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Tim-Smans edited this page May 23, 2025 · 1 revision

How to Set Up a New Device

This guide helps you set up a brand-new device for use in the smart monitoring system.

You do not need to connect any hardware for the initial setup. Everything can be done without sensors or a camera plugged in.

Prerequisites

  • Raspberry Pi (Recommended: Pi 3 or newer)
  • SD Card (at least 16GB!)
  • Raspberry Pi Imager or Balena Etcher
  • HDMI screen, keyboard and mouse (Or knowledge of SSH)
  • Internet connection
  • Valid API key

Step 1: Flash the Custom OS Image

  1. Visit the dashboard:
    Dashboard: New device

  2. Click on the “Download image” button.

  3. Save the image to your computer.

  4. Open your imaging software (e.g., Raspberry Pi Imager).

  5. Select your Raspberry Pi model and choose Custom OS under Operating System.

  6. Select the image file you just downloaded.

  7. Choose your SD card as the target storage.

  8. When prompted, do not enable custom settings.

  9. Let the flashing process complete, then safely eject the SD card.

Step 2: Desktop Setup (Recommended)

  1. Insert the flashed SD card into your Raspberry Pi.

  2. Connect a screen, keyboard, and mouse.

  3. Power up the device.

  4. Once the OS boots, a terminal window will appear and automatically start the setup process.

  5. You will be prompted to:

    • Set a unique hostname
    • Confirm/change Wi-Fi (should be pre-configured)
    • Enter the room name
    • Enter the API key

  6. You may be asked to confirm with 'y' during the process—go ahead and do so.

  7. When completed, you should see:

Device setup correctly, ...

Headless setup (SSH) is also supported. Just SSH into the Pi after flashing, and the same setup flow will run in your terminal.

Step 3: Connect Camera & Sensors

❗️Power off your Raspberry Pi before connecting any hardware. Some components do not support hot-plugging.

Required components:

  • Raspberry Pi AI Camera
  • PIR Motion Sensor

Optional supported sensors:

  • Ultrasonic Ranger Sensor
  • RGB LED
  • LCD Screen (I2C 16x2 Grove-compatible)

These will be automatically detected and enabled at startup if connected.

GPIO Pin Connections

Use the pinout.xyz map as a reference.

PIR Motion Sensor

Pin GPIO
GND Ground
VCC 5V
D1 GPIO 17
NC Do not connect

Ultrasonic Ranger

Pin GPIO
GND Ground
VCC 5V
SIG GPIO 26
NC Do not connect

LCD Screen (I2C)

Pin GPIO
GND Ground
VCC 5V
SDA GPIO 2
SCL GPIO 3

RGB LED

Pin GPIO
GND Ground
Red GPIO 23
Green GPIO 24
Blue GPIO 25

Final Step

  1. Power the device back on with all hardware connected.

  2. The system will now automatically enable the supported sensors and services.

  3. You're ready to go 🎉

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