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Quick Start

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Ravi Singh edited this page May 23, 2026 · 2 revisions

Quick Start

The fastest way to get from "I have boards in hand" to "the hub is online and shows my tank level."

No toolchain install required. Flashing happens entirely in your browser via WebSerial.

What you need

  • An assembled RX hub (ESP32 DevKit on the carrier board) and at least one TX node
  • A USB-C cable for the hub
  • A short USB-C cable for the TX (only needed once, for the initial flash)
  • A laptop / desktop running Chrome or Edge (Firefox + Safari do NOT support WebSerial)
  • 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi credentials for your home network

Step 1 — Flash the firmware (browser)

  1. Open tanksync.smartghar.org/firmware in Chrome / Edge.
  2. Plug the hub into your computer.
  3. Click Install on the Receiver Hub card → browser asks which serial port → pick the CP210x device → click Connect.
  4. Wait ~60 s. The button turns green when done.
  5. Unplug the hub, plug in the TX node, click Install on the Transmitter card, repeat.

Step-by-step walkthrough with screenshots: Browser Flasher. If you'd rather use the IDF toolchain or a .bin you built yourself, see Manual Flashing.

Step 2 — Power up the hub

Plug the hub into a 5 V USB-C wall adapter. Within a few seconds the OLED shows:

TankSync
Setup mode
SSID: TankSync-Setup-XXXX
IP:   192.168.4.1

The hub is now broadcasting its own Wi-Fi network.

Step 3 — Configure Wi-Fi + MQTT

  1. On your phone or laptop, join the TankSync-Setup-XXXX network. Password is on the OLED.
  2. A captive-portal page should open automatically. If it doesn't, browse to http://192.168.4.1.
  3. Enter your home Wi-Fi credentials.
  4. Choose your MQTT path:
    • Cloud (default) — pre-filled with mqtt.smartghar.org:8883. Free tier covers up to 3 hubs.
    • Local broker — point at your own Mosquitto / HA broker. Works fully offline once set.
  5. Save. The hub reboots and joins your Wi-Fi within ~10 s. The OLED switches to:
My Tank
Wi-Fi: TopFloor 2.4GHZ
IP:    192.168.0.56
0 tanks paired

Step 4 — Pair a TX node

  1. Power the TX (turn on its switch, or plug in its solar panel + cell).
  2. Hold the BOOT button on the TX for 5 seconds until its WS2812 LED pulses cyan.
  3. On the hub, the OLED prints Pairing… for ~10 s. When done it shows 1 tank paired.
  4. Open the hub's local web UI at the IP shown on the OLED. The new tank appears under Tanks with a level reading.

Repeat for additional tanks. You can pair up to 6 transmitters to one hub.

Step 5 — Open the PWA (optional)

If you chose the cloud path in step 3:

  1. Sign in (or sign up) at tanksync.smartghar.org.
  2. Add Hub → scan the QR sticker on your hub OR enter the Device ID shown on the hub's Cloud tab.
  3. Within a few seconds the hub goes from unclaimed → linked. All your tanks show up in the PWA, on every device you sign in to.

If you chose the local path in step 3, skip the PWA — point your Home Assistant at your broker and follow HACS Integration.

Verify everything is working

You should see:

  • OLED on the hub showing the tank count and current Wi-Fi IP.
  • A tank-level reading in the web UI / PWA within ~30 s of power-on.
  • The transmitter's WS2812 blinks green once per wake cycle (default every 5 minutes).

If any of those are missing, jump to Troubleshooting.

TankSync

Start here

Build it

Flash it

Use it

Reference

Main repo → HACS repo →

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