MegaPoints Servo-8 User Guide

Your MegaPoints Servo-8 is an eight-channel servo controller designed specifically for model railways. It gives you precise, smooth control over the small servos that move turnouts, semaphore signals, level crossing gates, barriers, and anything else on your layout that needs to swing, tilt, or rotate.

The Servo-8 is built on the System2 platform — the same proven infrastructure that powers the MegaPoints Panel Controller. That means you get:

• Wi-Fi connectivity — configure everything from any web browser on your phone, tablet, or computer
• No software to install — just open a browser and go
• CAN bus networking — connect multiple boards together with just two wires
• Over-the-air firmware updates — keep your board up to date without cables
• Cloud backup — save your configuration to the cloud for safekeeping
• Six servo movement types — including realistic semaphore bounce, wig-wag crossing signals, and smooth gate movement

Whether you are controlling a single set of points or an entire fiddle yard, the Servo-8 makes it straightforward. You set the travel range for each servo by dragging endpoints on a visual gauge — no need to count microseconds or guess at values.

The Servo-8 is part of the MegaPoints System2 family of controllers. System2 is an ecosystem of boards that work together to automate your model railway — all sharing a common web-based interface and the same underlying technology.

The System2 Family

Shared Infrastructure

Every System2 board shares the same features out of the box:

• Wi-Fi credentials are shared automatically — set up Wi-Fi on one board and it spreads to every other board on the CAN bus
• Cloud backup — your configuration is backed up to the MegaPoints cloud and can be restored to any replacement board
• Over-the-air updates — firmware updates arrive automatically, no USB cable required
• Dashboard monitoring — all your boards report status to the online MegaPoints Dashboard

Setting up your Servo-8 takes just a few minutes. Here is what you need to connect.

Power Supply

Your Servo-8 needs a 12V DC power supply rated at 1.5A minimum. Connect via the power connector on the left side of the board.

Servo Connections

Each of the 8 channels has a 3-pin header for connecting a standard hobby servo. The pins are labelled:

CAN Bus

For multi-board networks, connect the CAN bus using the screw terminal:

• CAN-H — CAN High
• CAN-L — CAN Low

Use twisted pair wire and keep runs under 30 metres for reliable communication. If you have only one board, you do not need the CAN bus at all.

LED Indicators

When your Servo-8 is brand new (or after a Wi-Fi reset), it does not yet know your Wi-Fi network name and password. It will create its own temporary hotspot so you can tell it which network to join. You only need to do this once — the board remembers your Wi-Fi details permanently, even after power cuts and software updates.

Even better, once one board knows your Wi-Fi credentials you can share them across the wired CAN network to every other System2 board with a single button press (see Wi-Fi Settings & Roaming). So in practice, you only ever type your Wi-Fi password once for your entire layout.

Once your Servo-8 is connected to Wi-Fi, open its address in a browser and you will see the main configuration page. Everything you need is on this single page.

Collapsible Sections

The main page is organised into four collapsible sections. Click any section header to expand or collapse it. Your preferences are saved automatically and remembered across sessions.

What You See

• Port Configuration table — one row per servo, showing all settings at a glance. This is where you set V-Port addresses, travel ranges, speeds, and servo types.
• Action buttons — Save your configuration, Load it back, run EasyConfig, or back up to the cloud.
• Network Configuration — choose your communication protocol (CAN bus, JMRI, or MQTT) and manage Wi-Fi settings.
• Status Log — a live scrolling log that shows you exactly what your board is doing. Useful for troubleshooting.

Each of the 8 servo channels has its own set of configuration options. Let's walk through them.

The Settings

When entering V-Port, Trigger, or Feedback addresses, you can append a special character to auto-fill the remaining channels in one go:

This works in any numeric field in the port table. The suffix character is stripped after the values are applied.

The visual servo endpoint adjustment is the heart of the Servo-8 experience. Instead of guessing at microsecond values, you simply drag two endpoints on an arc to set the exact travel range for your servo, and watch it move in real time.

To open it, click the green Adjust button next to any servo in the port table. The gauge appears as a popup overlay showing an arc with two draggable thumbs (LO and HI), a needle showing the current servo position, and a speed slider.

