Personal Tech Lab

Building from
the homelab
up.

A living record of Raspberry Pi builds, 3D printing, custom PCBs, Bitcoin mining experiments, automation workflows, and self-hosted infrastructure. Everything documented. Everything reproducible.

↗ Explore Projects ⚡ n8n Automations
dps@pi5 ~ bash
dps@pi5:~$ docker ps --format "{{.Names}}\t{{.Status}}"
● n8n             Up 6 days   n8n.dpsusa.org
● pihole          Up 21 days
● docker-mailserver Up 21 days
● nginx-proxy     Up 21 days
● uptime-kuma     Up 21 days
● nerdminer       Up 3 hrs  solo lottery

dps@pi5:~$ df -h /mnt/raid | tail -1
/dev/md0  45T  38T  6.8T  85%  /mnt/raid

dps@pi5:~$ uptime
21 days, 14:07  load: 0.61, 0.55, 0.58

dps@pi5:~$ _
45TB
RAID Storage
6
Docker Services
2
Pi Nodes
1Gb
Astound Fiber
100%
Self-Hosted
01 · Projects

What's running in the lab

Active builds, live services, and ongoing experiments. Each project documented from initial idea through deployment.

⚡
n8n Automation
Self-hosted workflow engine
● Live
↗ n8n.dpsusa.org

Self-hosted n8n instance running on the Pi5 via Docker. Handles API integrations, scheduled automations, webhooks, and multi-step workflows across the entire stack.

n8nDockerCloudflarePython
₿
Bitcoin Solo Mining
ESP32 Nerdminer cluster
● Live

Solo lottery mining cluster running Nerdminer firmware on ESP32 Dev Kits, with a CYD (Cheap Yellow Display) showing live hashrate, pool stats, and difficulty data.

ESP32NerdminerCYDBitcoin
💡
Custom Lighting System
Arduino + Wemos D1 cluster
◐ Building

Custom WLED-based lighting controlled by Arduino Uno R4 WiFi and Wemos D1 Mini V4.0 clusters. Addressable LEDs with scene automation via n8n and Home Assistant.

ArduinoWemos D1WLEDMQTT
🖨️
BambuLab X1C Prints
3D printing lab
● Live

Production 3D printing using the BambuLab X1C with OrcaSlicer. Custom enclosures for lab hardware, project mounts, and one-off parts designed in Fusion 360.

BambuLabOrcaSlicerFusion 360FDM
🔌
KiCad PCB Design
Custom circuit boards
◐ Building

Designing custom PCBs in KiCad for lab peripherals — breakout boards, sensor shields, and power distribution boards tailored to the Arduino and ESP32 clusters.

KiCadPCBESP32Hardware
✉️
Docker Mailserver
Self-hosted email stack
● Live

Full Docker Mailserver deployment handling SMTP, IMAP, and DKIM/SPF/DMARC. Paired with Resend for transactional delivery and Cloudflare for DNS and tunneling.

Docker MailserverResendCloudflare
02 · Stack

Tools of the trade

The software, platforms, and design tools that power everything in the lab.

Infrastructure & DevOps
🐳
Docker
Containers
🛰️
Cloudflare Tunnels
Networking
🔒
Nginx
Reverse Proxy
✉️
Docker Mailserver
Email
📬
Resend
Transactional Email
🐧
Linux Mint
OS · PC
🪟
Windows
OS · PC
Development & Cloud
🐍
Python
Scripting
💻
VS Code
IDE
🐙
GitHub
Version Control
☁️
Google Cloud
Cloud Services
🤖
Google AI Studio
AI / LLM
🌐
IPBase
Geolocation API
💬
Discord
Notifications / Bots
Hardware & Design
🍓
Raspberry Pi
SBC
🦭
OrcaSlicer
3D Print Slicer
🧊
Fusion 360
3D CAD
🔌
KiCad
PCB Design
₿
Nerdminer
BTC Solo Mining
03 · Hardware

The physical setup

Everything powering the lab — compute, storage, networking, and specialty gear.

🍓 Raspberry Pi 5
Primary Server
  • CPUCortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz
  • RAM8 GB LPDDR4X
  • StorageNVMe SSD (PCIe 3.0)
  • OSRaspberry Pi OS 64-bit
  • NetworkGigabit Ethernet
  • CoolingOfficial Active Cooler
🍓 Raspberry Pi 4
Secondary Node
  • CPUCortex-A72 @ 1.8GHz
  • RAM4 GB LPDDR4
  • OSRaspberry Pi OS 64-bit
  • NetworkGigabit Ethernet
🗄️ 45TB RAID Storage
Cluster
  • Capacity45 TB Raw
  • TypeRAID Array
  • InterfaceUSB / Network Share
  • Used ForBackups, Media, Archives
🖥️ Main PC
Workstation
  • RAM32 GB
  • GPUNVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti 16GB
  • Storage4 TB On-Board
  • OSWindows / Linux Mint
⚡ Microcontrollers
Clusters
  • LightingArduino Uno R4 WiFi
  • LightingWemos D1 Mini V4.0
  • MiningESP32 Dev Kits (×N)
  • DisplayCYD (Cheap Yellow Display)
  • FirmwareNerdminer · WLED · Custom
🖨️ BambuLab X1C
3D Printing
  • TypeCoreXY FDM
  • SlicerOrcaSlicer
  • CADFusion 360
  • UseEnclosures, Mounts, Parts
🌐 Network
Infrastructure
  • ISPAstound — Gigabit
  • DNSPi-hole (local)
  • TunnelsCloudflare Zero Trust
  • ProxyNginx (reverse proxy)
04 · Services & Automation

