The System Info screen provides real-time diagnostic information about your RTC. Use this screen to check signal quality, verify firmware versions, and monitor device health. Access it from the main menu by long-pressing the screen or encoder button, then selecting System Info.
Diagnostic Fields
| Field | Description | Typical Values |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Device model identifier | PILOT |
| Hardware | Hardware revision of the RTC | e.g., 1.0 |
| Firmware | Currently installed firmware version | e.g., 3.10.6 |
| Build Date | Date the firmware was compiled | e.g., 2026/5/12 |
| Free Memory | Available system memory | Higher is better; normal operation is typically above 100 KB |
| EEPROM | Available settings storage space | Should have free space; very low values may indicate a storage issue |
| Signal | Wireless signal strength from the base station | Measured in dBm (see Signal Quality section below) |
| Messages TX | Total messages sent to the base station since boot | Increases continuously during normal operation |
| Messages RX | Total messages received from the base station since boot | Increases continuously during normal operation |
| Encrypted | Whether encrypted communication is active | Yes or No |
| Ch. Hopping | Whether automatic channel hopping is supported | Yes (base station firmware 3.0.0+) or No |
| Channel | Current wireless channel | 1-11 |
| Frequency | Wireless frequency corresponding to the channel | 2412-2462 MHz |
| Startups | Total number of times the RTC has booted | Cumulative count |
All dynamic fields (Free Memory, Signal, Messages TX/RX, Channel, Frequency) update automatically every 2 seconds while the screen is open.
To leave the System Info screen and return to the menu, swipe right, tap the title bar, or press the encoder when no item is focused.
Reading the Diagnostic Fields
The diagnostic fields have a few quirks that are worth knowing about before you act on what you see:
- Free Memory unit: shown in KB normally, but drops to B (bytes) below 1024 bytes free. If you see a B value, the unit is under memory pressure.
- EEPROM is actually NVS storage: the label "EEPROM" refers to the ESP32's NVS (non-volatile-storage) namespace. The value is an estimate based on remaining NVS entries times their typical size, not a strict byte count. Small fluctuations are normal.
- Build Date can show 'N/A' briefly on boot: the date is populated from the firmware's stored build time on startup, which can take a second or two to load. If you see N/A immediately after a restart, wait a moment and re-open the screen.
- TX and RX counters reset on boot: both counters start at 0 every time the RTC powers on. Pair this with the Startups counter to understand uptime: if Startups is 17 and TX/RX are small, the RTC rebooted recently.
- Encrypted=Yes requires successful key negotiation: even if encryption is enabled in firmware, an isolated RTC (no base station detected) will display No until the base station completes the key exchange.
- Disconnected behavior: when the RTC is not connected to a base station, Signal becomes meaningless (the RSSI buffer holds the last stale reading), and Ch. Hopping shows No because the base station capability info is not available. Treat these as undefined while disconnected.
- Messages RX as a link-quality signal: the base station broadcasts telemetry at the AuralSync packet rate. If TX is steadily increasing but RX is stalled, the link has dropped in the receive direction and is more useful as an early-warning sign than the Signal field, which only updates on packet receipt.
- Channel hopping appearance: when channel hopping is active, the Channel field changes mid-session as the base station moves the link to a quieter channel. This is normal. To opt out, disable channel hopping from the base station settings in the LF Audio AuralSync app.
Signal Quality
The Signal field shows the received signal strength from the base station in dBm (decibels relative to one milliwatt). This is a negative number, and closer to 0 means a stronger signal.
| Signal Strength | Quality | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| -30 to -50 dBm | Excellent | Very close range, ideal |
| -50 to -65 dBm | Good | Reliable connection |
| -65 to -75 dBm | Fair | Generally reliable, may have occasional delays |
| -75 to -85 dBm | Weak | May experience intermittent disconnections |
| Below -85 dBm | Poor | Likely to experience frequent disconnections; reposition the RTC |
If you're seeing Fair or worse readings and the physical location can't be changed, common 2.4 GHz interference sources to consider: an active microwave oven nearby (microwaves leak in the 2.4 GHz band when running), a neighboring WiFi access point on the same channel, USB 3.0 devices and cables (a known broadband 2.4 GHz emitter), and Bluetooth audio devices in the same cabin. Moving the base station's antenna away from these sources or changing the WVC's WiFi channel from the AuralSync app usually helps.
Message Counters
The TX (transmitted) and RX (received) message counters help diagnose communication issues:
- Healthy operation: both counters increase steadily. TX increases every few seconds (keepalive pings, info requests). RX increases frequently as the base station sends volume state, telemetry, and other data.
- TX increasing but RX stalled: the RTC is sending but not receiving responses. This may indicate the base station is out of range or powered off.
- Both counters stalled: the wireless link is not active. Check the connection status.
Channel and Frequency
The RTC communicates with the base station on a specific WiFi channel (1-11), each corresponding to a frequency in the 2.4 GHz band. The automatic channel scanner selects the channel with the strongest signal from the base station.
If channel hopping is supported (base station firmware 3.0.0 or newer), the system can automatically switch to a better channel when interference is detected. The current channel and frequency shown on this screen reflect the active channel at that moment.
When to Check Diagnostics
- After installation: verify signal strength and confirm the connection is healthy
- When experiencing disconnections: check signal strength and message counters
- Before contacting support: note the firmware version, hardware version, signal strength, and encryption status
- After a firmware update: verify the new firmware version is installed correctly
If you notice the signal strength is consistently weak, try repositioning the RTC or the base station to reduce the distance or remove obstructions between them. See Troubleshooting for more connection issue solutions.