How to Use the Gauge

1. Click "Adjust" next to any servo in the port table. The gauge popup appears, showing that servo's current range.
2. Drag the red LO thumb to set where the servo's travel begins. On the real board, the servo moves in real time as you drag — so you can watch your turnout or signal and stop when it is exactly where you want it.
3. Drag the blue HI thumb to set where the servo's travel ends. Again, the servo follows your finger or mouse in real time.
4. Drag between the LO and HI thumbs to shift the entire range up or down the arc without changing the gap between them. This is useful when your endpoints are set correctly but the whole range needs nudging in one direction.
5. Adjust the speed slider on the right side to control how quickly the servo moves between its two positions. Slow speeds look more realistic for turnouts and signals.
6. Click "Move" to start the servo sweeping back and forth between LO and HI so you can see the full travel in action. Click again to stop.
7. Click "Centre Servo" to move the servo to the midpoint between LO and HI. This is useful for checking that both ends of travel are balanced.

When you are happy with the settings, close the gauge and click Save in the main page. Your LO, HI, and Speed values are written back to the port table automatically.

Buttons Explained

If you are building a multi-board layout using the standard MegaPoints addressing scheme, EasyConfig lets you set up all 8 servo channels in one click.

How It Works

1. Click the EasyConfig button in the action bar below the port table.
2. Select your board number from the dropdown (Board 1, Board 2, Board 3, etc.).
3. Click Apply. EasyConfig automatically sets the V-Port, Trigger, and Feedback addresses for all 8 servos based on your board number.

What Gets Set

For each board number, EasyConfig assigns addresses in a predictable sequence. For example, if you select Board 1:

Board 2 would start at V-Port 109, and so on. This keeps all your addresses unique across your entire layout.

Roaming

Many layouts, especially exhibition layouts, use more than one Wi-Fi access point to cover a large area. Roaming tells the board to periodically check whether a stronger access point is available, and seamlessly switch to it if so.

We recommend leaving Roaming on (the default). Even if you only have a single access point today, roaming causes no harm and means your boards are ready to take advantage of a second access point if you add one later. With roaming on, the board scans every five minutes and only switches if it finds a significantly stronger signal, so there is no disruption during normal operation.

Boot Delay

On large layouts with many boards, enabling Boot delay adds a short pause (1–15 seconds) before the board connects to Wi-Fi at power-on. This staggers the Wi-Fi connection requests and avoids overwhelming your router when everything powers up at once. This is probably not necessary unless you have a particularly slow router and a large number of boards — say 30 or more. Most users can leave this off.

Once one board is connected to your Wi-Fi, you can send those credentials to every other System2 board on the wired CAN network with a single button press. This means you never need to set up Wi-Fi on each board individually.

Version 25 was the first stable release of the MegaPoints Servo-8 firmware. Version 27 brings all the latest improvements. Here is what the Servo-8 includes.

Features

• Rock-solid stability. Extensive internal code improvements mean the Servo-8 is built for continuous, multi-day operation without intervention. Power it on and leave it running — it just works.
• Precision servo control. The internal servo timing engine has been completely reworked. Servos now achieve 1 μs positioning accuracy (hardware permitting), giving you the finest possible control over turnout throw and signal arm travel.
• Automatic Wi-Fi access point selection. On startup, the board automatically connects to the strongest available Wi-Fi access point. No manual configuration needed — just power on and it finds the best signal.
• Seamless Wi-Fi roaming. If a stronger access point appears while the board is running, it will switch over automatically. Ideal for exhibition and club layouts with multiple access points covering a large area.
• Smooth servo movement at all times. Rapid, jerky servo snapping at boot-up and during programming has been eliminated. All servo movement is now smooth and controlled, from the moment the board powers on through to normal operation.
• New intuitive visual servo endpoint adjustment. The old slider controls have been retired. In their place is a graphical arc gauge that pops up when you click the Adjust button next to any servo. Drag the endpoints, adjust the speed, and slide the entire range up or down — all while watching your servo move in real time.
• Cloud backup and restore. Your settings are backed up securely to the MegaPoints cloud. Up to five backups are kept, and you can lock any backup to prevent it being rotated out. Use the Location field to tag your backups before making changes, then restore with a single button press if anything goes wrong.
• Built-in Contact Us form. Report a problem, file a bug, request a feature, or simply leave feedback — all from within the Servo-8 web interface. Board diagnostics are attached automatically to help us investigate. You can also sign up for the monthly newsletter to stay informed about new features and products.
• Live monitoring charts. Four real-time charts on the main page show you exactly what is happening: Wi-Fi signal strength, Wi-Fi traffic, CAN bus activity, and MQTT message flow. Click any chart to expand it for a closer look.
• CAN network monitor with filtering. A dedicated packet inspector lets you watch every CAN bus message in real time. Filter by CAN ID, board name, V-Port, RFID tag, or message type to zero in on exactly the traffic you need to see.
• REST API for the curious. For those who like to see what is under the hood, the Servo-8 exposes a full HTTP API. Read board status, query channel configurations, trigger actions, and export settings — all from a browser address bar, a script, or your own software.
• Collapsible screen sections. The main page is organised into collapsible areas — Port Configuration, Charts, Network, and Status Log — so you can focus on what matters and hide the rest. Your preferences are remembered across sessions.
• Polished interface throughout. Every page has been cleaned up and refined. Consistent navigation, clearer labels, better spacing, and a Contact Us link in the footer of every page.

