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., 3.1.7 |
| Build Date | Date the firmware was compiled | e.g., 2026/3/20 |
| 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.
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 — 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 |
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.