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PiKVM V4 Mini & Plus quick start Getting started with PiKVM V4 Mini & Plus

PiKVM V4 Mini & Plus quick start

PiKVM V4 Mini & Plus

PiKVM is a feature-rich, production grade, open-source, Raspberry Pi based KVM over IP device. It allows you to turn on/off or restart your computer, configure the UEFI/BIOS, and even reinstall the OS using the Virtual CD-ROM or Flash Drive.

You can use your remote keyboard and mouse or PiKVM can simulate a keyboard, mouse, and a monitor, which are then presented in a web browser as if you were working on a remote system directly.

Datasheets:

PiKVM V4 Mini{ .md-button } PiKVM V4 Plus{ .md-button }

What's in the box

MISSING TOP VIEW IMAGE

  • PiKVM V4 Mini or Plus device
  • Micro SD card with pre-imaged PiKVM software
  • ATX control board
  • ATX connection cables
  • ATX installation brackets
  • 1 x Ethernet cable
  • 1 x ATX cable
  • 1 x USB C to USB A cable
  • 12V 2A Power Supply (international adapters)

Interface

=== "Front view"

![MISSING FRONT VIEW IMAGE](v4-plus-front-view.jpg)

1. Activity LED (Red) 
2. Power LED (Green) 
3. Power Input 5.1V 3A 
4. Power Input 12V 2A
5. Micro SD card slot
6. USB 3.0 port 1
7. RJ45 Serial console port
8. RJ45 1Gb Ethernet port
9. Serial console active LED / Beacon LED (Green)
10. USB 2.0 Serial console port

=== "Rear view"

![MISSING REAR VIEW IMAGE](v4-plus-rear-view.jpg)

11. Beacon LED
12. USB 2.0 OTG connector
13. RJ45 ATX control port
14. USB 3.0 port 2
15. HDMI video output port 1
16. HDMI video output port 2
17. Optional antenna’s mounting holes
18. Video source ready status LED
19. HDMI video input port
20. Video capture ready status LED
21. Ventilation holes

=== "Side view"

![MISSING SIDE VIEW IMAGE](v4-plus-side-view.jpg)

1. Ventilation holes
2. Service switches
3. Kensington Security Slot

=== "Top view"

![MISSING TOP VIEW IMAGE](v4-plus-top-view.jpg)

1. Display

Wiring

Network

MISSING ETHERNET IMAGE

Connect Ethernet (bottom right on the front side) to the network using the cable from the kit. The kit includes two Ethernet cables of different colors: one for the network, the second for ATX. Use whichever one you like best.

HDMI

MISSING HDMI IMAGE

HDMI input (the bottom right on the back side) and OTG port (USB emulation) should be connected to the computer. Optionally, the ATX port can be connected to control the power. There should be no USB hub between PiKVM and the computer, as some UEFI/BIOS cannot detect them at the boot stage.

USB-C

TBD

Power up

MISSING POWER IMAGE

V4 Mini and V4 Plus have different power supplies:

  • The Mini comes with USB-C 5V power supply
  • The Plus comes with with Barrel 12V

The Plus can also work from 5V. In that case, avoid creating a significant power load on USB (external flash sticks, cameras, and so on).

Attach the appropriate connector on the front side. Do not block the ventilation holes on the sides of the device.

After turning on the power, PiKVM OS generates unique SSH keys and certificates and performs all necessary operations on the memory card. It takes a few minutes. Do not turn off the device until it's fully booted for the first time. Once it's done, the PiKVM will show a greeting on the built-in display.

MISSING GREETING IMAGE

Connect and set up

By default, PiKVM receives a dynamic IP address via DHCP and shows it on the OLED display. Let's assume that PiKVM has received the address 192.168.0.100 and has also been assigned a hostname pikvm.

Type the URL in the browser's address bar and press Enter: https://192.168.0.100/ or https://pikvm/.

MISSING LOGIN SCREEN

Submit the default credentials: use admin for both the user name and the password.

MISSING LOGIN SCREEN

Open the web UI

TODO

Change the default passwords

For security's sake, it's best to change the default passwords immediately after running PiKVM for the first time. To do that:

  1. Open the web terminal

MISSING SCREENSHOT

  1. Gain superuser privileges, use root for password:

    $ su -

  2. Run rw to change the access to the SD card to the write mode:

    [root@pikvm ~]# rw

  3. Change the password for the superuser:

    [root@pikvm ~]# passwd root

  4. Change the password for web access:

    [root@pikvm ~]# kvmd-htpasswd set admin

  5. Run ro to change the access to the SD card to the read-only mode:

Open a remote session

TODO

Further steps

Update the OS

You can immediately update to the latest version of the PiKVM operating system or skip to the next step.

Get to know the interface

Read this help section to better understand all the possibilities of the web user interface.

Set up Internet access

Configure access to PiKVM from the Internet using port forwarding or Tailscale VPN.

Set up ATX connection

See here.

Configure audio

You can enable a microphone for two-way audio if you like. See here for the guide.

Networking options

  • Wi-Fi antenna. The PiKVM V4 has a robust metal case that protects your device from physical damage and electromagnetic interference. Install an an external antenna to be able to use Wi-Fi. Follow this guide.
  • LTE/5G modem. With PiKVM V4 Plus, you can use the internal Mini-PCI and built-in SIM card slot to install a modem and thus create a portable solution or ensure the availability of the device for emergency access to the host. See here for a detailed guide.

USB 3.0 support

The V4 Plus has an internal USB port. It supports USB 3.0, but only works with USB 2.0 devices by default to minimize the power consumption. You need to flash the USB controller to enable USB 3.0. Follow these steps:

  1. Open a terminal window and log into the PiKVM via SSH:

    $ ssh user@host

  2. Flash the USB controller using the built-in flashrom utility. Choose usb3 for USB 3.0 support:

    [root@pikvm ~]# flashrom-vl805 usb3

    If you need to disable USB 3.0 support at any time later, run the same command, but use default instead:

    [root@pikvm ~]# flashrom-vl805 default

  3. Perform the soft reboot:

    [root@pikvm ~]# reboot

  4. After the soft reboot, perform the reboot by power: unplug and plug again the power cable.

HDMI pass-through

You can pass the signal from the host device to its physical display through V4 Plus. Only resolutions of up to 1920x1200 pixels are supported. See here for the guide.

DIP switches

There is a pair of DIP switches on the V4 right side. It is not recommended to change their state while the device is turned on.

Right side

  • The left switch [1]. When pulled down (ON state), the advanced backpower protection is used. On the default state is OFF (up), "diode protection" is used. This is required for debugging at the request of technical support. Under normal conditions, it is not necessary to change the mode.

  • The right switch [2]. When pulled down (ON state), the Power Delivery chip is activated on the USB OTG port. The default state is OFF (up).

Known issues and limitations

  • There may be compatibility issues with some motherboards, such as HP or DELL. If there is no image from the BIOS, you can fine-tune the HDMI settings, but it is possible that the Mass Storage devices will not be available in the BIOS. In the latter case, USB dynamic configuration will solve the problem.
  • While there is a Mini-PCIe slot in the V4 Plus, it was only designed for LTE modems. An NVME card will not work.

Getting user support

If something doesn't work, check out our FAQ (it's really useful). If nothing helped, you can get support in our Discord chat.