Your Servo-8 can communicate with other devices using three different protocols. You choose which one to use in the Network Configuration section of the main page.

CAN Bus

The CAN bus is the native System2 communication backbone. It is a simple two-wire connection (CAN-H and CAN-L) that lets all your System2 boards talk to each other directly. CAN bus features include:

• Automatic discovery — boards find each other as soon as they are connected
• Shared Wi-Fi credentials — set up once, share everywhere
• V-Port messaging — a switch on a Panel Controller can directly control a servo on a Servo-8
• No computer or software needed — your boards communicate directly with each other

JMRI

JMRI (Java Model Railroad Interface) is popular model railway control software that runs on a computer. When you select the JMRI protocol, your Servo-8 connects to JMRI over your Wi-Fi network, allowing JMRI to control your servos using its turnout and sensor tables.

Native MQTT

MQTT is a lightweight messaging protocol widely used in home automation. When you select MQTT mode, your Servo-8 connects to an MQTT broker (server) and publishes and subscribes to topics for each servo channel. This opens up integration with:

• Home Assistant and other automation platforms
• Node-RED for custom automation flows
• Custom applications and scripts

To use MQTT, enter your broker address and port (default 1883) in the Network Configuration section.

Switching Protocols on the Main Page

In the Network Configuration section of the main page, you will see three protocol buttons: CAN Bus, JMRI, and MQTT. The currently active protocol is highlighted in green. To switch:

1. Click the protocol button you want to use. It highlights immediately.
2. If you selected MQTT or JMRI, enter your MQTT broker address in the MQTT Broker field and the port number (default 1883) in the Port field.
3. Click Save to store your choice. The new protocol takes effect after the next reboot.

MQTT Broker Configuration

Both MQTT and JMRI modes require an MQTT broker running on your network. A broker is a small piece of software that routes messages between devices. The most popular choice is Mosquitto, which is free and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Raspberry Pi.

Your Servo-8 keeps all its settings in persistent storage, so they survive power cuts and reboots. However, when you make changes through the web interface, those changes live in memory until you explicitly save them.

Save Changes

The Save button writes all your current settings — servo positions, speeds, movement types, CAN IDs, network configuration, and everything else — to the board's non-volatile storage. Once saved, these settings are permanent until you change them again.

Reload Values

Changed something and want to undo it? Click Reload Values to discard any unsaved changes and reload the last saved configuration from storage. This is a quick way to back out of experimental tweaks without affecting your working setup.

Reset to Defaults

If you want to start from scratch, Reset to Defaults returns every setting to its factory state:

Local Backup — Download Settings

You can download a complete copy of your board's settings as a file to your computer. This is useful before making major changes, or if you want to copy a configuration from one board to another.

1. Open the main page of your Servo-8.
2. Click the Download Settings button.
3. Your browser will save a settings file to your Downloads folder. The filename includes your board's name and the date, making it easy to keep track of multiple backups.

Local Restore — Upload Settings

To restore a previously downloaded settings file:

1. Click the Upload Settings button.
2. Select the settings file from your computer.
3. The board will load the settings and apply them. You will see the new values appear on the page.
4. Click Save to make the restored settings permanent.

Cloud backup gives you an automatic safety net for your board's configuration. Once your board is registered, it backs up your settings to the MegaPoints cloud whenever you make changes. If you ever need to replace a board or recover from an accidental reset, your settings are just a click away.

Register Your Board

Before cloud backup can work, your board needs to be registered with the MegaPoints cloud. Registration is a one-time process:

1. Open the Dashboard page on your board.
2. Look for the Registration section and click Register.
3. Your board sends its unique identifier to the cloud and receives a confirmation. That is it — registration is complete.

Automatic Backups

Once registered, your board automatically backs up its settings to the cloud whenever you save changes. You do not need to do anything — it happens in the background. The cloud keeps up to 5 rolling backups, so you always have recent versions to choose from.

Viewing and Restoring Backups

To see your cloud backups, visit the MegaPoints Dashboard in your browser. Each backup shows the date it was created and a summary of the settings it contains. To restore:

1. Select the backup you want to restore.
2. Click Restore.
3. The settings are sent to your board and applied. Click Save on the board to make them permanent.

