{"slug": "show-hn-live-claude-usage-hud-for-a-38-thermalright-trofeo-vision-lcd", "title": "Show HN: Live Claude Usage HUD for a $38 Thermalright Trofeo Vision LCD", "summary": "A developer released claude-trofeo-hud, an open-source macOS tool that displays live Claude usage on a $38 Thermalright Trofeo Vision 6.86-inch LCD (1280×480, USB-C) via a reverse-engineered HID protocol. The HUD shows Pro/Max session and weekly limit bars with reset countdowns from Anthropic's usage endpoint, today's tokens and hypothetical API cost via ccusage, live session details, a clock, and an hourly token sparkline. It requires Python 3.12+, uv, Node, hidapi, and Claude Code, and can be installed as a launchd agent for unattended startup.", "body_md": "A desk HUD that shows live Claude usage on a Thermalright Trofeo Vision 6.86\" LCD (1280×480, USB-C, ~$38), driven from macOS. Inspired by the r/ClaudeAI \"$38 Claude LCD Table Display\" post.\n\nWhat it shows: Pro/Max session + weekly limit bars with reset countdowns\n(from Anthropic's usage endpoint), today's tokens and hypothetical API cost\n(via [ccusage](https://github.com/ryoppippi/ccusage)), the live session\n(project, model, burn rate), a clock, and an hourly token sparkline.\n\n- macOS, Python 3.12+,\n[uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/), Node (for`npx ccusage`\n\n) `brew install hidapi`\n\n(C library behind the`hidapi`\n\nPython package)- Claude Code installed and logged in (the HUD reads its local logs and its OAuth token from the Keychain — read-only, nothing leaves your machine except the usage query to api.anthropic.com)\n\n```\nuv sync\nuv run python -m claude_trofeo_hud preview   # render mock layout to out/preview.png\nuv run python -m claude_trofeo_hud run       # live HUD on the LCD (Ctrl-C stops)\nuv run python -m claude_trofeo_hud install-agent   # start at login via launchd\n```\n\nOn the first `run`\n\n, macOS asks for Keychain access to \"Claude Code-credentials\"\n— choose **Always Allow** so the daemon can run unattended.\n\n`uninstall-agent`\n\nstops and removes the launchd agent. Config lives in\n[config.toml](/christensen143/claude-trofeo-hud/blob/main/config.toml) (fps, JPEG quality, night dim/off hours). Logs go to\n`~/Library/Logs/claude-trofeo-hud/`\n\n.\n\nThe panel is not a monitor — it's a USB HID device (VID:PID `0416:5302`\n\n) that\naccepts JPEG frames over a reverse-engineered protocol. We use the device\nclasses from [thermalright-trcc-linux](https://github.com/Lexonight1/thermalright-trcc-linux)\nwith its `HidApiTransport`\n\n(IOHIDManager), bypassing its CLI — trcc's default\ntransport routes through libusb, which macOS blocks for HID devices. The\nfirmware blanks when idle, so the HUD streams continuously (default 2 fps).\nSee [PLANNING.md](/christensen143/claude-trofeo-hud/blob/main/PLANNING.md) for the full protocol notes.\n\n**\"Access denied (insufficient permissions)\"**— something is opening the device via libusb instead of hidapi; make sure you're running our CLI, not`trcc`\n\ndirectly.**Panel shows boot logo / blanks**— no frames arriving; check`~/Library/Logs/claude-trofeo-hud/hud.log`\n\n. Unplug/replug is handled automatically with backoff.**Empty cost/tokens**—`npx ccusage`\n\nmust work in a terminal first; the launchd agent bakes the node path into its plist at install time, so re-run`install-agent`\n\nafter Node upgrades.**Limits stale**— Keychain access not granted, or you're logged out of Claude Code.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-live-claude-usage-hud-for-a-38-thermalright-trofeo-vision-lcd", "canonical_source": "https://github.com/christensen143/claude-trofeo-hud", "published_at": "2026-08-15 21:42:39+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-15 22:10:55.879369+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["developer-tools", "ai-tools", "artificial-intelligence"], "entities": ["Thermalright Trofeo Vision", "Anthropic", "Claude Code", "ccusage", "HidApiTransport", "thermalright-trcc-linux", "IOHIDManager", "launchd"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-live-claude-usage-hud-for-a-38-thermalright-trofeo-vision-lcd", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-live-claude-usage-hud-for-a-38-thermalright-trofeo-vision-lcd.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-live-claude-usage-hud-for-a-38-thermalright-trofeo-vision-lcd.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/show-hn-live-claude-usage-hud-for-a-38-thermalright-trofeo-vision-lcd.jsonld"}}