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HiveHub V0.5 — inspection mode and a button for the beekeeper 🐝

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@MacNite MacNite released this 28 Aug 06:37
· 115 commits to main since this release
v0.5
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Learn about vigilant mode.

HiveHub V0.5 focuses on one important behavior change: on the recommended XIAO ESP32-C6, the external D2 pushbutton is now an inspection button.

The button previously opened the setup portal or triggered a factory reset. Those installation and recovery actions have moved to the XIAO’s on-board USER/BOOT button, freeing the external, weatherproofable button for something useful during normal work at the hive stand.

The important button change

After installing V0.5 firmware on a XIAO ESP32-C6, the external D2 button no longer opens setup mode or performs a factory reset.

The new assignments are:

Button New behavior
External D2 pushbutton Press once to start inspection mode; press again to end it
On-board GPIO9 USER/BOOT button Short press opens the setup portal; long press performs a factory reset

The existing external button wiring does not need to change: use a normally-open momentary switch between D2 and GND. D2 remains configured with its internal pull-up.

The inspection button also works while the hub is in deep sleep. Pressing it wakes the hub and changes the inspection state immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled measurement cycle. Holding the button still counts as a single toggle.

Important setup-button note

GPIO9 is also the ESP32-C6 boot-strapping pin. A normal press while the hub is running or sleeping performs the new setup-button action. However, holding USER/BOOT while powering up the board or pressing RESET enters the serial bootloader. That is normal ESP32-C6 behavior.

The legacy 30-pin ESP32 DevKit is unchanged: GPIO27 remains its setup/factory-reset button. That board has no dedicated physical inspection button, although inspection mode can still be controlled through the dashboard or API.

Inspection mode

Opening a hive can produce readings that are accurate but misleading as colony data: removing supers causes a sudden weight drop, opening the brood nest changes its temperature, and handling frames disturbs sound, vibration, and bee-counter measurements. Those changes can look like robbing, swarming, sensor failure, or another colony event.

Pressing the D2 button now marks that period as an inspection:

  • The hub continues measuring and uploading.
  • Hive-specific readings from the inspection are excluded from normal charts, insights, and alert evaluation.
  • Ambient, battery, solar, connectivity, and other hub-level readings continue normally.
  • No raw measurements are deleted; the original readings remain available in CSV and NDJSON exports.
  • Dashboard charts identify inspection periods so gaps in hive data have a visible explanation.
  • An optional note can be added later, for example “removed two supers” or “queen inspection.”

Inspection mode can also be started or stopped through Device & admin → Configuration → Inspection or through the API. A physical button press applies to the entire hub, while an API request may target particular hives.

Automatic timeout

A forgotten inspection must not hide hive data indefinitely. Inspection mode therefore ends automatically after a configurable timeout.

The default is 60 minutes. It can be changed per device under:

Device & admin → Configuration → General → Inspection timeout (min)

The allowed range is 1–1440 minutes. Both the hub and backend enforce the timeout, providing protection even if the hub loses power or connectivity during an inspection.

Component versions

Component Version
HiveHub release V0.5
Firmware 0.25.0
Server/backend 0.4.0
Recommended hardware XIAO ESP32-C6 Scale Module V0.4

Before upgrading

If you currently use the external D2 button to open the setup portal or perform a factory reset, be aware that its behavior changes immediately after installing firmware 0.25.0:

  1. Use D2 to start and end inspections.
  2. Use the XIAO’s on-board USER/BOOT button for setup and factory reset.
  3. Do not hold USER/BOOT while resetting or powering on the board unless you intend to enter the serial bootloader.
  4. After updating the backend, verify the inspection timeout under Device & admin → Configuration → General.

For full details, see the inspection-mode documentation.

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