Setup

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Setup & Initialization

Hardware Requirements

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

  • ESP32 bcMeter V2: use a high-quality 12V / 2A power adapter.
  • Raspberry Pi based development devices: use a high-quality 5V / 2.5A power adapter.
  • 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 2 minutes for the system to boot.
  3. On your phone or computer, search for a WiFi network whose name starts with bcMeter or eBcMeter.
  4. If asked, connect using the password bcMeterbcMeter (case sensitive). Recent ESP32 devices may create an open setup hotspot and will not ask for a password.
  5. Your phone may warn "No Internet Connection." This is normal. Select "Keep Connected" if prompted. Do not choose "use mobile data."
  6. Open a browser and type http://bcmeter-XXXX.local (where XXXX are the last 4 hex characters of the MAC address, e.g. bcmeter-A3AB) or http://192.168.18.8.

The Welcome Screen will appear on first use.

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.

Welcome Screen

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

Phase 1: Connect

The first screen ("Connect this bcMeter") covers connectivity:

  • Notification email — Enter the address where bcMeter should send status messages and alerts. The device can send its URL and connection details after WiFi setup, making it easy to find on your network.
  • Enable email notifications — Toggle to receive status updates and measurement reports.
  • Connect to network — Select your network from the dropdown, click Scan to refresh, or choose Enter manually for hidden networks. Enter the WiFi password and click Connect.

The email step offers "Skip for now" and "Don't show again". The WiFi step offers "Back" and "Skip".

Phase 2: Calibrate & Share

After connecting to WiFi (or if WiFi was already configured), the second screen ("Almost there") appears:

  • Install a clean filter — Place a fresh quartz filter in the holder.
  • Calibrate — Perform a baseline reading. Click "Start calibration →" to open the calibration dialog directly.
  • Data sharing — The bcMeter project relies on shared measurements to build a global black carbon map. You can choose:
    • Get Started & Share Data — Enables anonymous data sharing for the project.
    • Get Started without Sharing — Proceeds without sharing. You can change this later in Settings.

The calibration/sharing phase has "Skip for now" and "Don't show again" options at the bottom.

Tip: The welcome screen will reappear on each visit until setup is complete or you choose "Don't show again."

Important: Run calibration after successful configuration.

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, choose "Enter manually" and type the SSID yourself.
  3. Enter your WiFi key and click Connect.
  4. The setup hotspot disconnects while the device joins the selected network. Reconnect your computer to your normal WiFi.
  5. Wait 1–2 minutes for the device to join your network.

Click "Forget Network" in the Network tab 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), where XXXX are the last 4 hex characters of the device's MAC address. 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 screen 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.

Browser Security Warnings: The bcMeter web server uses HTTP (not HTTPS), which triggers browser warnings. This is expected — the device runs locally on your network with no public internet connection. You must 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.

Connection Lost

If the browser loses contact with the device (e.g., the device reboots or the network drops), a "Connection Lost" overlay appears. The interface will automatically attempt to reconnect and resume normal operation once the device is reachable again.

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