Open and inexpensive DIY IP-KVM based on Raspberry Pi

A very simple and fully functional Raspberry Pi-based KVM (Keyboard-Video-Mouse) over IP that you can make with your own hands. This device helps to manage servers or workstations remotely, regardless of the health of the operating system or whether one is installed. You can fix any problem, configure the BIOS, and even reinstall the OS using the virtual CD-ROM or Flash Drive.

The website: pikvm.org. Also check out the documentation and join to the Discord Community Chat for news, questions and support!

>>> New PiKVM V4 - Buy it right now! <<<

>>> DIY Device Getting Started <<<	>>> PiKVM V3 Getting Started <<<
DIY Review by Novaspirit Tech Hackaday & Tom's HARDWARE & Elector MAG Our boring presentation for the DIY :)	PiKVM V3 Review by Linus Tech Tips Review by Novaspirit Tech Another review by Level1Techs Review by The Geek Freaks (DE)

Web UI

Features

• Supported Raspberry Pi 2, 3, 4 and Zero2W;
• FullHD video using advanced HDMI-to-CSI bridge or USB dongle;
• Extra low video latency with MJPEG or H.264 / WebRTC (for CSI bridge);
• Bootable Virtual CD-ROM and Flash Drive, ability to store images on NFS;
• USB Keyboard and mouse (with leds and the wheel), PS/2 keyboard, Bluetooth HID;
• Control the server power using ATX functions;
• Access via Web UI or VNC;
• Ability to use IPMI BMC, IPMI SoL, Redfish and Wake-on-LAN to control the server;
• The ready-made OS with read-only filesystem;
• Extensible authorization and HTTPS out of the box;
• Health monitoring of the Pi;
• Control GPIO ports and USB relays;
• It only costs between $30 and $100 for parts!
• 100% Open Source!

More indepth details about the PiKVM features

Fully-featured and modern IP-KVM

• Cheaper, but better than commercial solutions
  Costs between $30 and $100 depending on the features desired. Even the most expensive configuration will be cheaper than a $500 commercial IP-KVM.
• Easy to build - For the V1 variant
  A ready-to-use OS that can be created just by running make build and installed to an SD-card using make install. The hardware can be made in half an hour and without soldering.
• The widest hardware support
  There are many ways to build a PiKVM. Video capture devices can be attached using the CSI-2 or USB interfaces. Raspberry Pi models 2, 3, 4 or Zero2W may be used. Any combination of hardware is supported, and PiKVM implements the maximum possible set of features.
• Very low latency
  ~100 milliseconds of video latency. This is the smallest delay of all existing solutions.
• Extra lightweight and fancy Web UI
  No weird proprietary clients. No ugly Java applets. Just use your favorite browser to connect to the PiKVM. No flash plugins either!
• Keyboard and mouse
  Mouse usage works directly in the browser. The keyboard emulator supports displaying the state of the keyboard LEDs.
• Mass Storage Drive
  On the Raspberry Pi 4 and Zero2W, PiKVM can emulate a virtual CD-ROM or Flash Drive. A live image can be uploaded to boot the attached server.
• ATX power management
  With a very simple circuit that can be assembled on a breadboard, the power button of the attached server can be controlled using the ATX button headers on the motherboard.
• Security
  PiKVM can be opened to the Internet and no one will get access without the password. SSL is used to protect traffic from being intercepted by third parties.
• Local monitoring
  PiKVM monitors the health of the Raspberry Pi board and will warn you if it's too hot or is not receiving enough power.
• GPIO management You can control GPIO and USB relays via the web interface. The extensible interface allows you to make anything out of it.

Production-ready

• Linux-based embedded OS
  The PiKVM OS is based on Arch Linux ARM and can be customized for any needs. Thousands of pre-built binary packages are at your service and can be updated with a single command!
• Read-only filesystem
  By default the OS runs in read-only mode, as an embedded system should. This prevents damage to the memory card due to a sudden power outage.
• VNC server
  The managed server and its BIOS can be accessed using a regular VNC client which supports JPEG compression.
• IPMI BMC and Redfish
  Use ipmitool, ipmiutil or any existing network infrastructure that supports IPMI to monitor and manage the server's power. Redfish and redfishtool supported too.
• Wake-on-LAN
  PiKVM can be configured to power up a managed server using WoL. This will be available in the Web menu.
• Extensible authorization methods
  Multiple PiKVMs can be configured to use a common authorization service. PAM and its rich authorization mechanisms can also be used to integrate PiKVM into your existing authentication infrastructure.
• Macro scripts
  If repetitive actions must be performed on the attached server (or on several different servers), a macro can be recorded with keyboard & mouse actions and can be played back multiple times.

Open Source

• Community & support
  PiKVM has a large community. Join the discord chat if you have any questions.
• Extensible
  PiKVM was designed as a set of microservices with a plug-in architecture. It's very easy to modify and maintain.
• Comprehensive API
  Everything that can be done via the user interface can also be done via a powerful HTTP API.
• Know-how
  We created our very own MJPG video server written in C with multi-threading support and GPU video encoding - the fastest streaming solution available to provide the best video quality for PiKVM. We also tested a lot of hardware configurations so that you can be sure devices you assemble will work reliably.

