Custom API Documentation


The LED Ticker Custom API allows advanced users to develop a custom ticker to display any content and customize how the content is displayed. The API works by defining text or shapes to draw on the Ticker's display. The custom API can be accessed in multiple ways:

  • A WebSocket message sent to the Ticker through your local area network (LAN)
  • An http POST request sent to the Ticker through your local area network (LAN)
  • An http(s) GET request sent by the Ticker to a url endpoint to fetch data periodically

    • API Parameters


    The API expects a set of parameters in order to fully define where and how each text or shape will be displayed.

    Text Elements
    Parameter Type Required Values Default Value
    text String true Up to 16 characters None
    size Integer false 1 to 4 2
    color String false 000000 to ffffff ffffff
    x Integer false 0 to 63 0
    y Integer false 0 to 31 7
    align String false L, C, or R L

    Line Elements
    Parameter Type Required Values Default Value
    shape String true line None
    x1 Integer true 0 to 63 0
    y1 Integer true 0 to 31 0
    x2 Integer true 0 to 63 0
    y2 Integer true 0 to 31 0
    color String false 000000 to ffffff ffffff

    Rectangle Elements
    Parameter Type Required Values Default Value
    shape String true rect None
    filled Boolean false true or false false
    x Integer true 0 to 63 0
    y Integer true 0 to 31 0
    w Integer true 0 to 63 0
    h Integer true 0 to 31 0
    color String false 000000 to ffffff ffffff

    Circle Elements
    Parameter Type Required Values Default Value
    shape String true circle None
    filled Boolean false true or false false
    x Integer true 0 to 63 0
    y Integer true 0 to 31 0
    r Integer true >0 0
    color String false 000000 to ffffff ffffff

    Diamond Elements
    Parameter Type Required Values Default Value
    shape String true diamond None
    filled Boolean false true or false false
    x Integer true 0 to 63 0
    y Integer true 0 to 31 0
    w Integer true 0 to 63 0
    h Integer true 0 to 31 0
    color String false 000000 to ffffff ffffff

    Pixel Line Elements
    Parameter Type Required Values Default Value
    shape String true pixel None
    hex String true Up to 16 characters* None
    x Integer true 0 to 63 0
    y Integer true 0 to 31 0
    align String false H or V H
    *Color information is encoded as a hex string of up to 8 colors.
    Each color is a 2 character wide, 8-bit color hex value encoded as RRRGGGBB.
    Below are example 8-bit color hex values:
    Color RGB Binary Hex
    White 255,255,255 11111111 ff
    Red 255,0,0 11100000 e0
    Green 0,255,0 00011100 1c
    Blue 0,0,255 00000011 03
    Yellow 255,255,0 11111100 fc
    Cyan 0,255,255 00011111 1f
    Magenta 255,0,255 11100011 e3

    A line of 8 alternating white and black pixels would be: "ff00ff00ff00ff00"

    WebSocket (LAN Only)


    The API can be accessed locally by sending a WebSocket message to the Ticker through your local area network (LAN).

  • Send the WebSocket message to ws://ticker.local/api (or ws://<IP ADDRESS>/api)
  • API Parameters must be JSON formatted in the message
  • A message (may be empty) must be sent every 60 seconds to maintain API display
  • A "clear" message will clear the screen
  • A "exit" message will exit from the API display and resume normal Ticker operation
  • Each API call requires a seperate message

    • POST Request (LAN Only)


    The API can be accessed locally by sending a POST request to the Ticker through your local area network (LAN).

  • Send the POST request to http://ticker.local/api (or http://<IP ADDRESS>/api)
  • API Parameters must be JSON formatted in the body of the request

    • Alert Message (LAN Only)


    The Alert API can be accessed locally by sending a POST request to the Ticker through your local area network (LAN).

  • Send the POST request to http://ticker.local/alert (or http://<IP ADDRESS>/alert)
  • API Parameters must be JSON formatted in the body of the request
  • Additional alert parameters can be supplied in the URL to define the brightness and duration of the alert:

    • Parameter Type Required Values Default Value
    length Integer false >0 3 seconds
    brightness Integer false 1 to 10 Current Brightness

  • An example Alert request might be: http://ticker.local/alert?length=5&brightness=10

    • GET Request


    The API can be accessed by having the Ticker send a GET request to a url endpoint.

  • The Ticker will send a GET request to the url endpoint and at the interval defined in the Ticker Settings page
  • The endpoint can be http or https
  • The endpoint must return a JSON response

    • JSON Format


  • Up to 256 total elements may be defined
  • Elements can be displayed on multiple pages using a nested array
  • An example single page response might be:

    • [
     {
      "text":"Size 1",
      "color":"FF0000",
      "size":1,
      "x":31,
      "y":4,
      "align":"C"
     },
     {
      "text":"Size 2",
      "color":"00FF00",
      "size":2,
      "x":1,
      "y":15,
      "align":"L"
     },
     {
      "text":"Size 3",
      "color":"0000FF",
      "size":3,
      "x":62,
      "y":15,
      "align":"R"
     },
     {
      "text":"Size 4",
      "color":"00FF00",
      "size":4,
      "x":1,
      "y":30,
      "align":"L"
     }
    ]

    The example JSON above will produce the following output on the Ticker display:

  • An example multi-page response might be:

    • [
     [
      {
       "text":"Size 1",
       "color":"FF0000",
       "size":1,
       "x":31,
       "y":4,
       "align":"C"
      },
      {
       "text":"Size 2",
       "color":"00FF00",
       "size":2,
       "x":1,
       "y":15,
       "align":"L"
      }
     ],
     [
      {
       "text":"Size 3",
       "color":"0000FF",
       "size":3,
       "x":62,
       "y":15,
       "align":"R"
      },
      {
       "text":"Size 4",
       "color":"00FF00",
       "size":4,
       "x":1,
       "y":30,
       "align":"L"
      }
     ]
    ]