Basalt

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Install Basalt on a Home Assistant Touchscreen ​

Flash the Basalt firmware to your supported ESP32 display directly from your browser — no special software or technical knowledge required.

Before You Start ​

  • Identify your exact supported screen and hardware revision.
  • Use Chrome or Edge on a desktop computer and a USB-C data cable.
  • Have your 2.4 GHz WiFi name and password ready, with Home Assistant reachable on the same local network.
  • Add at least one light, switch, or sensor to Home Assistant so you can test the panel after pairing.

Normal browser installation does not require ESPHome Device Builder or writing YAML. You will install firmware, connect WiFi, pair with Home Assistant, enable actions, and test your first card.

Prefer ESPHome?

If you want to compile and install the firmware yourself, use the Manual Setup guide.

Flash the Firmware ​

Connect the display to your computer with the USB-C cable, choose your device and hardware version, then click the install button. The newest listed hardware version is selected by default; check the identification note matches your panel before installing.

ESP32-P4 v3.x silicon; confirm with chip information first
Case marked V2; board date 2622 or newer
Preparing installer...

Having Unreliable Wifi on a P4 Panel? ​

P4 panels use a separate ESP32-C6 Wifi processor. If a P4 panel repeatedly disconnects, disappears from Home Assistant, cannot finish initial setup, or reports C6 update timeouts, use the C6 Wifi recovery installer. It repairs the C6 over USB without requiring a working network connection.

This recovery does not apply to the ESP32-S3 4848S040 panel.

Which cable?

If the install button doesn't detect your device, try a different USB-C cable. Charge-only cables (often thinner and cheaper) won't work — you need one that supports data transfer.

Step by Step ​

  1. Plug in the display using the USB-C cable. If your computer asks to install drivers, allow it.
  2. Choose your device and hardware version above, then click Install Basalt. A dialog will ask you to choose a serial port — select the one that appeared when you plugged in the display.
  3. Wait for the flash to complete. This takes a few minutes. You'll see a progress bar. Don't disconnect the cable until it finishes.
  4. The display restarts and shows a loading screen.

Connect to WiFi ​

After flashing, the display needs to connect to your WiFi network.

  1. The display creates a hotspot. It can take up to 90 seconds to appear. Connect to it from your phone or laptop.
  2. A setup page opens automatically (captive portal). If it doesn't, open a browser and go to 192.168.4.1.
  3. Choose your WiFi network from the list and enter your password.
  4. The display reconnects and shows a loading screen while it joins your network. Once connected, the screen will show your device's address (something like 192.168.1.xxx).

If the hotspot doesn't appear

Power-cycle the display by unplugging and re-plugging the USB-C cable. The hotspot only appears when the display can't connect to a saved WiFi network, and it may take up to 90 seconds after startup or a WiFi outage.

Add to Home Assistant ​

Once the display is on your WiFi network, Home Assistant should discover it automatically.

  1. Open Home Assistant in your browser.
  2. Look for a notification in the bottom left — it should say a new device was discovered. If you don't see one, go to Settings > Devices & Services and look for a new ESPHome entry.
  3. Click "Configure" and follow the prompts to add the device.

This connection provides device states and controls. The clock normally uses network time, with Home Assistant as a fallback. After adding the device, you need to allow it to perform Home Assistant actions so the touchscreen can control your devices.

Configure Your Panel ​

With the display connected to WiFi and paired with Home Assistant, you're ready to set it up.

  1. Find the device's address. It's shown on the display screen. You can also find it in your router's device list or in Home Assistant > Settings > Devices & Services > ESPHome (click the device, then look for the IP address).
  2. Open that address in a browser — for example, http://espcontrol.local. This opens the device's built-in web page.
  3. Add your cards. On the Screen tab, tap an empty slot and choose the card type you want. For example, a Switch card controls a Home Assistant entity, while a Sensor card displays a reading.
  4. Adjust your settings. On the Settings tab, set your active card colour, temperatures, screensaver timeout, brightness, and more.
  5. Tap "Apply Configuration" when you're done. The display restarts with your new settings.

That's it — your panel is ready to use. See the Setup guide for a full walkthrough of every setting.

Confirm It Works ​

Add one Switch or Light card using an entity that already works in Home Assistant. Tap it on the panel and confirm the real device changes. Change it in Home Assistant and confirm the panel follows. If the state displays but tapping does nothing, check actions permission.

Next: Build your panel, or use Troubleshooting if setup fails.