iotivate.dev
Simplifying IoT, One Module at a Time.
A platform for web-based IoT tools, project showcases, and ESP32 development resources.
Project Structure
iotivate.dev/
├── frontend/ # Next.js (React, Tailwind CSS, App Router)
├── backend/ # FastAPI (Python, SQLModel)
└── README.md
Frontend
Stack: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, App Router
Setup
cd frontend
cp .env.example .env.local
npm install
npm run dev
Runs at http://localhost:3000.
Pages
| Route | Description |
|---|
/ | Homepage |
/tools | Tools hub |
/tools/esp32-web-flasher | ESP32 Web Flasher (placeholder) |
/tools/wirelessear-installer | WirelessEar Installer (placeholder) |
/projects | Project showcase |
/blog | Blog (placeholder) |
/about | About page |
/contact | Contact form |
Backend
Stack: FastAPI, SQLModel, SQLite (dev) / PostgreSQL (prod)
Setup
cd backend
python -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
cp .env.example .env
Run
uvicorn app.main:app --reload
Runs at http://localhost:8000. API docs at /docs.
Seed Data
python -m app.seed
API Endpoints
| Method | Path | Description |
|---|
GET | /health | Health check |
GET | /api/tools/ | List all tools |
GET | /api/tools/{slug} | Get tool by slug |
GET | /api/projects/ | List all projects |
GET | /api/projects/{slug} | Get project by slug |
Environment Variables
| Variable | Default | Description |
|---|
DATABASE_URL | sqlite:///./iotivate.db | Database connection string |
SECRET_KEY | change-me-in-production | JWT signing key |
CORS_ORIGINS | http://localhost:3000 | Comma-separated allowed origins |
Deployment (Render)
The backend is one shared FastAPI app (site + radar) deployed as a single Render
Web Service. Migrations run automatically on startup, so a normal redeploy picks
up new tables (e.g. radar's) with no manual DB step.
⚠️ Single worker / single instance. Radar keeps WebSocket connections,
device presence, and the rules engine in process memory. Running more than one
worker or instance breaks cross-connection fan-out and rule-cache invalidation.
Keep the service at one process until a pub/sub layer (Postgres
LISTEN/NOTIFY or Redis) is added for horizontal scaling.
- Start command:
uvicorn app.main:app --host 0.0.0.0 --port $PORT (no
--workers flag → one process). Do not use gunicorn -w N / --workers N>1.
- Scaling: instance count = 1.
- WebSockets: supported by Render natively;
/ws/radar/* needs no extra config.
- Health check:
/health.
An optional render.yaml Blueprint codifies the above. It is
inert for existing manually-created services — committing it does not change a
running deploy; it only applies if you adopt it as a Blueprint in the dashboard.
Next Steps
