A touch-controlled LED light bar that sits on top of a PC monitor. Built around an ESP32-C3 SuperMini, two TTP223 touch pads and a 12 V single-color LED strip, powered from a single USB-C PD charger.
Video of the bar in use: YouTube
- Touch control - tap to turn on/off, touch and hold to dim or brighten with a smooth, perceptually even ramp
- Web interface - live on/off and brightness, plus all settings, from any browser on your network
- Configurable pads - swap pad roles, choose between on/off taps or step-by-X% taps, set the ramp speed
- Brightness limits - minimum and maximum brightness, and a fixed or last-used level when turning on
- Remembers its state - comes back at the same brightness after a power cut
- Home Assistant - automatic MQTT discovery as a dimmable light, with WiFi signal and IP diagnostics
- Multi-monitor pairing - pair several bars over ESP-NOW so the pads on any bar control all of them
- Easy setup and updates - WiFi setup portal on first boot, firmware updates over the air from the web page
- mDNS - reachable at
http://<device-name>.local
| Light | Pairing |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Print files: MakerWorld.
Step-by-step build with CAD renders and photos: docs/ASSEMBLY.md.
| Part | Notes |
|---|---|
| ESP32-C3 SuperMini | main controller |
| 2x TTP223 touch module | default jumpers (momentary, active HIGH) |
| IRLZ44N MOSFET | low-side PWM switch for the strip |
| 12 V single-color LED strip | |
| USB-C PD trigger board | set to 12 V, charger must offer a 12 V PD profile |
| Mini-360 buck converter | 12 V to 5 V for the ESP32 |
| 1N5819 / SS14 Schottky diode | lets you plug in USB while 12 V is on |
| 100R and 10k resistors | MOSFET gate resistor and pull-down |
| 470 uF 25 V capacitor | optional bulk capacitor |
More detail, including a text version and power-up checklist, in docs/WIRING.md. Trim the Mini-360 to 5.0 V before connecting the ESP32.
The project uses PlatformIO.
pio run -t uploadThe first flash has to be over USB. After that, updates can be uploaded from the Maintenance page of the web interface.
- Power the bar. With no saved WiFi it opens an access point named
LEDBar-XXXX. - Connect to it and choose your WiFi network in the setup page.
- The bar restarts and joins your network. Open
http://ledbar-xxxx.local(or its IP address) to reach the web interface.
Requires an MQTT broker (for example the Mosquitto broker add-on) and the MQTT integration in Home Assistant. Enter the broker details on the Home Assistant page of the web interface; the bar then shows up under Settings > Devices & services > MQTT.
All bars must be on the same WiFi network. Open the Pairing page on one bar and click Pair next to another bar in the "Bars nearby" list. Paired bars share one state: pads, the web interface or Home Assistant on any of them control the whole group.