Comparsion table

	DIY V1	DIY V2	V3 Kit	V4 Mini	V4 Plus
===== KEY FEATURES =====
Plug and Play out of box!	❌ DIY	❌ DIY	✅	✅	✅
Base Raspberry unit	RPi3 RPi2 Zero2W	RPi4 Zero2W	RPi4 Included!	CM4 Included!	CM4 Included!
HDMI 1080p@60Hz support for better BIOS/UEFI compatibility	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅
HDMI audio capture	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅
USB keyboard/mouse emulation	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
Virtual Flash Drive and CD-ROM emulation	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅
Ability to simulate "eject/insert" for USB	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅
Onboard ATX controller for power management of the host	DIY	DIY	✅	✅	✅
Built-in OLED with IP and other info	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅
Multiport KVM switches support	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
===== HARDWARE ABILITIES =====
CISCO-style RJ-45 console port	❌	❌	✅	❌	✅
USB serial console port	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅
Internal secured USB 3.0 storage port	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
A real-time clock for accurate logging	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅
Locator LED to find device in the rack	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅
mPCIe slot with USB lines for LTE/5G cards	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
SIM card slot for modem	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
External antenna support	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅
USB host support (external USB devices connectivity)	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
===== POWER AND COOLING ======
Cooling system / fan type	DIY	DIY	Axial	Fanless	Quiet Radial
PWM fan controller	❌	❌	✅	❌	✅
Fan speed and health monitoring	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Power consumption in idle mode			3.3W	2.65W	3.3W
===== MISCELLANEOUS =====
USB relays, lamps, smartplugs control	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Pi's GPIO ports control from the Web UI	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌

---

DIY Getting Started

Required hardware

PiKVM supports several different hardware configurations, referred to as platforms. Now available: V2 and V1.

• Recommended: V2 is the most powerful implementation for Raspberry Pi 4 and Zero2W supporting all of the features of PiKVM including the Mass Storage Drive. It's also the easiest to make.
• V1 was designed to work with Raspberry Pi 2 and 3 that do not have USB emulation port and requires a few more components for a basic implementation. It also does not support the Mass Storage Drive feature.

The full list of parts is at the very beginning according to the assembly instructions for the corresponding platform. You can review both options to decide which one is most suitable for you.

So, again, in short:

• DIY PiKVM V2:

  • Here are the instructions and a complete list of components.
  • Requires Raspberry Pi 4 or Zero 2 W.
  • Supports H.264 (for recommended CSI capture).
  • Supports CD-ROM and Flash Drive (mass storage) emulation.
  • It is recommended as a simpler and more feature-rich way compared to V1.

• DIY PiKVM V1:

  • Here are the instructions and a complete list of components.
  • Requires Raspberry Pi 2 or 3.
  • Requires Raspberry Pi Pico for the keyboard/mouse emulation.
  • Requires extra wiring and little bit more parts.
  • Supports H.264 (for recommended CSI capture).
  • Doesn't support CD-ROM and Flash Drive (mass storage) emulation.

PiKVM V3

We have developed our own HAT and pre-assembled device based on the Raspberry Pi 4.

The Pre-Assembled device	The DIY kit

>>> Buy PiKVM V3 right now! <<<

>>> PiKVM V3 User Guide <<<

• HDMI video capture for extra low latency with MJPEG or H.264/WebRTC (1080p 50Hz max).
• HDMI audio capture.
• USB keyboard & mouse, bootable Virtual CD-ROM & Flash Drive;
• Ability to simulate "removal and insertion" for USB.
• Onboard ATX controller to manage the server's power.
• PWM fan controller.
• A real-time clock for accurate logging.
• CISCO-style and USB serial console port (to manage PiKVM OS or to connect the server).
• No need for soldering or breadboarding. It's a ready-made, reliable thing which you can use yourself or provide to your clients.

Watch the video:

• PiKVM V3 Review by Novaspirit Tech
• Another review by Level1Techs
• Review by The Geek Freaks (DE)

History:

• PiKVM V3 HAT on Kickstarter (huge success!)

---

Donate

This project is developed by Open Source enthusiasts. If you find PiKVM useful or it has saved you a long trip to check on an unresponsive server, you can support us by donating a few dollars on Patreon or Paypal or buying our devices. With this money, we will be able to buy new hardware (Raspberry Pi boards and other components) to test and maintain various configurations of PiKVM, and generally devote significantly more time to the project. At the bottom of this page are the names of all the people who have helped this project develop with their donations. Our gratitude knows no bounds!

If you wish to use PiKVM in production, we accept orders to modify it for your needs or implement custom features you require. Contact us via live chat or email the lead developer at: mdevaev@gmail.com

---

Special thanks

These kind people donated money to the PiKVM project and supported work on it. We are very grateful for their help, and commemorating their names is the least we can do in return.

View all people!

• A. Isenring
• Aaron Graubert
• Aaron Heise
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