Quick Start

B-Sense Quick Start

Move the B-Sense Glucose Display from unpacked board to first live glucose reading with the fewest possible steps.

Use this guide if you want the shortest practical path to a working B-Sense display.

Documentation Menu

Before You Start

You will need:

  • a compatible ESP32 2.8 inch touch display board using ST7789
  • a USB cable for flashing
  • Wi-Fi details for the network the device will use
  • one data path only for the first setup:

– your existing Nightscout setup – or a B-Sense Cloud access path

Keep the first setup simple:

  • choose one data path, not both
  • flash the latest firmware first
  • confirm one live reading before changing layouts or extra settings

Choose Your Path

Phone Compatibility Rule Right Now

If your phone can run xDrip+, that is the main supported path right now. Apple / iPhone support is not yet confirmed.

Option A: Nightscout path

Use this if:

  • you already have Nightscout working
  • you want to keep your current data flow

What you need ready:

  • your Nightscout URL
  • your Nightscout upload credential: API_SECRET or a write-capable token

Important:

  • in xDrip+, the setup screens are the same for both Nightscout and B-Sense Cloud
  • only the server URL and the matching secret/key change
  • do not use a readable Nightscout token for xDrip+ upload
  • if you later want a locked-down read-only browser/follower link for Nightscout, create that as a separate readable token in Nightscout Admin Tools

Option B: B-Sense Cloud path

Use this if:

  • you want the managed hosted setup path
  • you do not want to manage your own Nightscout instance for the first setup

What you need ready:

  • the B-Sense Account Setup page and the access details shown there
  • your B-Sense API key shown on Account Setup

Use the B-Sense Account Setup page for the latest values.

If you configure xDrip+ Cloud Upload for B-Sense Cloud, the Base API URL follows this format:

  • https://YOUR_BSENSE_API_KEY@api-b-sense.hismis.com/api/v1/

This is the same xDrip+ Nightscout Sync screen flow as Nightscout. Only the URL and the matching auth value change.

Step 1: Open The Web Flasher

Open:

Then:

  1. Connect the device over USB.
  2. Click Connect.
  3. Select your device/serial port.
  4. Choose the latest firmware.
  5. Install B-Sense ESP32 + ST7789.

For the first install, erase is usually the safest option.

What you should see next:

  • the board appears as a selectable serial device
  • the flash finishes without leaving the page in a stuck loading state
  • the board restarts after install

Step 2: Connect The Device To Wi-Fi

After flashing:

  1. Set the Wi-Fi network.
  2. Wait until the device reports that it connected.
  3. Open Visit Device if the flasher offers it.

At this point the device should be online on your local network.

If the flasher does not offer a direct link, the next setup step still happens on the device’s local web page. Open the device by its local IP or the device page link shown by the flasher.

What you should see next:

  • the device reports a successful Wi-Fi connection
  • the local setup page opens
  • the local setup page shows the main tabs for Connection, Settings, Pro Features, and Status

Step 3: Connect xDrip+ and the device to the same data path

First set the upload path in xDrip+.

  1. Open xDrip+ -> Settings -> Cloud Upload -> Nightscout Sync.
  2. Enable Nightscout Sync.
  3. If you use B-Sense Cloud, enter:

– https://YOUR_BSENSE_API_KEY@api-b-sense.hismis.com/api/v1/

  1. If you use self-hosted Nightscout, enter:

– your Nightscout URL – your Nightscout API_SECRET or a write-capable upload token

Then open the local device web page and save the same path on the device.

  1. Open Visit Device.
  2. In Connection -> API settings, choose the correct Plan mode.
  3. If you use B-Sense Cloud or a B-Sense paid plan:

– choose B-Sense (auto-detect plan) – keep the shown B-Sense server – paste your B-Sense API key

  1. If you use your own Nightscout only:

– choose Free (own Nightscout only) – enter your Nightscout server without https:// – enter your Nightscout token (API-SECRET)

  1. Save the device settings.
  2. Open Settings and confirm the glucose unit and time zone.

Important:

  • xDrip+ and the device must use the same data path
  • do not mix a Nightscout host with a B-Sense key
  • do not mix a B-Sense host with a Nightscout token

What you should see next:

  • the device accepts the saved connection values
  • after save, the device starts trying to fetch glucose data
  • the local setup page shows the saved path instead of an empty setup state

Step 4: Wait For The First Reading

After saving the settings:

  1. Give the device up to a few minutes for the first fetch.
  2. Confirm the glucose value appears.
  3. Confirm the trend arrow appears.
  4. Confirm the value updates again on the next normal refresh.

After this step, you should see one live glucose value, a trend arrow, and normal refreshes.

Typical first-success signs:

  • the device stops showing only a setup/empty state
  • the glucose value appears in the selected unit
  • the trend arrow becomes visible
  • the next refresh still arrives without re-entering settings

If the first reading appears but the second one never arrives, do not keep changing settings. Treat that as a diagnostics case and move to:

Fast Checks If No Data Appears

If you still do not see a reading after about 3 minutes:

  1. Recheck Wi-Fi on the device.
  2. Recheck the host / URL.
  3. Recheck the token / secret / API key.
  4. Confirm you selected only one data path.
  5. Restart the device once and test again.

If you cannot even reopen the local device setup page:

  1. confirm the board is still on Wi-Fi
  2. reconnect from the flasher if it offers Visit Device
  3. restart the board once and reopen the local device page

Before changing multiple settings at once, note:

  • which path you selected
  • which host you entered
  • whether the board ever showed one live reading
  • whether the local setup page is still reachable

If The Device Shows Stale Or Offline Data

Check these first:

  • your phone/app/cloud path is still updating upstream
  • the device still has Wi-Fi
  • the configured host is reachable
  • the saved credentials match the intended path

If the device worked before and stopped later, restart once first. If the problem repeats, capture:

  • the last successful fetch time
  • the current Wi-Fi state
  • the current configured data path
  • whether the device still shows the last value or dropped back to an empty state

After The First Successful Reading

Once the first reading is stable, you can continue with:

  • screen layout changes
  • glucose unit selection (mmol/L or mg/dL)
  • night mode / brightness settings
  • OTA update checks

The best next page after first success is:

Those changes are easier after the core data path already works.

Recommended order after first success:

  1. confirm the glucose unit
  2. confirm the time zone
  3. choose the layout you prefer
  4. adjust night mode and brightness if needed
  5. check OTA only after the device has already been stable for a while

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