This project enables ESP32/WiFi control of 10V EC fans that use USB-C type cables, such as those made by AC Infinity (UIS) or Vivosun (SGS). A PWM signal (duty cycle) is sent to the fan to control speed, and if supported by the fan, the tach signal (RPM) is returned.
The ESP32 is powered directly from the 10V supplied by the fan through the USB-C cable and communicates with an MQTT broker via WiFi — no additional wiring is needed. The logic level shift circuitry used on this board are from Kyle Gabriel's Mycodo fan control boards, modified for stand-alone use.
This was designed for a mushroom grow operation in shipping containers where WiFi control was preferred over long cable runs. The controller is a Raspberry Pi 4 running Mosquitto (MQTT broker), Node-RED, InfluxDB, and Grafana. Fan control is handled from a mobile phone through a Node-RED Dashboard 2.0, though Mycodo or Home Assistant could also be used.
You can safely control the PWM speed of EC fans supplied with 10VDC via USB-C cable — such as AC Infinity ("UIS") or Vivosun ("SGS") fans, and possibly others — without the need for proprietary controllers.
| Fan | PWM Control | Tach (RPM) |
|---|---|---|
| AC Infinity Airlift S Series Shutter Fan | ✅ | ✅ |
| AC Infinity Cloudray S6 6" Clip Fan | ✅ | ❌ |
| Vivosun AeroWave E6 Gen2 6" Clip Fan | ✅ | ❌ (larger models unknown) |
Testing was done using a Raspberry Pi 4 with Mycodo, and ESP32 boards with ESPHome and MQTT.
- ESPHome YAML configuration (example)
- Schematic
- Gerber files for the custom PCB
- 3D print files for the enclosure
- Links to parts
- Node-RED flow (EC_Fan.json in the NodeRed folder)
| Part | Notes |
|---|---|
| Custom PCB | Includes logic level shift circuitry for safe GPIO voltages |
| ESP32 DevKit v1 | Chosen for stronger WiFi than the C3 variant |
| MP1584EN DC-DC buck converter | Steps 10V down to 5V to power the ESP32 (mounted on PCB underside) |
| USB-C header cable | Box mounted |
| JST-PH 4-pin header | Through-hole for above cable |
| Transisters 2N3904(2) | Resistors - 1k(2),10k(2), 3.3k(1) |
| Custom 3D printed enclosure | Print files included |
These fans use a USB-C style cable but carry PWM and tach signals — not USB data. The link below is for the correct cable type used in this project.
Amazon — USB-C Pigtail Extension Cable
Hole sizes for the above cable mount
- Order the PCB using the included Gerber files (or build your own circuit)
- Print the enclosure using the included 3D files
- Flash the ESP32 using the example ESPHome YAML — edit
secrets.yamlwith your WiFi and MQTT credentials - Connect the fan via USB-C cable
- Import the Node-RED flow (EC_Fan.json) into your Node-RED instance
- The fan will appear as an MQTT device and can be controlled from the Node-RED dashboard
The included Node-RED flow provides a simple dashboard for controlling fan speed and monitoring RPM. Import EC_Fan.json from the NodeRed folder into your Node-RED instance.
Since the ESP32 runs ESPHome with discovery: true in the MQTT configuration, the fan will appear automatically in Home Assistant as soon as the MQTT integration is configured — no configuration.yaml editing required. Speed control and RPM monitoring will be available as entities. See the HA MQTT integration docs if you haven't set up MQTT in Home Assistant yet.
I designed this device for use in a dual shipping container mushroom grow where we didn't want long cables running from the Mycodo controller to the fans. This can be integrated into Mycodo using an Input Configuration: MQTT Suscribe (Value Payload) and setting the measurement setting as "Duty Cycle: Percent (%)" to get the duty cycle ( or "Revolutions: Revolutions per minute (rpm)" for fan speed), and an Output of PWM: MQTT Publish (paho-mqtt) to set the duty cycle and send it to mqtt.
For boards designed for controlling EC fans that use USB-C connectors for PWM speed control, see EC_PWM_FanControlBoards They are modifications of Kyle Gabriel's Mycodo fan control boards for TerraBloom EC fans, adapted to use USB-C connectors instead of audio connectors. The boards provide voltage level shifting for safe use with Raspberry Pi GPIO pins or ESP32 pins, and support monitoring of tach signals (RPM) from compatible fans.