Always-on infrastructure

Containerized services running continuously, plus automation workflows keeping the whole stack healthy and integrated.

⚡
n8n
n8n.dpsusa.org
Self-hosted workflow automation. Webhooks, API chains, scheduled jobs, and cross-service integrations — all without a SaaS subscription.
🛡️
Pi-hole
Network-wide DNS filtering. Blocking ads and trackers for every device on the LAN via the Pi5.
✉️
Docker Mailserver
Full self-hosted email stack — SMTP, IMAP, DKIM, SPF, DMARC. Paired with Resend for transactional delivery.
🔒
Nginx + SSL
Reverse proxy routing all services through HTTPS. SSL via Let's Encrypt, tunneled securely through Cloudflare Zero Trust.
🛰️
Cloudflare Tunnels
Secure external access to all services without opening inbound firewall ports. Zero Trust access policies where needed.
🌐
IPBase
Geolocation and IP data API integrated into Python scripts and n8n workflows for conditional logic and analytics.
☁️
Google Cloud
Cloud Functions and storage used for offsite backups, serverless tasks, and integration endpoints called by n8n.
🤖
Google AI Studio
Gemini API integrated into automation workflows for text processing, classification, and AI-assisted tasks via n8n.
💬
Discord Bots
Discord webhooks and bots for lab alerts, miner stats, service notifications, and automation status updates.
🚦
Uptime Kuma
Self-hosted status monitoring for all services. Real-time alerts when anything goes offline, with a public status page.
₿
Nerdminer Fleet
ESP32-based Bitcoin solo lottery miners. Always running, always hashing — low power, high hope. Stats on the CYD display.
💡
Custom Lighting
Arduino + Wemos D1 clusters driving addressable LEDs. Scene control via MQTT, automations triggered through n8n.
05 · Lab Log

Build notes & writeups

Documentation of every project, from initial idea to working deployment.

May 2025
Headless Pi Homelab Pt. 3: Reverse Proxy & SSL with Nginx
Setting up Nginx as a reverse proxy with auto-renewing Let's Encrypt certs, Cloudflare tunnels, and HTTPS for all Docker services.
Network
Apr 2025
Deploying n8n on Pi5: Self-Hosted Automation That Actually Scales
Full walkthrough of getting n8n running in Docker, exposing it via Cloudflare Tunnel, and wiring up the first production workflows.
Automation
Mar 2025
Headless Pi Homelab Pt. 2: Network Setup & Device Verification
Configuring the Pi on Astound gigabit, setting a static IP, locking down SSH, and verifying full network connectivity before adding services.
Network
Feb 2025
Headless Pi Homelab Pt. 1: OS Configuration & Remote Access
Imaging Raspberry Pi OS to NVMe, first boot config, SSH hardening, and preparing the system for fully headless operation.
Setup
Jan 2025
Bitcoin Solo Mining on ESP32: Nerdminer + CYD Build Log
Flashing Nerdminer firmware onto ESP32 Dev Kits, building the CYD display rig, and connecting everything to a solo mining pool.
Mining
06 · About

Who's running this lab

DPS USA is a personal tech lab based in northeastern Pennsylvania. This site documents a hands-on journey through self-hosted infrastructure, embedded hardware, 3D printing, PCB design, and automation — all built around a Raspberry Pi 5 at the core.

From a 45TB RAID cluster and Docker Mailserver to custom Arduino lighting rigs, ESP32 Bitcoin miners, and Fusion 360–designed enclosures printed on the BambuLab X1C — every build gets written up, every config gets committed.

↗ Read the build logs
Lab Info
  • 🌐
    Website
    dpsusa.org
  • ⚡
    Automation
    n8n.dpsusa.org
  • 📍
    Location
    Northeastern Pennsylvania, US
  • 🍓
    Compute
    Pi5 8GB · Pi4 4GB · RTX 4060 Ti PC
  • 🗄️
    Storage
    45TB RAID Cluster
  • 🌐
    Internet
    Astound — Gigabit Fiber
  • 📝
    Topics
    Homelab · Embedded · 3D Print · Mining · Automation