Embedded PC Lighting using ESPHome

This project was for a smart LED RGB strip project for use in my gaming PC. I initially intended to use a Raspberry Pi Pico W for this, however, it required a very early developer build of ESPHome and did not seem like it would be stable long-term. So instead, I used an ESP32 for the low power draw, WiFi capabilities, and excellent integration with ESPHome and Home Assistant.

For the RGB I just used some individually addressible RGB strips I found online. To power the project, I - somewhat brutally - adapted a molex cable for use with my PC power supply. If I could change one thing about the project, it would be to purchase an attaching molex connector and modify that, rather than the PC power cable itself, as this would allow easier removal and maintenance, as well as ensure future compatibility with different power supplies (as different PSUs can have different cable pinouts).

Overall, the project worked great and is still in use today. Power is provided via GPIO to the ESP32 and directly to the RGB strips due to the surprisingly high current requirements that easily surpassed the ESP32's capabilities.

 Integration with home assistant was a breeze thanks to ESPHome, which also allows wireless remote configuration of the ESP32 without ever having to remove it from the PC. Home Assistant allows for web UI control, smart switch and even voice control via the Alexa and Google integrations provided by Nabu Casa and home assistant cloud.