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Contrib Cal: A Physical Contribution Calendar

A Pi Zero desk gadget that turns your GitHub commit history into a glowing, hackable light display. Also a self-hosted software hub.

logan-foutsLogan Fouts
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Tired of your coding achievements living only on a screen? The Contrib Cal brings your digital GitHub contribution graph into the physical world as a beautiful, glowing desk monument.

This project is more than just a light-up calendar. Built on a Raspberry Pi Zero W, it's a fully open-source, hackable platform. Visualize your daily commits, display weather animations, and—with a single click in the web UI—deploy essential self-hosted software like Pi-hole (ad blocking), Tailscale (secure remote access), and Syncthing (file synchronization).

A huge thank you to PCBWay for sponsoring this project by providing the high-quality custom PCB! Check out their reliable PCB fabrication and assembly services for your next build.

🌟 What is it? This is a physical LED grid that pulls data from your GitHub profile to visualize your commit history. Green squares for commits, customizable colors for rest days. It comes pre-assembled and ready to plug in with a USB-C cable.

🔧 Why did you make it? As a developer, I wanted a fun, tangible connection to my work that lived beyond my screen. I also wanted a simple, pre-configured hub for the self-hosted software I use every day.

⚡ What makes it special?

  • Open Source: All code and design files are available on GitHub.
  • Hackable: The MicroPython firmware is built to be modified. Add new animations or features.
  • All-in-One Hub: Includes a web UI to easily enable powerful self-hosted tools.
  • Premium Build: Features a custom PCB and a 3D-printed enclosure for a clean, professional look.

⚠️ Important Note for Buyers: This is a hand-assembled product made by a solo maker, not a mass-produced gadget. I build these in small batches to ensure quality.

  • Current Estimated Shipping Timeline: Please allow 3-4 weeks for delivery after ordering. This allows me to source fresh components and carefully assemble and test each unit.
  • What's Included: The fully assembled Contrib Cal unit and a USB-C power cable.

Documentation & Assembly: Full build instructions, source code, and 3D print files are available on the project's GitHub and Hackaday.io pages if you'd rather build your own!

  • 1 × Pi zero w
  • 1 × USB C 5v Decoy board
  • 28 × WS2812B (Neopixel) 5050 smd LEDs
  • 1 × Custom PCB Orderable from the zip file on my github from pcbway
  • 4 × M3 heatset inserts

View all 9 components

  • Prepare For Launch

    Logan Fouts • 09/18/2025 at 11:41 • 0 comments

    I'm in the final stretch of getting the Contrib Cal ready to ship. It's less about new features and more about making sure everything is solid and easy to use. Here's what I've been working on:

    Under the Hood:
    *   Refactored the code to be cleaner and less messy.
    *   Wrote a bunch of new tests to try and break it. It's now a lot more bulletproof.

    Hardware Tweaks:
    *   Got a new PEI build plate. The print quality is now super smooth and consistent.
    *   Upgraded the screen material to a much thicker, nicer paper. It feels premium and diffuses the light better.
    *   Updated the case design to finally have a proper mount for the buck converter (no more loose parts rattling around).
    *   Made the recess for the screen a bit deeper so it sits flush.

    For the User:
    *   Made a laser-cut stencil so users can easily cut a perfect screen shape every time.
    *   Updated the Instructables guide with all the new changes and better instructions.

    It's all coming together. Almost time to ship these things out.

    Interested? Take a look at the product website!

    Check out the code and build details on the GitHub repo.

  • Quick Demo and Assembly Guide

    Logan Fouts • 09/15/2025 at 07:12 • 0 comments

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