Locking Important Backups

If you have a configuration you want to keep permanently, you can lock a backup. Locked backups are protected from the rolling rotation — they will not be overwritten when new backups are created. This is ideal for a known-good baseline configuration.

Re-registration for New Owners

If you sell or give away a board, the new owner can re-register it under their own account. Re-registration clears the previous owner's cloud backups and starts fresh. The board's local settings are not affected.

Click Show Charts at the top of the main page to reveal four real-time charts covering the last 5 minutes of activity. They update every 5 seconds. Click on any chart to expand it for a larger, more detailed view — click outside the expanded chart to close it.

Software updates are one of the most important features of the Servo-8. Unlike traditional model railway electronics that are frozen at the version they ship with, your Servo-8 can update itself over the internet, gaining new features, improvements, and fixes long after you purchased it. This future-proofs your investment -- the board you buy today will keep getting better over time.

The board checks for updates automatically every 4 hours. If a new version is available, you will see a notification in the Status Log on the main page with a direct link to the Update page.

What you see on the Update page

The update page shows a complete release history with a summary of every version released since the one you are currently running. Click the arrow next to any release to read detailed notes about what changed.

How to install an update

1. Navigate to the Software Update page by clicking Update in the footer menu on any page.
2. The page checks for the latest version automatically and tells you if you are up to date.
3. If an update is available, click Install Latest Update (or choose a specific version from the history list).
4. The board downloads and installs two files -- the firmware and the filesystem. This takes 4--8 minutes depending on your internet speed. Do not power off the board during this process.
5. Progress is shown with real-time bar graphs -- a green bar for firmware and a blue bar for the filesystem. You can see exactly how far along the download is.
6. When complete, the board reboots automatically onto the new version.

Firmware Validation -- Your Safety Net

From V25 onwards, every update includes a 10-minute validation window. After the board reboots onto the new firmware, you will see a yellow banner at the top of the page with a countdown timer:

This gives you time to check that everything is working properly before you commit to the new version. You have four choices:

Action	What happens
Click "Keep this version"	The new firmware is accepted permanently. The validation banner disappears and the board continues running the new version. This is the normal case.
Click "Roll back now"	Immediately rolls back to the previous firmware without waiting for the countdown. The board reboots onto the previous version within a few seconds. This button only appears when a previous firmware version is available on the board.
Let the timer expire	If you do nothing for 10 minutes, the board automatically reboots back to the previous version. This protects you if the new firmware has a problem that prevents you from reaching the settings page.
Reboot the board	If you reboot (via the Reboot button or by cycling power) before accepting, the board reverts to the previous version immediately.

Example: You update from V24 to V25. The board reboots and you see the validation banner. You check that your ports are working, the CAN monitor shows traffic, and the dashboard looks right. Everything is fine, so you click "Keep this version". Done -- you are now on V26 permanently.

Example: You update and the board reboots, but something does not look right -- perhaps a chart is missing or a setting looks wrong. You simply wait for the 10-minute timer to expire. The board reboots itself and you are back on the previous version, exactly as it was before the update. No harm done.

Security

Every firmware update is digitally signed using RSA-PSS cryptography. The board verifies the signature before applying any update. Only authentic software from MegaPoints Controllers can be installed.

The Network Monitor is a dedicated page at /monitor that shows you every CAN bus packet flowing through your network in real time. It is an invaluable diagnostic tool when you are setting up a multi-board layout or troubleshooting communication issues.

Accessing the Monitor

Navigate to http://serv8-XXXXXX.local/monitor in your browser (replacing XXXXXX with your board's ID). The monitor opens with a live scrolling log of CAN packets and a filter bar at the top.

The Filter Bar

The filter bar at the top lets you narrow down the packet stream to find exactly what you are looking for. When any filter is active, the bar turns pink to remind you that not all packets are being shown.

Packet Log Columns

System

Shows how long the board has been running since its last reboot (uptime), available memory (free heap), total boot count, firmware version, and the board's friendly name.

WiFi

Displays the network your board is connected to, its IP address, signal strength (RSSI), the Wi-Fi channel in use, and the board's MAC address. The RSSI value tells you how strong the signal is — anything above -60 dBm is good; below -75 dBm and you may see occasional dropouts.

CAN Bus

Tracks the number of packets sent and received, the peak packet rate, any errors, and the current buffer usage. If errors are climbing, check your wiring and termination resistors.

MQTT

When MQTT is enabled, this card shows the broker address, connection status, and message counts for both transmit and receive. A green dot next to the status means the connection is healthy.

