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A RASPBERRY PI AND 30 TO 100 DOLLARS OF PARTS LET YOU FIX ANY COMPUTER FROM ANYWHERE — EVEN IN BIOS

A Raspberry Pi and an HDMI capture bridge turn into a KVM-over-IP that works at hardware level — BIOS, power control, OS reinstall — for 30 to 100 dollars instead of a 500-dollar commercial unit.

by Maxim Devaev

FULL CAD BOM FIRMWARE DOCS

AutomationOpen-hardware

Built withRaspberry Pi

difficulty
●●●○○
time
a weekend
license
GPL-3.0
repo
repo ACTIVE10,369 stars

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Videos
1
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COMPAREE VERDICT

PiKVM is a serious piece of infrastructure disguised as a weekend Pi project. It streams a target computer's video, keyboard and mouse to a web interface, and because it sits between the hardware — not inside the OS — it reaches BIOS, boot menus and machines that have completely locked up. The V2 platform build uses a Raspberry Pi 4, a cheap HDMI-to-CSI capture bridge, and a USB splitter. The software is a custom Linux image that boots ready to serve. The documentation is thorough, the community is active, and 10,200+ stars suggest this is not vaporware. The catch: a working build still demands careful part selection (the wrong HDMI bridge will not initialize), soldering if you want ATX power control, and patient troubleshooting if video does not appear on first boot. The HDMI capture chip is the single most common failure point — multiple models exist and not all are compatible, even when they look identical. If you need remote hardware access and have dealt with Pi GPIO or HATs before, this will work. If you have never reflashed an SD card or diagnosed HDMI handshake issues, expect a learning weekend, not a quick win.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • —GPL-3.0 licence, permits commercial use.
  • —The repository holds the documentation and printable STL files; the ready-made PiKVM OS image is downloaded via the official docs.
  • —Shopping list and assembly instructions present.
  • —Prebuilt hardware is sold separately by the project (V3, V4 Mini, V4 Plus), but the DIY builds cost 30 to 100 dollars depending on features and are fully documented.
  • —Printable case files are in the repository for the V3 HAT, plus PCI brackets for the ATX board; DIY V2 builds usually go in an off-the-shelf Pi case.
  • —ATX power control requires an optional add-on board or relay wiring.

Parts to buy

6 items

From our check of the build. Exact quantities and part numbers are in the creator’s BOM.

  • Raspberry Pi 4Find
  • TC358743-based HDMI-to-CSI capture bridge or a USB HDMI capture dongleFind
  • USB-A to USB-C cable plus a USB/power splitterFind
  • MicroSD card (16GB+)Find
  • 5V 3A power supplyFind
  • Optional ATX controller (optocouplers on a breadboard)Find

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Can I build this?

PrintNothing required for V2; STL files for the V3 case and ATX PCI brackets are in the repo
BuyRaspberry Pi 4 (2GB is enough; a Zero 2 W also works, a Pi 5 only with a USB dongle), a TC358743-based HDMI-to-CSI capture bridge (recommended) or a USB HDMI capture dongle, USB-A to USB-C cable plus a USB/power splitter, microSD card (16GB+), 5V 3A power supply, optional ATX controller (optocouplers on a breadboard)
Toolssoldering iron (if adding ATX control), SD card reader, basic hand tools
SkillsLinux command line comfort, Pi flashing experience, patient hardware debugging — the parts are cheap but the HDMI capture bridge is finicky
Timea weekend: half a day to assemble and flash, the rest to troubleshoot video capture and network access
CostLow to mid — the README puts a DIY build at 30 to 100 dollars depending on features, mostly the Pi and the capture device; the official prebuilt V3/V4 units cost more.
Safety5V DC only, no mains work, no lithium cells, no real safety concern beyond ordinary electronics care

Build at your own risk. Projects involve tools, electronics and sometimes mains voltage — follow the creator’s safety notes.

Videos

PiKVM! What is it?!

Level1Techs explains what PiKVM is; the README lists this video among reviews of the prebuilt V4 Plus and Mini. For the DIY build, the README links Maxim Devaev's own presentation.

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Gallery

Start here

Navigation into the creator’s own docs — we don’t rewrite the guide, we route you to the source.

