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Quickstart

Pigeon computers come with a pre-installed and configured Linux system, allowing for immediate use out of the box. This section provides a step-by-step guide to quickly setting up and accessing your Pigeon computer for the first time. Depending on your available peripherals and requirements, you can choose one of the following connection methods:

  • Method 1: RS-232 Connection – This method requires a serial (COM) port on your PC and is suitable for direct communication with the Pigeon computer using a terminal emulator. It is a direct, wired connection that does not rely on a network.
  • Method 2: SSH Connection – This method allows you to connect remotely via a network using an SSH client. It requires knowledge of the Pigeon computer’s IP address and a local network connection.
  • Method 3: HDMI and USB Connection – This method allows you to connect a monitor and keyboard to the Pigeon computer for direct interaction. Note that Pigeon computers do not have a graphical user interface (GUI) installed, so this setup provides access to the system's command-line interface (CLI) via a connected display. Some versions of the Pigeon computers do not have an HDMI port (RB100, RB700 ESSENCE), so this method cannot be used.

Follow the instructions for your preferred method to establish a connection and begin working with your Pigeon computer.

Method 1: RS-232 Connection

  1. Check for Serial Port:

    • Verify if your PC has a serial (COM) port. If it does, you can proceed to step 3. If not, proceed to the next step.

  2. Use a USB/RS232 Converter:

    • Obtain a USB to RS-232 converter. These converters typically come with a driver that needs to be installed on your PC.
    • Install the driver by following the manufacturer's instructions.

  3. Connect the serial port:

    • Use a null modem cable to connect the RS-232 interface to the Pigeon device’s COM port.
    • The cable only needs RXD, TXD, and GND lines for proper communication.

  4. Configure the Serial Connection:

    • Open a terminal program on your PC (such as PuTTY, Tera Term, or HyperTerminal).
    • Configure the serial connection with the correct COM port number.
    • Set the baud rate and other parameters as required by the Pigeon device (common settings are 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit, and no flow control).

  5. Power On and Use:

    • Power on the Pigeon device.
    • Open the connection in the terminal program. You should now be able to communicate with the Pigeon device via the serial interface.

Method 2: SSH Connection

  1. Powering On and Network Connection:

    Make sure the Pigeon device is turned on and connected to the local network via an Ethernet cable.

  2. Obtain the Pigeon's IP Address

    • Option 1: Check the Router's DHCP Client List

      1. Log in to your router's web interface.
      2. Navigate to the DHCP client list or connected devices section.
      3. Look for a device with a MAC address starting with 00:50:C2:B7 or 98:27:82, or check if the Pigeon appears with a recognizable hostname.

    • Option 2: Use netdiscover for Network Scanning

      If you don't have access to the router's interface, you can scan your local network using netdiscover: 

      sudo apt install netdiscover
sudo netdiscover -r 192.168.1.0/24 -P | grep -E "00:50:c2:b7|98:27:82|Raspberry"

  3. Connect via SSH:

  • Use an SSH client such as PuTTY (for Windows) or the built-in terminal (ssh command) on Linux/macOS.
  • Enter the Pigeon's IP address and connect using the default credentials: 
    $ ssh pi@<PIGEON_IP_ADDRESS>

Method 3: HDMI and USB Connection

  1. Connect a Monitor:

    • If your Pigeon device has an HDMI port, connect an HDMI cable from the Pigeon device to a monitor.

  2. Connect a Keyboard:

    • Plug a USB keyboard into the USB port of the Pigeon device.

  3. Power On and Use:

    • Power on the Pigeon device.
    • The display should show the Pigeon's output, and you can use the keyboard to interact with the Pigeon device directly.

All three methods provide a way to interact with your Pigeon device: through a terminal interface using RS-232, directly using a monitor and keyboard, or remotely via SSH. Choose the method that best suits your setup and the available ports on your devices. We recommend connecting via the RS232 port.

For models with a built-in UPS (RB300, RB350, RB700 Advance, RB700 Standard), when power is connected, the POWER button will start blinking. The operating system will begin to boot once the UPS supercapacitors reach the appropriate charge level.

Default Login

When accessing the device via serial, SSH, or other connection methods, use the default username and password as follows.

  • Username: pi
  • Password: raspberry

In older system versions, the root account was configured with a predefined password (kristech), but in current versions, the root password is not set by default. Instead, you will be prompted to log in with a user account and escalate to superuser privileges using sudo if needed.

For security reasons, we recommend changing the default passwords as soon as possible.