Getting started

What you’ll need

Purchase an M5Stack AtomS3R C126 and a Voice Pyramid A167 speaker base separately. A167 has also been called “Echo Pyramid”; check the SKU when buying. These instructions describe this combination of parts. See the Waveshare Box V2 instructions below for that model.

You will need a computer with desktop Chrome or Edge, a USB-C data cable, and a 2.4 GHz WPA2/WPA3 personal Wi-Fi network. A charging-only cable will not work for USB setup. Enterprise networks and networks with a sign-in page are not supported.

1. Connect through the Atom

Attach the modules using their intended connector. Disconnect bottom power, then connect the computer to the Atom’s USB-C port. Use only this one cable during USB setup.

Close other serial tools and browser tabs using the device. On the installer page, select Choose USB device, then select the USB JTAG/serial device when prompted.

2. Check the connected speaker

The website checks for OpenAthan before showing your next steps. An existing OpenAthan opens its settings and recovery options. Choose Open device settings,Change Wi-Fi, or create/reset its device password as needed. Recovery preserves your prayer settings and playback history.

If OpenAthan is not recognized and a release is available, the website shows installation confirmation. Detection alone does not prove the device is new or empty. If you expected an existing OpenAthan, retry the connection or follow troubleshooting. Continue with a new installation only on supported hardware you intend to erase: confirm the hardware and full erasure, then select Install OpenAthan. Installation replaces existing firmware and saved data; it is not a preserving update.

If OpenAthan is recognized but its status cannot be read, reconnect and troubleshoot. Installation is blocked to protect the existing device.

3. Choose where to set up

On releases that support phone setup, the installer shows OpenAthan installed. You can unplug the speaker and set it up later, choose Set up with your phone, or keep USB connected and choose Continue on this computer. No Wi-Fi or speaker password is required to finish installation. Follow the phone instructions below if you choose that path.

Earlier releases continue with USB setup. On the computer, select your home network or enter its name for a hidden network, then enter its Wi-Fi password. Next, create a separate, long device password. Your browser sends these credentials directly over USB; the website does not store them.

Remember the device password. You will use the username admin to sign into the device’s settings.

4. Move the power cable

When USB setup finishes, unplug the Atom’s USB cable. Connect only the Pyramid’s bottom USB-C power for normal speaker operation. Wait for Wi-Fi to reconnect.

5. Finish on the device

Keep your computer or phone on the same home network and open the device address shown by the installer, such as http://openathan-a1b2c3.local/. Each device has its own address. If the hostname does not work, try its displayed IP address.

Sign in, enter your location and timezone, choose a calculation method, and review the prayer times. On current firmware, choose Find my location in the device’s settings to open the optional location helper. Review its suggestion, choose Review on device, then check the coordinates and timezone and choosePreview schedule. A returned suggestion needs a ready timetable before saving; if the clock has not synchronized, wait and preview again. Manual entry is always available. On earlier firmware, copy the helper’s values into the settings yourself. Select Finish setup to enable the Athan. If the clock has not synchronized yet, Athan playback will wait.

Set up with your phone

These steps apply when the installer offers phone setup. Earlier firmware needs Wi-Fi and a device password set through USB setup first.

1. Power the speaker normally: Pyramid bottom power only for Atom, or the rear USB-C port for Waveshare Box V2.
2. Scan the screen’s Wi-Fi QR, or join the OpenAthan-Setup- network matching the screen. On Atom, short-press the front button to show the QR; on Waveshare, use BOOT. Stay connected when warned there is no internet.
3. Use the automatic setup page, or enter http://192.168.4.1/setup/ while connected to the setup network.
4. Choose a speaker password, select your home’s 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and enter its password. Read the permanent speaker address before connecting.
5. Rejoin home Wi-Fi, scan the speaker’s webpage QR or open its displayed address, and sign in as admin with your speaker password. Review the location and prayer timetable, then choose Finish setup.

If the hostname does not open, use the current IP address shown on the speaker. On Atom, press again after the webpage QR to see the addresses. The setup Wi-Fi and its192.168.4.1 address are only for initial enrollment; everyday settings use your home network.

Find your speaker’s page again

Keep your phone or computer on the same home Wi-Fi. On firmware with screen connection information, briefly press the Atom front button or Waveshare BOOT button while audio is idle. Scan the webpage QR or enter the displayed address. Atom shows its QR and addresses on separate screens; Waveshare shows them together. A press during audio stops playback.

If .local does not open, try the current IP address. It can change when the speaker reconnects. You can also reconnect through USB setup and chooseContinue to device settings to read its available addresses without changing Wi-Fi or resetting your password. Bookmarking is optional.

Everyday use

Your speaker calculates prayer times and plays recordings stored on the device. The current Atom build needs internet access to set its clock after a restart, before it can play the Athan. To open its settings, connect your phone or computer to the same home Wi-Fi. Keep the settings page on your trusted home network; do not make it accessible from the internet.

Update your firmware

Open your speaker’s settings on the same home Wi-Fi and sign in. In Firmware, choose Check for updates, read the release notes, then choose Install update. The update waits until playback finishes and the next announcement is at least 15 minutes away. Keep the speaker powered while it updates and reconnects.

Compatible device-page updates preserve your Wi-Fi, device password, prayer settings, playback history, light preferences and stored recordings. New recordings in a fresh-install release do not replace the recordings on an existing speaker.

On v0.2.0, update checks may fail with “Could not check for updates”. Getting the fix requires a preserving USB application update. If Firmware is missing or the device reports an incompatible bootloader, a preserving USB transition is also required. Follow thepreserving upgrade guideor ask for firmware help. Do not use a new installation to update an existing speaker: it erases saved data.

Read the current release notes.

Other hardware

OpenAthan is designed to keep prayer calculations, scheduling, and settings independent of the hardware. Hardware adapters connect these functions to a device’s audio and controls, allowing contributors to develop lower-cost builds or add capabilities on other hardware.

Audio playback is required. Displays, status lights, buttons, touch controls, microphones, a hardware clock, and removable storage are optional capabilities. Standalone operation does not require Home Assistant.

Additional hardware integrations require development and testing. The reusable core and ESPHome integration provide a starting point; broader support for optional peripherals is still planned. The browser installer offers qualified releases for supported boards.

For implementation details, see:

• Firmware architecture and hardware adapters
• Scheduler controls and reuse