Show when desk dashboard data was last updated

Desk Terminal provides a small colour display in a miniature desktop form. For a software dashboard built around it, data age can matter as much as the displayed result. A screen that redraws frequently may still show an old source observation. Label what was updated and when, rather than using one ambiguous timestamp for every stage of the integration.

Which timestamp belongs beside the value?

Use the time when the displayed source information was successfully established. If the source supplies its own event time, keep that distinct from the time your bridge received or fetched it. A delayed event can be newly received while describing older activity.

Choose wording that matches the evidence, such as source checked or event received. Do not label a failed request as a successful refresh merely because the polling loop ran. Store the outcome of the check alongside its timing so the display can distinguish current evidence from a recent unsuccessful attempt.

How should age be presented on a small screen?

Use a short readable age or timestamp format suitable for the viewing distance. If an absolute time is shown, make the time zone clear wherever ambiguity matters. A companion view can carry additional timing details when the physical screen has limited room.

Avoid making the age text so small that it becomes decorative. It is part of the meaning of the result, especially when a stale success could be misleading. Check how the layout handles older data rather than testing only a freshly updated example.

What happens after the source becomes unavailable?

Retain the last-known value only with a clear stale or unavailable indication. Keep the failed check separate from the original task outcome. Losing access to a job source does not prove that the job failed, but it does limit what you can claim about its current state.

Define when the freshness warning appears using the expected update pattern. An event-driven task can run quietly without being broken, so its state may need a separate liveness check. Do not assume silence has the same meaning as missed regular polling responses.

What should recovery verify?

Require a successful source observation before removing the stale indication. Merely reconnecting the display or restarting its software should not make cached data appear current. Test a delayed response and a restart with old stored values to check that the timestamps remain honest.

Confirm the available custom-display and integration capabilities through the Desk Terminal listing before implementing the layout. Clear freshness labels are a design responsibility of the dashboard software, and should describe the source evidence rather than the cosmetic activity of the screen.