Lighthub

Flexible, Arduino Mega/Due/ESP8266/ESP32/STM32 based SmartHome controller with DMX-512 in/out, 1-Wire, Modbus, MQTT interfaces. OpenHab/HomeAssistant/ioBroker compatible.

Internet of Things (IoT)C++Apache-2.0

Abstract

Lighthub is an open-source Internet of Things (IoT) project. Flexible, Arduino Mega/Due/ESP8266/ESP32/STM32 based SmartHome controller with DMX-512 in/out, 1-Wire, Modbus, MQTT interfaces. OpenHab/HomeAssistant/ioBroker compatible. Scalability of Lighthub is virtually unlimited: Setup so many controllers you needed in most convenient places of your house - MQTT broker will allow controllers communicate each other and with Openhab/NodeRed/HomeRemote and propagate commands across network. It is built using C++, Arduino, MQTT. The complete source code is publicly available on GitHub under the Apache License 2.0, making it a useful reference for students building an Internet of Things (IoT) mini project or final-year project.

1. Introduction

Scalability of Lighthub is virtually unlimited: Setup so many controllers you needed in most convenient places of your house - MQTT broker will allow controllers communicate each other and with Openhab/NodeRed/HomeRemote and propagate commands across network.

List of non-expensive compatible components from AliExpress here

Openhab provides own native mobile app both, for IoS and Android, and even allow you to use Apple's HomeKit and Google Home to say "Siri, turn on light in bedroom" or "Hey Google, set bedroom light to Red" but requires some server to be installed in-premises (Raspberry PI with Openhabian will good enough)

2. Objective

Flexible, Arduino Mega/Due/ESP8266/ESP32/STM32 based SmartHome controller with DMX-512 in/out, 1-Wire, Modbus, MQTT interfaces. OpenHab/HomeAssistant/ioBroker compatible.

This project demonstrates how C++, Arduino, MQTT can be applied to a real-world Internet of Things (IoT) problem.

4. Technology Stack

C++ArduinoMQTT

5. System Requirements

General requirements for this technology stack — check the README for exact versions.

  • Arduino IDE / PlatformIO or a C++ compiler (g++)
  • Target board (e.g. Arduino, ESP32) where applicable
  • Git (to clone the repository)

6. Installation & Setup

git clone https://github.com/anklimov/lighthub.git
cd lighthub

Full setup instructions are in the project README.

7. Future Enhancements

Suggested extensions you can add to make this your own project.

  • Add a mobile dashboard using Blynk or Firebase
  • Store readings in a cloud database for history charts
  • Add alerts via SMS / Telegram when thresholds are crossed

8. Viva / Review Questions

Common questions examiners ask for projects in this domain.

  1. Which microcontroller / board and sensors are used and why?
  2. How does the device send data (Wi-Fi, MQTT, HTTP, Bluetooth)?
  3. Where is the sensor data stored and visualised?
  4. How is power consumption managed?
  5. How would you secure the device and its communication?

9. Source Code & License

This project is developed by anklimov and published on GitHub under the Apache License 2.0. Please follow the license terms and credit the original author when you use or modify this code.

View Source on GitHubDownload ZIP

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