits the logic for different clock styles, colours, and modes that I can trigger from my Homey flows.

What it does right now

• Multiple clock faces (minimal, segmented, retro/pixel).
• A seconds progress bar along the bottom.
• MQTT control so I can change modes, colours, and brightness through Homey flows.
• A night-friendly mode with a softer, dimmer look so it doesn’t light up the whole room.

Why I’m building it

I like the idea of information you can glance at without unlocking a phone: time, small bits of context, or subtle visual cues that something has changed. The matrix pulls some of that out of app-world and into the room, but still keeps it minimal rather than overwhelming.

It’s also a nice mash-up of all the things I enjoy: ESP32 boards, MQTT, Homey automation, UI design, and experimenting until something just feels right.

What’s next

• Smoother, cleaner seconds bar along the bottom.
• More refined night modes (including a super-low “barely there” glow).
• Extra Homey flow cards to change clock styles and colours without touching code.
• An image/emoji mode where the display can show tiny bitmap icons via MQTT.

When this project eventually feels “done enough”, I’ll probably move on to the next strange little device. For now, this is where most of my spare tinkering time is going.