Clawdmeter puts Claude Code limits on a desk AMOLED

A Waveshare ESP32-S3 board tracks your Claude Code usage limits, while an animated Clawd mascot reacts to your prompts. When a session needs an answer, Clawd demands your attention.

Build sheet

Board: Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-2.16
Display: 480×480 AMOLED
Link: Bluetooth, desktop app
Firmware: PlatformIO, ESP32-S3

Can I build this?Beginner · AI 4/5 · $50–100

Difficulty: Beginner
AI-buildability: 4/5
Time: A weekend
Cost: $50–100

Parts

ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-2.16 ESP32-S3 ESP32-C6 Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-LCD-1.54

Tools

USB data cablecomputer with Bluetooth

Starter prompt

Based on "Clawdmeter puts Claude Code limits on a desk AMOLED" on Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/clawdmeter-claude-code-usage-on-a-desk-display

Write ESP32-S3 firmware for a Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED board using the Arduino or PlatformIO framework. Receive usage percentage and reset-time values over BLE, draw two meters on the AMOLED, and show a simple idle, active and attention-needed animation. Expose the device as a BLE HID keyboard so the three buttons can send key presses back to the computer.

Estimates based on the original write-up. How AI-buildability is scored. Building with an AI assistant? Connect it to Afterware (free MCP server).

Story

Clawdmeter turns a small ESP32 board into a usage gauge for Claude Code. A desktop app reads your limits and pushes them to the board over Bluetooth. The reference hardware is the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Touch-AMOLED-2.16: a 480×480 AMOLED with three buttons and a speaker. Clawd lives on that screen. He reacts to prompts, cheers on progress, and switches to an attention animation when a session is waiting on you.

The board pairs with your computer as a keyboard, so its buttons send ordinary key presses. The firmware builds with PlatformIO, and each supported board gets its own environment. The list runs from 240×240 IPS panels to e-paper, round or square. Boards with less memory get a trimmed-down version of the animation.

Installers cover macOS (.dmg), Windows (.msi), Linux (.deb and AppImage) and a Nix flake. One caveat before you fork: the code uses Anthropic's brand assets and proprietary fonts. The author says it isn't licensed for copying.

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