Servo Positions

A quick-reference row showing the current microsecond position of each servo. Channels with no servo connected show a dash.

Diagnostics

Click the Diagnostics bar to expand a detailed view of internal metrics — partition sizes, task stack usage, and other low-level information that can help with troubleshooting. Most users will never need this section, but it is there when you need it.

The Status Log is a scrolling list of timestamped events from your board. It shows you what is happening in real time, making it the first place to look when something is not working as expected.

What Appears in the Log

The status log captures a wide range of events, including:

• Wi-Fi events — connections, disconnections, roaming between access points, and signal quality changes
• CAN bus activity — discovery of new boards on the bus, packet rate summaries, and any communication errors
• OTA update progress — download stages, validation status, and success or failure messages
• Servo activity — movement commands received, position changes, and any fault conditions
• System events — boot-up messages, memory warnings, and configuration changes

Reading the Log

Each log entry starts with a timestamp showing the time since boot (hours, minutes, seconds). Entries are colour-coded to help you scan quickly:

• Green text for normal operations
• Yellow text for warnings or noteworthy events
• Red text for errors that may need attention

Using the Log for Troubleshooting

If a servo is not responding, check the log for CAN bus errors or missing packet reports. If Wi-Fi is dropping out, look for roaming events or RSSI warnings. The log gives you a clear timeline of what happened and when, which is invaluable for narrowing down issues.

We'd love to hear from you. If you have an issue or want to provide feedback we've baked it right into the system.

Click the Contact Us link in the footer navigation at the bottom of any page on the Servo-8 web interface. The form automatically attaches diagnostic information from your board, making it easy for us to investigate any issues.

Feedback Categories

What Gets Sent

When you submit the form, the following information is sent along with your message:

• Your message text and selected category
• Board hostname and firmware version
• Free heap memory and uptime
• Wi-Fi signal strength and connection details
• Active protocol and CAN bus status

This diagnostic data helps us understand your setup without needing to ask follow-up questions. No personal information is collected.

Internet Connectivity

The feedback form requires your board to have internet access through your Wi-Fi network. Before sending, the form checks connectivity by pinging the MegaPoints cloud. If the check fails, the form will show a message explaining that internet access is needed.

The Servo-8 includes a full REST API that lets you read and control the board programmatically. If you enjoy scripting, building custom dashboards, or integrating with home automation systems, this is for you.

You can use the API from any tool that speaks HTTP — a web browser address bar, a command line with curl, Python scripts, Node-RED, or even a smartphone app. All responses are in JSON format, and all endpoints include CORS headers for cross-origin access.

Quick Examples

Replace serv8-a1cc84.local with your board's hostname or IP address.

Check board status

GET http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/status

Returns hostname, IP, software version, protocol, heap memory, and more:

{
  "hostname": "serv8-a1cc84",
  "ip": "192.168.1.42",
  "mac": "A4:CF:12:A1:CC:84",
  "ssid": "ModelRailway",
  "swVersion": 25,
  "protocol": "CAN",
  "freeHeap": 142308,
  "canId": 801,
  "nodeCount": 3
}

Read all 8 channels

GET http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/channels

Returns an array of all 8 channel configurations including V-Port, range, speed, type, and current position.

Toggle a servo

POST http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/channel/3/toggle

Toggles channel 3 between its Low and High positions.

# Using curl:
curl -X POST http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/channel/3/toggle

Update a channel setting

PUT http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/channel/1
Content-Type: application/json

{"rangeLow": 1100, "rangeHigh": 1900, "speed": 40}

# Using curl:
curl -X PUT http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/channel/1 \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"rangeLow":1100,"rangeHigh":1900,"speed":40}'

Back up your settings

GET http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/settings/export

Downloads a complete backup of all settings as a JSON file. You can also do this from a browser address bar.

List all boards on the network

GET http://serv8-a1cc84.local/api/boards?json

Returns a JSON list of every board discovered on the CAN bus.

Full API Endpoints

Built for reliability

The System2 platform has been engineered with robustness as a top priority. The Servo-8 shares the same battle-tested infrastructure trusted to run The Grand Challenge, Pete Waterman's Guinness World Record-holding portable layout with nearly 700 metres of track and dozens of System2 boards operating simultaneously.

What makes it robust

Testing and quality

Every release goes through extensive testing before publication. The firmware includes comprehensive CAN bus stress testing, Wi-Fi failover testing, NVS integrity verification, MQTT broker disconnect/reconnect cycles, and over-the-air update validation including signature verification. The Status Log, Network Monitor, and live charts provide full visibility into the system's operation, making it straightforward to verify that everything is working correctly.

Specifications