Nexus Hardware

Nexus runs on a single physical host—a mini-PC providing the compute, storage, and network infrastructure for all HALO services.

Host System Specifications

Platform: Ubuntu Server LTS (headless)

CPU: Intel i7-8750H (6-core, 12-thread, 2.2-4.1 GHz)

Memory: 32GB DDR4 RAM

Primary Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD (OS, containers, databases)

Secondary Storage: 1TB SATA SSD (camera recordings, media files)

Network: Gigabit Ethernet (1000 Mbps)

Form Factor: Mini-PC / Small Form Factor

Connected Hardware (USB Devices)

Google Coral TPU

Type: Google Coral USB Accelerator

Purpose: Hardware acceleration for Frigate’s AI object detection

Connection: USB 3.0 passthrough to Frigate container

Performance: 400+ FPS detection throughput with minimal CPU load

Power: Bus-powered via USB (no external adapter required)

Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus

Type: Zigbee network coordinator

Purpose: Zigbee device communication for Home Assistant via Zigbee2MQTT

Connection: USB 2.0 passthrough to Zigbee2MQTT container

Network Capacity: 100+ direct children, unlimited routed devices

Protocol: Zigbee 3.0 compatible

External Systems

Apollo - AI & LLM Hardware

Status: Separate physical hardware (not on Nexus)

CPU: High-performance multi-core processor

GPU: NVIDIA RTX 3060 or better (dedicated for LLM inference)

Memory: 16GB+ RAM

OS: Ubuntu Server or Linux distribution

Network: Connected to Nexus over local Gigabit Ethernet

Purpose: AI reasoning, LLM orchestration, model inference without impacting Nexus services

Network Infrastructure

Primary Connection: Gigabit Ethernet to LAN

Router/Gateway: Connects Nexus to home network and internet

PoE Switch: Powers and connects Reolink cameras

VLAN Configuration: (Optional) Isolated network segments for devices

Storage Architecture

NVMe SSD (Primary - 512GB)

Mount: / (root filesystem)

Contents:

Ubuntu Server OS
Docker images and container layers
PostgreSQL database files
Redis persistence (if enabled)
Application logs and temporary files

I/O Pattern: Random read/write intensive (databases, containers)

SATA SSD (Secondary - 1TB)

Mount: /mnt/storage (or similar)

Contents:

Frigate camera recordings (organized by camera and date)
Frigate event snapshots and clips
Home Assistant database history (if using separate storage)
Backup archives

I/O Pattern: Sequential write intensive (continuous video recording)

Performance Characteristics

CPU Utilization (Typical):

Idle: 5-10%
Normal Operation: 20-40%
Peak (multiple workflows, AI detection): 60-80%

Memory Utilization:

Base OS + Docker: ~4GB
PostgreSQL: 2-4GB
Home Assistant: 1-2GB
Frigate (with TPU): 2-3GB
n8n + workers: 1-2GB
Other services: 4-6GB
Total: 16-22GB (headroom available)

Network Throughput:

Camera streams: 10-20 Mbps per camera
API traffic: Low (< 1 Mbps)
Workflow operations: Bursty (1-10 Mbps)

Storage I/O:

NVMe: High random IOPS for database operations
SATA SSD: Sustained writes for video recording (15-30 MB/s per camera)

Expansion & Scalability

Potential Upgrades

Memory: 32GB → 64GB (if running additional AI workloads on Nexus)

Storage: Add additional SATA/NVMe drives for increased recording retention

Network: Add second NIC for network segregation (management vs. device traffic)

USB Hubs: Powered USB hub if adding more USB devices (additional Zigbee coordinators, Z-Wave dongles)

Hardware Replacement Strategy

Docker containerization enables rapid migration to new hardware:

Backup: Export Docker volumes and PostgreSQL database
Deploy: Install Docker on new host, deploy compose files
Restore: Import volumes and database
Reconnect: Attach USB devices (Coral TPU, Zigbee dongle)
Validate: Verify service health and connectivity

Total migration time: 2-4 hours with proper preparation.

Power & Reliability

Power Consumption: ~30-50W typical, ~80W peak

UPS Recommended: Yes—protects against data corruption during power loss

Uptime Target: 99.5%+ (minimal planned downtime for updates)

Cooling: Passive + active fan cooling (mini-PC chassis)

Operating Temperature: Keep ambient under 30°C (86°F) for optimal performance

Minimum vs. Recommended Specifications

Minimum Configuration (Budget Build)

4-core CPU (Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 5)
16GB RAM
256GB SSD (single drive)
Gigabit Ethernet
Suitable for: Basic HALO installation without Frigate

Recommended Configuration (Current Nexus)

6-core CPU (Intel i7-8750H or better)
32GB RAM
512GB NVMe + 1TB SATA SSD
Gigabit Ethernet
Suitable for: Full HALO with Frigate, multiple cameras, extensive automation

High-Performance Configuration (Future)

8-core CPU (Intel i9 or AMD Ryzen 9)
64GB RAM
1TB NVMe + 4TB SATA SSD
2.5GbE or 10GbE networking
Suitable for: Enterprise features, many cameras, high-resolution recording, on-host AI workloads