Not just for visual flair, these signs also have an important use: they tell others when it’s time to keep quiet, and not to interrupt, barge in the room or hog all the bandwidth watching cat videos.
This “connected” sign is foolproof in a way that a manually-switched sign is not. You won’t leave it on (or off) accidentally. By polling the streaming server(s) directly, the status is always correct with respect to delays, early starts, vacation breaks, etc. The broadcaster and sign can be separated by a wall or by half the planet.
- Raspberry Pi computer (any model) and associated hardware:
- Power supply and USB MicroB cable
- SD card (4GB or larger)
- USB WiFi adapter or Ethernet network connection
- Case
- Keyboard and monitor for setup (can be run “headless” once complete)
- PowerSwitch Tail II appliance controller
- Mains-powered lighted sign
- Jumper extension wires
The PowerSwitch Tail II uses a relay for switching and is therefore compatible with all lighting types — incandescent, LED or fluorescent/CFL.