Turn any dusty DC-DC converter into a smart lab power supply with Wi-Fi, PID control, charts, and personality.
Because what kind of hacker, scientist, or inventor wouldn’t want a PSU that argues with itself, lives its own life, yet somehow burns nothing anymore? It’s more than a lab power supply — it’s a platform for experiments, a set of modular, reusable blocks ready to power whatever crazy idea you solder together next.
This is an open-source ESP32 controller that gives brains to analog DC-DC converters (XL6019, LM2596, XL4015, etc.). No fancy DACs — just PWM, one MOSFET, one capacitor, and a pinch of chaos. And if you’d rather control a linear PSU or swap PWM for a DAC — my code won’t mind. A few lines of code, and even Alexa can tweak the current while all three of your hands are busy.
You get:
- Voltage & current control (CV/CC) with PID
- Live charts and web dashboard
- Wi-Fi control & OTA updates
- OLED or LED UI
- Full protection system All this for around $10 — and yes, it actually works.
Minimal invasive surgery for your converter: The ESP32 modulates the feedback divider using PWM through an RC filter.
| MOSFET State | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Off | Output drops safely to Vref (startup/fault) |
| On | Manual mode — full control by potentiometer |
| PWM | Smooth digital voltage control, below upper limit |
✅ Works with nearly any DC-DC or PSU ✅ Keeps analog safety intact ✅ 12–13 bit PWM = ~4 mV/step at 36 V
In short: 1 transistor + 1 capacitor = full digital control.
- PID-based CV/CC regulation
- Real-time monitoring (V/I/P/T)
- OLED display & WS2812 LED UI
- Encoder + touch input
- Web UI with charts, presets & Wi-Fi setup
- MOSFET cutoff protection
- OTA updates over Wi-Fi
- Modular, extendable firmware
| Function | Example Component |
|---|---|
| Controller | ESP32-S2 mini |
| Power Stage | XL6019E1 + AO3400 (PWM FB) |
| Protection | IRLZ44N (output cutoff) |
| Sensing | INA226 (V/I/P), NTC (temp) |
| UI | SSD1306 OLED + WS2812 LED |
| Limits | Potentiometer sets max Vout |
| Signal | Pin |
|---|---|
| I²C | SDA = 3, SCL = 7 |
| PWM Feedback | 40 |
| Output MOSFET | 1 |
| NTC ADC | 2 |
| LED UI | 39 |
| Encoder | CLK = 17, DT = 21, SW = 34 |
| Touch Pads | 11, 12 |
INA226 @ 0x40, Rsh = 0.0053 Ω NTC 10 kΩ @ 25 °C (Beta = 3470), Rseries = 3.3 kΩ
/— main dashboard (readings, presets, mode toggle)/charts— live graphs (V/I/P/TEMP)/settings— PID, limits, Wi-Fi, theme/system— info, links/wifi-setup— AP mode WiFi configuration.
🎨 Try live demo: universalgeek56.github.io/demo.html
- 18 safety flags (overcurrent, overtemp, deviations, etc.)
- MOSFET-based cutoff
- Hardware upper limit prevents overshoot
- Safe startup — Vout ≤ Vref
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| ESP32-S2 mini | $3–4 |
| DC-DC module | $1–2 |
| INA226 | $1–2 |
| MOSFETs (AO3400 + IRLZ44N) | $1 |
| OLED / LED display | $1–2 |
| Misc (resistors, NTC, wires) | $1 |
| Total | ≈ $9–10 |
| Module | Description |
|---|---|
DcControl |
PWM-based PID regulation (CV/CC) |
Ina226Manager |
Voltage/current/power measurement |
DisplayManager |
OLED info & error handling |
EncoderManager |
Rotary input & menu control |
TouchUI |
Touch button logic + LEDs |
WebInterface |
WebSocket UI + charts |
PreferencesManager |
NVS storage for settings |
Task Intervals: Display 200 ms · WebSocket 500 ms · Control 35 ms · LED 1 s
git clone https://github.com/universalgeek56/UG56-Lab-PSUInstall libraries:
ESPAsyncWebServer, AsyncTCP, ArduinoJson, U8g2,
RotaryEncoder, Adafruit_NeoPixel, INA226_WE
Flash via Arduino IDE, connect to Wi-Fi (PSU_AP / 12345678)
Open browser → [IP]/ or [IP]/charts
- 📘 User Manual: docs/User_Guide.md
- 🔧 Demo UI: universalgeek56.github.io/demo.html
- 🎥 YouTube: Universal Geek
- ☕ Support: ko-fi.com/universalgeek56
Pull requests welcome. Bugs, ideas, or memes → GitHub Issues
MIT License — use freely, credit if you clone it for glory. © 2025 UniversalGeek56
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AO3400_SMDtoDIP.JPG — SMD to breadboard
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Victims_of_Project.JPG — Fallen Heroes
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Touch_UI_2.JPG — Marker, copper, UV resin and you are in Touch
- UG56-Lume-Load — programmable load for PSU testing
- UG56-FluxCapacitor — coming soon... maybe with more LEDs, maybe with more gigawatts.