Lab Monitor System

Completed on: 2026-07-29

Overview & Hardware Architecture

The Lab Monitor System is a side project turned UTRA turned back to side project focused on automating instrument monitoring across CarettaLab. It provides continuous 24/7 telemetry monitoring of vacuum pressures, chiller cooling loops, process gas states, and equipment interlocks across distributed thin-film deposition and transport measurement systems.

The physical hardware architecture employs a multi-node strategy: microcontrollers (ESP32) handling direct RS-485 Modbus RTU communications and hardware relay interlocks for chillers, Orange Pi Zero 3 edge units polling industrial PLDs over Modbus TCP, and a central Raspberry Pi server acting as the aggregator, database host, and WebSocket broadcast gateway.

For details on the web portal, real-time telemetry streaming, and FastAPI backend, see the Lab Monitor Software Page.

Part I: ESP32 Chiller Interlock Module

ESP32 Chiller Node Unassembled ESP32 Chiller Node Final Assembly

Unassembled components and final mounted assembly of the ESP32 microcontroller node interfaced with the SMC Sputter Chiller over RS-485 Modbus RTU, featuring hardware relay interlocks for emergency fault disconnects.

Part II: Central Raspberry Pi Host & Gateway

Raspberry Pi Central Server Unassembled Raspberry Pi Central Server Final Assembly

Unassembled and final setup of the central Raspberry Pi home server, hosting the MQTT broker, FastAPI backend server, local telemetry database, and local UPS power backup system.

Part III: PLD 1 Orange Pi Edge Node

Orange Pi PLD1 Unassembled Orange Pi PLD1 Final Assembly

Unassembled board layout and final enclosure build for the Orange Pi Zero 3 node dedicated to querying the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD 1) Productivity PLC via Modbus TCP.

Part IV: Sputter System Orange Pi Edge Node

Orange Pi Sputter Unassembled Orange Pi Sputter Final Assembly

Unassembled components and final rack installation of the Sputter System Orange Pi edge node, collecting process gas flows, pressure transducer outputs, and RF power stats.