Device Management
Firmware operating environment

Firmware operating environment

This page was machine-translated. The Japanese page is the official version.

When managing and operating devices with Actcast, there are specific requirements for the actual environment in which they will be installed.

This section describes the operating environment required by the device firmware. If your device isn’t working as expected, check to see if you’ve met the conditions listed below.

Network

The device firmware sends and receives various data over the network to manage and operate the device with Actcast. This section describes the recommended network environment for using Actcast comfortably and the requirements for using Actcast. The environment in which the device is installed must allow communication using the protocols described below and network connectivity with the communication host.

It also explains how to set up a wired connection and Wi-Fi connection.

Recommended environment

It is recommended that the network in which the device is installed meets the following performance.

  • Internet line speed

    We recommend 50 Mbps or more for downlink and 10 Mbps or more for uplink based on actual measurements.

  • Internet connection

    We recommend that you have a stable connection at all times.

  • Wi-Fi standard

    We recommend 802.11g/n/ac.

  • network latency

    We recommend an environment with a measured RTT (round trip time) of 50 ms or less.

External communication for Actcast devices

If you use Actcast in a restricted environment such as an internal network, you need to allow the following outbound access in order to use Actcast’s functions.

  • ICMP
    • iot.actcast.io
    • pkg.actcast.io (only up to ActcastOS 3.62.0 / 4.15.1)
    • a1sgglpp228nnc-ats.iot.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com
  • DNS: UDP/53
    • 8.8.8.8
    • 8.8.4.4
  • NTP: UDP/123
    • 0.debian.pool.ntp.org
    • 1.debian.pool.ntp.org
    • 2.debian.pool.ntp.org
    • 3.debian.pool.ntp.org
  • HTTP: TCP/80
    • iot.actcast.io
  • HTTPS: TCP/443
    • iot.actcast.io
    • 746316586548.dkr.ecr.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com
    • prod-ap-northeast-1-starport-layer-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com
    • actcast-prd-thing-storage.s3.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com
    • ostree.actcast.io
    • forbidden-firmware.actcast.io
    • c8ea15vhvqm3e.credentials.iot.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com
  • MQTT: TCP/443
    • a1sgglpp228nnc-ats.iot.ap-northeast-1.amazonaws.com

DNS and NTP settings

  • DNS server

    The DNS server distributed by the DHCP server is used. If a DNS server address is specified when using a wired LAN connection (explained later), that DNS server will be used. If these DNS servers are found to be malfunctioning, the following public DNS servers will be used.

    • 8.8.8.8
    • 8.8.4.4

  • NTP server

    The NTP server distributed by the DHCP server is used. If the DHCP server does not distribute an NTP server address, the following NTP servers are used as default settings.

    • 0.debian.pool.ntp.org
    • 1.debian.pool.ntp.org
    • 2.debian.pool.ntp.org
    • 3.debian.pool.ntp.org

Wired LAN connection

Normally, to use a wired LAN connection, all you have to do is boot up with the LAN cable plugged into the device. However, if Wired is checked when generating the configuration file on the device addition screen, the following items must be set correctly.

  • Static IPv4 address and subnet (CIDR format)
  • Router address (optional)
  • DNS server address (optional)

Wireless LAN connection

The following is a list of items that are required or should be checked when using a wireless LAN.

  • Access points supported by the device are provided

    In the Raspberry Pi series, supported communication standards vary by board. Check that an access point using a standard supported by your device is available. See Available Wi-Fi for the bands supported by each device.

  • A valid access point is configured

    Important

    ActcastOS does not support access points with a hidden (stealth) SSID.

    Internet communication must be enabled for at least one of the access points configured at device setup or on the device detail screen after the device has connected. For more information on how multiple access points are prioritized, see Wi-Fi priority.

  • The signal strength is sufficient for the device to make the required communication.

    If the signal strength of the access point you are trying to use is not sufficient, stable communication cannot be established, and a NotFound status (see Device status) or firmware update fails.

    If there is no signal strength above approximately -70 dB as a guide, please review the location of the device or access point.

  • Stable connection

    The operation of the device may require continuous downloading of data of a coherent size. This occurs especially during firmware updates and Act installations, and depending on the type of application running, a large amount of communication may occur. If the network connection is unstable at this time, the operation is likely to fail. Below is a rough estimate of the amount of communication.

    • Firmware Update

      • Major Version Update

        About 400 - 500 MB

      • Minor Version Update

        About 15 - 30 MB

    • Download Act

      Tens to hundreds of MB

Camera

Actcast has confirmed operation with an official camera with a CSI connection (Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2/3) or a camera with a USB connection. When installing Act, which requires a camera, on a device, one of the cameras must be connected to work properly at the time the installation is specified.

Last updated on