Bipbox

Bipbox

A self-hosted communication device for children — a wooden box with a thermal printer, a telegraph key and a walkie-talkie, so that two kids in two different homes can write, beep and talk to each other.

Status: in development. The hardware exists (two boxes built); the software is being written. See docs/architecture.md.

What it does

Boxes are grouped into channels. Everyone in a channel can beep and talk to each other. People without a box can join from a browser.

Hardware

Each box contains a Raspberry Pi Zero W, a MeanWell RS15-5 supply, a 4-port USB hub, a USB sound card, an ESC/POS thermal printer and a homemade HAT that drives four status lamps through a 74HCT595 and reads the buttons.

KiCad and FreeCAD sources are in CAD/ so you can build your own.

Repository layout

server/   FastAPI server + Janus, deployed with docker-compose
device/   bipboxd daemon and the Pi's local management console
image/    pi-gen configuration producing a ready-to-flash SD image
docs/     architecture, specifications, hardware notes
CAD/      KiCad (HAT) and FreeCAD (enclosure)

Documentation

Hardware bring-up

Before any of the software exists, the HAT can be tested on its own:

sudo apt install python3-spidev python3-gpiozero
sudo python3 device/tools/wiring_test.py

It discovers the shift-register bit order, measures button bounce, finds a speaker-safe volume ceiling and prints a test ticket. See architecture.md §3.5.

Licensing

Two licences, scoped by what they cover:

So you may do as you like with the code, and if you build on the board or the enclosure and distribute the result, those improvements stay open.

Acknowledgements

Bipbox grows out of telex, an earlier message-to-thermal-printer project; its printer handling, ESC/POS layout and drawing tool are carried over here.