A self-recovering, network-aware, IoT-based power and monitoring controller for home servers.
| Circuit Connection | Circuit Board | System Flowchart |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
| Display – CPU Usage and Temperature | Display – RAM & HDD Usage | Blynk App |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
This project is a custom-built server management system powered by an ESP32 microcontroller, designed to provide full remote power control, monitoring, and automation for a home or small-scale server setup.
It acts as a DIY alternative to IPMI, combining hardware control, MQTT telemetry, and a visual LED interface into a single, reliable system. The ESP32 continuously monitors the server’s state (via the motherboard’s Power LED and network ping), manages cooling and ambient lighting, and can even hard reboot itself if a freeze is detected — ensuring true long-term reliability.
- 🔌 Full Power Control – Remotely power ON/OFF or force shutdown the server via relay-triggered GPIO.
- 🌐 Real-Time State Detection – Reads motherboard Power LED and ping responses to determine exact server state (Offline / Disconnected / Online).
- ♻️ Self-Recovery System – Hardware circuit (Relay + MOSFET + BJT + Capacitor) performs complete ESP32 power cycle if it becomes unresponsive.
- 🌡️ Fan Speed Control – PWM-based temperature-dependent fan control using MOSFET driver.
- 💡 Ambient Lighting – Brightness-controllable warm-white LED strips managed through the app.
- 🖥️ Visual Display – 96×48 RGB LED matrix shows server metrics and status in real time.
- ☁️ MQTT Integration – Fetches CPU, RAM, disk, network, and temperature data via Mosquitto broker.
- 📱 Remote Access via Blynk IoT – GUI for control, monitoring, and terminal commands.
- 🔁 OTA Updates – Easily upgrade firmware without physical access.
- Programmed in C/C++ (Arduino IDE) — ~1100 lines of optimized firmware.
- Uses a single-ping high-frequency detection loop (10–15 Hz) for faster state updates.
- Built-in drop counter avoids false offline detections.
- DNS failover: uses
1.1.1.1to stay independent of home DNS failures. - Fully inverter-backed power for continuous uptime.
- Default GPIO states ensure fail-safe operation even during MCU failure.
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| ESP32 | Main controller |
| DPDT 5 V Relay | Mechanical relay for self-reboot circuit |
| MOSFET ×3 | Fan control, lighting control, relay trigger |
| BJT Transistor + 3300 µF Capacitor | Delayed relay power hold for self-restart |
| Voltage Divider | Reads 5 V Power LED signal safely at 3.3 V |
| 96×48 RGB LED Matrix | Real-time visual status display |
| 5 V USB Power | Drawn from motherboard front header (always live) |
- Replace Blynk with a self-hosted Progressive Web App (PWA) for full control without external dependencies.
- Publish detailed circuit diagram and PCB layout.
- Open-source the Python MQTT publisher for server metrics.
Devansh Tangri
Designed, built, and programmed from the ground up to achieve total server autonomy, reliability, and convenience.
ESP32IoTHomeServerAutomationBlynkMQTTHardwareArduinoMicrocontrollerServerManagement
This project is open-source under the MIT License.
Feel free to fork, modify, and build upon it for your own setups.