Getting Started¶

What you should read in what order, depending on what you're trying to do.

I just want to power it up and start charging¶

Go to Connecting to Regulator, then Initial Settings. Power-up and WiFi connection from any phone / tablet / laptop, then a guided walk through every Settings tab.

I'm installing this on a boat for the first time¶

Three stages — collectively called Commissioning:

Wiring — Physical Installation covers alternator type (P-type vs N-type), wire sizing, fusing, connector ratings, and the BAT+ input protection.
Current sensor — Current Sensor covers the Hall-clamp installation. Pass the alternator output cable through the jaw; close the jaw; plug it in.
Power up + WiFi — Connecting to Regulator gets you from power-on to a dashboard loaded in a browser.
Configure — Initial Settings walks through every Settings tab in order.
Run the engine, watch the dashboard, tune to taste.

I want to understand the system before installing¶

What it does — Features is the high-level inventory.
Hardware — Hardware → System Architecture has the block diagram. Subpages cover each subsystem (analog inputs, INA228, field driver, protection, communication, etc.).
Software — Software → Overview maps the firmware structure. System Overview is the most digestible single page.

I want to develop / modify the firmware¶

Build environment — Configuration & Development has the Arduino IDE setup, FQBN, and build/flash aliases.
Code map — Main Code lists which file contains what.
Adding features — Important Functions has the canonical recipe for adding new variables, settings, and timed functions.
Source — github.com/markliquid1/Regulator2026-public.

Something's not working¶

Troubleshooting covers the common failure modes — boot loops, WiFi issues, sensor errors, lockouts, and recovery procedures.

Conventions used in this documentation¶

Variable names appear like_this in code-style font. They match the firmware exactly so you can grep for them.
GPIO pin numbers are GPIO numbers, not header-pin or schematic-reference numbers.
Settings names in form rows match the dashboard label, not the firmware variable. Both forms are usually shown when introducing a setting.
Defaults are 12 V system class unless noted. 24 V / 48 V systems auto-scale most thresholds based on BulkVoltage.
Cross-references link to the source-of-truth page for each topic. Most pages have a Cross-references section at the bottom.

Help and feedback¶

The project is open-source. Issues, pull requests, and discussion go on the GitHub repository.