  1. 1.Read the V2 platform guide in the official docs (Start here, not the README — it lists compatible capture bridges by name and shows the wiring)
  2. 2.Order parts using the documented shopping list(Pick an HDMI-to-CSI bridge based on the TC358743 chip, as the docs recommend; note the Auvidea B101 is not compatible with the Zero 2 W.)
  3. 3.Flash the OS image to microSD and boot (Use the official image builder or prebuilt release; do not try to install on Raspberry Pi OS)
  4. 4.Connect to the web interface and test video(If no video appears, reseat the CSI cable and check the bridge is detected in dmesg)

Resources

Documentation, files and community threads for this build — we link straight to the original sources and never rehost the creator’s files.

KNOWN ISSUES

  • Buying an incompatible or counterfeit HDMI-to-CSI capture bridge — this is the number-one showstopper and you will not know until you boot.
  • Assuming every Pi gives the same features — the DIY V2 (Pi 4, Pi 5 or Zero 2 W) supports mass-storage emulation and more, while Pi 2/3 builds (DIY V1) are more limited; check the feature table before buying.
  • Leaving the default passwords in place — the web interface ships with admin/admin and the root password is also a default, so change both on first boot as the docs instruct.
  • Expecting plug-and-play ATX power control — you need an extra relay board or the official power HAT, and it requires GPIO wiring or soldering.
  • Not checking HDMI cable quality — cheap or long HDMI runs to the target machine cause capture dropouts that look like a software bug.
  • Trying to capture HDCP-protected content or 4K sources — PiKVM is for servers and workstations, not Blu-ray players, and the DIY capture devices top out at Full HD.

Does this work on machines that are completely off?

Not without ATX power control. The optional add-on lets you simulate the physical power button press, which works on most ATX motherboards.

Can I use a Pi Zero?

The Zero 2 W works for the DIY V2 build (the original Zero and Zero W do not). A Pi 4 is still the recommended board, and the Pi 5 is supported too.

What is the video quality like?

Full HD with H.264 or MJPEG. On a DIY V2 with an HDMI-to-CSI bridge the docs give a hard limit of 1920x1080 at 50 Hz (60 Hz is not supported), and the project quotes 35–50 ms latency. Plenty for BIOS work and everyday admin; not meant for watching video on the target.

Do I need to install anything on the target computer?

No. PiKVM is completely hardware-level. The target machine sees it as a keyboard, mouse and monitor. No drivers, no agent, no OS dependency.

Can I access it over the internet?

Yes, but you need to set up port forwarding or a VPN. The project documentation recommends Tailscale for secure remote access.

Community builds

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Discussion1

FROM THE COMPAREE TEAM

More than 10,000 stars on GitHub, and a DIY build streams Full HD with 35–50 ms latency. If you have built one, which capture device did you use, and did it work on the first try?

CompareeTEAM2mo agoedited

Practical notes from our verification: the repository holds the documentation and STL files for the V3 case and ATX brackets under docs/stl; the ready-made OS image is downloaded through the official docs. The shopping list lives in the documentation at docs.pikvm.org, not the README. The DIY V2 runs on a Raspberry Pi 4 (recommended) or Zero 2 W, and video comes either from a TC358743-based HDMI-to-CSI bridge or a USB HDMI dongle; a Pi 5 works only with a USB dongle. The single biggest decision is that capture device: the docs recommend a TC358743 bridge, note that the Auvidea B101 is not compatible with the Zero 2 W, and warn that a third-party CSI cable must have the correct pinout. Get either wrong and you will see no video, which looks exactly like a software bug. The README puts the total at between 30 and 100 dollars depending on features, and the project is actively developed. Correction (4 October 2026): we re-checked this page line by line against the project's own repository, documentation and videos, and fixed errors in earlier versions.

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Maxim Devaev

Maxim Devaev is the lead developer of PiKVM, which grew from a DIY Raspberry Pi project into a full platform with its own open software stack and prebuilt V3 and V4 devices, plus a large community on Discord. He continues to maintain the OS and hardware designs.

GitHub Web

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DISCLAIMER

  • Comparee is not the author of the projects featured here. All rights to each project belong to its creator — every page links to the original source, and we never host creators’ files.
  • Information is provided without warranty and may become outdated as projects evolve. Prices are indicative bands only — always check the creator’s parts list for current costs.
  • Building and operating any project is at your own responsibility. Protective equipment, safe workshop practice and compliance with local regulations are the builder’s responsibility.
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