Setup

Setup & Initialization

Power Supply is Critical

The most common cause of instability (wireless disconnects, random reboots) is an inadequate power supply.

• Use a high-quality power adapter. 2.5A should be the rated supply.
• Use a short, high-quality cable (ideally under 40 cm). Long or thin cables cause voltage drops that can crash the device when the pump starts.

Initial Device Setup

Before starting measurements:

1. Place the device away from direct heat sources and sunlight (thermal drift affects optical measurements).
2. Insert a fresh filter paper (marked side facing up — see Filter Change Procedure).
3. If using a rugged case: ensure the hose from bcMeter to the environment is firmly inserted and free of obstructions.

Connecting via Hotspot

The device creates its own WiFi network automatically on first boot, or when no known network is available. It can also be forced via Settings (Hotspot Mode).

1. Plug in the device.
2. Wait approximately 1–2 minutes for the system to boot.
3. On your phone or computer, search for a WiFi network named bcMeter (or eBcMeter).

   Apple users: If already connected to another WiFi, the bcMeter hotspot will appear under "Other Networks" submenu. macOS may take up to a minute to scan for new networks. Keep the network dropdown open.

4. If asked, connect using the password: bcMeterbcMeter (case sensitive). For recent hardware revisions, a password is not needed.
5. Your phone may warn "No Internet Connection." This is normal. Select "Keep Connected" if prompted. Do not choose "use mobile data."
6. The device tries to open the page automatically when it is in configuration mode. If it does not happen, open a browser and type http://192.168.18.8 into the address bar.

The Welcome Screen will appear on first use.

Welcome Screen

On first use, bcMeter shows a two-step welcome wizard that guides you through the essential setup.

Step 1: Your email

Enter your email address. After successfully connecting to a WiFi, the bcMeter will send an email with the device link and connection details to the given address. This address is also used for daily measurement reports (make sure to also check spam folders).

Step 2: Connect to WiFi

Select your WiFi network from the dropdown, enter the password, and click Connect. The device hostname (e.g. bcmeter-0110.local) is shown in the captive-portal note — you may copy/bookmark it to access your device later on your local network.

After connecting, the device hotspot turns off and bcMeter joins your network. Check your email for the interface link. If you do not want to set up WiFi or your device has a 4G modem, you can also choose Skip: use 4G only to skip WiFi setup entirely.

Tip: You can skip the welcome screen and configure everything later in Settings. It will appear again until you complete setup or choose "Don't show again."

Important: Run calibration after successful configuration. (This already happened if you ordered the device over the website. It is important if you ever reset the device.)

Connecting to Wireless Network

If you skipped WiFi setup on the welcome screen, or need to change your network later:

1. Navigate to Settings > Network tab.
2. Select your network from the list. For hidden networks, check "Connect to hidden network" and type the SSID manually.
3. Enter your WiFi key and click Connect.
4. The device will disconnect from you. Reconnect your computer to your home WiFi.
5. Wait 1–2 minutes for the device to join your network.

The Network tab also lets you configure the device hotspot. Enable Run hotspot when no WiFi available so the device creates its own access point as a fallback. You can optionally protect the hotspot with a WPA2 key.

Click Forget Network to disconnect from the stored network and force the device to create its hotspot again.

Accessing the Interface

Once on your home network, access the device using its hostname. The default hostname follows the pattern bcmeter-XXXX (or ebcmeter-XXXX for emission devices). For example:

• Standard device: http://bcmeter-A3AB.local
• Emission control version: http://ebcmeter-A3AB.local

The exact hostname is shown on the device label and in the Welcome email. You can rename the device in Settings > Device > Device Name.

Tip: If .local addresses do not work (common on some Windows networks or older routers), find the device's IP address in your router's administration interface or directly use the IP address which the device sent to you by the first mail.

Browser Security Warnings: The bcMeter web server uses HTTP (not HTTPS), which may trigger browser warnings. This is expected — the device runs locally on your network with no public internet connection. You may have to explicitly allow access to the device's .local address. On macOS, you may also need to grant permission for your browser to access LAN devices. Encryption is neither possible nor needed and it does not pose any known security risk to your network.