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BTN-1 getting started

This will guide you through adding on switches and keycaps to your BTN-1 then adding it to your Wi-Fi and Home Assistant!

Physical setup

Installing brown switches

Line up the two gold pins with the holes on your BTN-1, then press down gently. Be careful, as the pins can bend or get damaged if too much force is used.

Pressing brown switches into the four sockets on the BTN-1 circuit board

Installing keycaps

Line up the + on the keycap with the + on the top of the switch you installed. It may require a little pressure, but it should press on smoothly. Once placed, lightly tap to ensure the keycap is fully seated.

Pressing white keycaps onto the four switches of the BTN-1

Flip power switch

Only the battery version has a power switch. If yours has one, ensure it's turned on. With the device on its side, flipping the switch away from you turns it on, and flipping it toward you turns it off.

Sliding the BTN-1 power switch on the side of the case to the on position

Connecting through hotspot

To connect through the sensor's onboard hotspot follow the below:

1. Plug the BTN-1 in via USB-C. A 5v 1amp power supply will work fine

If your sensor is restarting or not broadcasting Wi-Fi try another USB-C cable and power supply!

The BTN-1 is sensitive to power fluctuations and needs constant 5v power. It draws 1amp or less so most used phone chargers will work. Make sure it's a quality one!

Still no hotspot? Follow the Reset Wi-Fi Credentials guide to make it broadcast again.

2. On your phone or PC, open the Wi-Fi settings and connect to "Apollo BTN1 Hotspot".

Phone Wi-Fi settings listing the BTN-1 hotspot network to join

3. Once connected it should automatically open a dashboard for your sensor. If this does not automatically open the dashboard, please open your web browser and go to http://192.168.4.1

4. Select the Wi-Fi network that you would like your sensor to connect to or scroll to the bottom and type in your Wi-Fi network then click "Save".

BTN-1 hotspot page at 192.168.4.1 with the SSID and password fields and Save button highlighted

Tip for Mesh Wi-Fi systems or multiple Access Points

If you have multiple access points or a mesh system please manually type in your Wi-Fi network so it will join with the strongest signal!

5. Once connected, the sensor's dashboard will automatically close. You've successfully connected your sensor to your Wi-Fi.

Click here for next steps!

Connecting with Improv via BLE

With Improv via BLE, you add your device to your Wi-Fi and to the ESPHome integration right from Home Assistant.

Pre-requirement: Bluetooth proxy or Bluetooth Home Assistant hardware required

Bluetooth built in such as a raspberry pi or at least one ESP32 BLE Proxy is required to use this to set up your Apollo device. If you have already followed the "Connecting through Hotspot" please skip this section.

1. Navigate to settings -> integrations then click the "ADD" button below your new Apollo device then click Submit.

Adding the discovered BTN-1 with Improv via BLE on the Home Assistant integrations page

2. Once prompted, type in your Wi-Fi name and password in the two fields then click Submit. Click on Close once it finishes.

Entering Wi-Fi credentials in the Improv via BLE dialog for the BTN-1 and closing on success

3. Click on Add then click on Submit. Choose an area and then click Finish.

Adding the BTN-1 to the ESPHome integration, choosing an area, and clicking Finish

4. Your device is now added to your Wi-Fi and added to the ESPHome Integration in Home Assistant. You should now be ready to set up a blueprint and start using your BTN-1!

Connecting to ESPHome Device Builder

Skip the ESPHome Device Builder unless...

Feel free to skip to the next section by clicking here unless you need to rename your sensor or do manual edits to the yaml

You can add the ESPHome Device Builder app in Home Assistant to update your device or edit the yaml. If you don't have the ESPHome Device Builder app installed you can search ESPHome Device Builder in the app store and install it.

Make sure to fill out your Wi-Fi details in the secrets section by clicking on the secrets button.

ESPHome Device Builder dashboard with the cursor on the Secrets button in the top right

# Your Wi-Fi SSID and password - keep the quotes and just replace the name and password between the quotes!
wifi_ssid: "your-wifi-ssid-here"
wifi_password: "your-wifi-pass-here"

1. Open the ESPHome Device Builder dashboard.

ESPHome Device Builder banner reading Discovered 1 device with the Show button on the right

2. Click Show in the top right to show your discovered devices then click on Take Control then click Install. This can take multiple minutes or longer on low-end hardware.

Clicking Take Control on the discovered BTN-1 in ESPHome Device Builder, then Install

3. Once you see "INFO OTA successful" you are done. Click "STOP" to exit.

ESPHome Device Builder install log for the BTN-1 ending with INFO OTA successful

4. Your new device is now adopted into the ESPHome Device Builder and you can move on to Integrating with Home Assistant via the ESPHome Integration below!

Connecting to Home Assistant via ESPHome integration:

1. Head to the ESPHome Integration then click on Add then click Submit. When prompted click Finish then give it a location and click Finish or click Skip and Finish.

Adding the discovered BTN-1 from the ESPHome integration page, setting an area, and opening its device page

2. Your device is now added to Home Assistant via the ESPHome integration, and you can navigate to it by going to settings -> ESPHome integration -> click on the name of your new device!

Click here to set up a blueprint and automate using your BTN-1!