About Tickertronix

Tickertronix is an open-source DIY platform for building your own smart market ticker displays. No cloud subscriptions, no vendor lock-inβ€”just a Raspberry Pi hub and display hardware you control.

🎯 Our Mission

We believe financial data should be accessible, customizable, and yours to own. Tickertronix provides everything you need to build professional-grade price tickers that run entirely on your local network:

  • βœ… 100% Open Source – All code on GitHub under MIT license
  • βœ… No Subscriptions – Utilizes free tier APIs (you provide key), no recurring costs
  • βœ… Privacy First – Data stays on your network, never sent to cloud
  • βœ… DIY Friendly – Step-by-step guides for all skill levels
  • βœ… Fully Customizable – Modify code, add features, make it yours

πŸ—οΈ How It Started

Tickertronix began as a simple project to display stock prices on cheap ESP32 hardware. We were frustrated by:

  • πŸ’Έ Expensive commercial ticker displays ($200-500 each)
  • ☁️ Cloud-only solutions requiring monthly subscriptions
  • πŸ”’ Closed-source apps with limited customization
  • πŸ› οΈ Lack of maker-friendly build guides

So we built our ownβ€”and made it completely open source so you could too.

πŸ”§ The Architecture

Tickertronix uses a hub-client model that’s efficient, scalable, and private:

πŸ“ Raspberry Pi Hub (Required)

  • Collects market data from free tier APIs
  • Runs headless as systemd service
  • Serves data via local API at tickertronixhub.local:5001
  • Hosts configuration web UI
  • Powers multiple displays simultaneously

πŸ“Ί Display Clients (Add-ons)

  • CYD Ticker: ESP32-2432S028R touchscreen desk display
  • Matrix Portal: LED scrolling and single panel displays utilizing Adafruit Matrix Portal S3 (ESP32 DevkitC firmware in the works)
  • Custom Builds: Use our Local API firmware for your own projects

Benefits of this approach:

  • πŸš€ Single hub – supports multiple displays
  • ⚑ Efficient rate limiting – hub batches requests
  • πŸ” Local network only – no internet exposure required
  • πŸ“± Easy configuration – manage all displays from web UI
  • πŸ”„ Instant updates – change tickers once, updates all devices

🌟 Community & Contribution

Tickertronix thrives on community contributions. Whether you’re a beginner or expert maker, there’s a place for you:

  • πŸ› Report bugs – Help improve stability
  • πŸ’‘ Suggest features – Shape the roadmap
  • πŸ“ Improve docs – Make guides clearer
  • πŸ”§ Submit code – Add features, fix issues
  • 🎨 Share builds – Inspire others with your creations
  • 🏫 Write tutorials – Help newcomers get started

πŸ“‚ GitHub Repository

All code is hosted on GitHub with comprehensive documentation:

πŸ”— https://github.com/Tickertronix/Tickertronix-Open

  • ⭐ Star the repo to show support
  • 🍴 Fork it to create your own version
  • πŸ“₯ Clone it to get started building
  • πŸ”” Watch for updates and new features

πŸ›’ Optional Hardware Kits

While all designs are free to build yourself, we offer optional pre-packaged kits in our store for convenience:

  • πŸŽ’ Component bundles – All parts in one package
  • πŸ–¨οΈ 3D printed cases – Pre-printed enclosures
  • πŸ’Ύ Pre-flashed boards – Firmware pre-installed
  • πŸ“¦ Complete kits – Ready to assemble and configure

100% of kit profits fund project development and hosting costs. But remember: you can always source components yourself for cheaperβ€”all STL files and code are free.

πŸ“œ Licensing & Credits

Software License

All Tickertronix code is released under the MIT License:

  • βœ… Use for personal or commercial projects
  • βœ… Modify and distribute freely
  • βœ… No attribution required (but appreciated!)
  • ❌ No warranty provided

Hardware Designs (3D Files, PCBs)

All 3D printable cases and hardware designs are released under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0):

  • βœ… Print for personal use
  • βœ… Sell printed parts (attribution required)
  • βœ… Modify and remix designs
  • βœ… Share and redistribute

Third-Party Credits

  • πŸ“Š Market Data: Alpaca Markets (free tier API)
  • πŸ“ Hub Platform: Raspberry Pi Foundation
  • πŸ“Ί CYD Hardware: ESP32-2432S028R (Cheap Yellow Display)
  • πŸ”² Matrix Portal S3: Adafruit Industries
  • βš™οΈ Frameworks: CircuitPython, Flask, systemd

Built by makers, for makers. πŸ› οΈ