Bit:busy — LED bar that indicates your work status

Story

Bit::Busy is a $20 open-source BusyBar alternative — a compact LED status sign that connects to your local Wi-Fi and lets you show whether you’re BUSY or FREE, run a timer, or use a Pomodoro mode to structure your work sessions.

What it’s about

Bit::Busy is a DIY productivity device that pairs a bright LED matrix with a minimal web interface accessible at bitbusy.local.

It runs entirely on your local network, no cloud or external servers involved.

The interface offers three core modes:

• On/Off Mode – toggles between “BUSY” (red) and “FREE” (green).
• Timer Mode – shows the countdown directly on the LED screen.
• Pomodoro Mode – automates 25-minute focus intervals and 5-minute breaks, switching the sign’s color and text accordingly.
• Custom Message Mode - shows your custom text and background color.

Everything happens in real time — simple, direct, and fully hackable.

Made using PlatformIO with the Arduino framework and Lopaka - The graphics editor for Arduino and embedded.

Why it was made

I created it as a birthday gift for his mother, who needed a focus indicator for her workspace. The original BusyBar was out of stock, so instead of waiting, I decided to build a $20 clone from scratch.

It wasn’t about competition — it was about making something useful, personal, and shareable.

The project was completed in two weeks, then shipped in the Summer of Making, where it quickly drew attention and even got me featured on their weekly newsletter!

How it works

The hardware is powered by an ESP32-C3 XIAO board connected directly to a LED matrix panel.

When powered, the device hosts a small web server that you can reach at bitbusy.local from any browser on the same Wi-Fi that you entered in settings while flashing.

From there, you can:

• switch modes,
• start or stop timers,
• view the countdown mirrored on the LED display,
• or set your own message on the display!

The firmware and web interface are fully open source at github.com/glutesha/bitbusy.

In essence, Bit::Busy is a mix of art, code, and human signal — a small glowing reminder that even in a noisy world, focus can be visible, tangible, and fun to build.