HLV_CoolingController

Home Lab Vibes — Cooling Controller

5-channel PWM fan controller with touchscreen interface for Home Lab cooling management.

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Features

• 5 independent PWM channels — control up to 5 fans individually
• Real-time RPM monitoring — TACH signal reading with smoothing algorithm
• 3.5" TFT touchscreen — intuitive UI with +/- buttons for each fan
• Persistent settings — fan speeds saved to EEPROM, restored on boot
• Standalone operation — powered via 12V MOLEX, no USB required

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Hardware

Components

Component	Description
MCU	RP2040 (Raspberry Pi Pico or compatible)
Display	3.5" TFT 320x480 (ILI9488 + FT6206 touch)
Power	DC-DC buck converter (12V → 5V)
Fans	4-pin PWM fans (12V)

Pinout

TFT Display (SPI + I2C Touch)

GPIO	Function	Description
15	LCD_CS	Display chip select
16	LCD_RST	Display reset
17	LCD_RS	Display data/command (DC)
18	SCK	SPI clock
19	SDI (MOSI)	SPI data in
20	CTP_SDA	Touch I2C data
21	CTP_SCL	Touch I2C clock
—	CTP_RST	Touch reset → 3.3V_EN
—	LED	Backlight → VCC
—	SDO (MISO)	Not connected

Fan Control (PWM + TACH)

GPIO	Function	Description
2	PWM_1	Fan 1 PWM signal
3	TACH_1	Fan 1 tachometer
4	PWM_2	Fan 2 PWM signal
5	TACH_2	Fan 2 tachometer
6	PWM_3	Fan 3 PWM signal
7	TACH_3	Fan 3 tachometer
8	PWM_4	Fan 4 PWM signal
9	TACH_4	Fan 4 tachometer
10	PWM_5	Fan 5 PWM signal
11	TACH_5	Fan 5 tachometer

Configure TFT_eSPI User_Setup.h with these SPI pins

Power Wiring

MOLEX 12V ──┬──► Fan power (12V direct)
            │
            └──► DC-DC input
                    │
                    ▼
                DC-DC output (5V) ──► Pico VBUS
                                        │
                                       3.3V ──► TFT display
                                        │
                                       GND (common for all)

⚠️ Common ground between 12V and 3.3V is required for correct TACH signal reading.

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Software

Dependencies

Install via Arduino Library Manager:

• TFT_eSPI — display driver
• Adafruit_FT6206 — capacitive touch controller

Building

1. Configure User_Setup.h in TFT_eSPI library for your display
2. Add #define TOUCH_CS -1 to suppress touch warning (we use I2C touch)
3. Select board: Raspberry Pi Pico (or your RP2040 board)
4. Upload sketch

Configuration

Parameter	Value	Location
Baud rate	115200	Serial Monitor
Min fan speed	10%	Hardcoded
Max fan speed	100%	Hardcoded
Speed step	10%	Per button press
EEPROM save delay	2 seconds	Anti-spam protection

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Usage

1. Power on via MOLEX connector
2. UI displays 5 fan blocks with current speed (%) and RPM
3. Tap − or + buttons to adjust fan speed (10% steps)
4. Settings auto-save after 2 seconds of inactivity

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Project Structure

HLV_CoolingController/
├── HLV_CoolingController.ino  # Main sketch
├── FanController.h            # Fan class header
├── FanController.cpp          # Fan class implementation
├── LICENSE                    # MIT License
└── README.md                  # This file

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Roadmap

• 5-channel PWM control
• RPM monitoring with smoothing
• Touchscreen UI
• EEPROM persistence
• Standalone 12V power
• Temperature sensors (DS18B20)
• Auto fan curves based on temperature
• WiFi monitoring (optional)

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License

MIT License — feel free to use, modify, and share!

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Vibes

Part of the Home Lab Vibes collection — stay tuned for more cool projects! 🚀

YouTube: @HomeLabVibes