The CardPulse
The CardPulse

Documentation

Docs & Manuals

Everything you need to set up, configure, and get the most from your CardPulse device.

User Manuals

Original

The CardPulse

User Manual · v1.0

  • · Getting started & first boot
  • · Setup portal walkthrough
  • · Display screens reference
  • · Alert tier configuration
  • · LED modes & Night Mode
  • · Audio file replacement
  • · Troubleshooting
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Tracker

CardPulse Tracker

User Manual · v1.0

  • · Getting started & first boot
  • · Adding & managing 8 cards
  • · Queued alert system explained
  • · Underglow LED configuration
  • · Batch fetch & refresh settings
  • · Audio file replacement
  • · Troubleshooting
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Quick Reference

First-Time Setup

  1. 1
    Power on

    Connect USB-C to a 5V/2A adapter. The device boots and creates a WiFi hotspot.

  2. 2
    Connect to hotspot

    On your phone or PC, connect to the "CardPulse-Setup" WiFi network.

  3. 3
    Open setup portal

    Open your browser and go to 192.168.4.1.

  4. 4
    Enter WiFi credentials

    Type your home WiFi SSID and password. 2.4GHz only — 5GHz is not supported.

  5. 5
    Enter JustTCG API key

    Paste your API key from justtcg.com (free, takes 1 minute to get).

  6. 6
    Enter card ID

    Find your card on TCGplayer.com — the ID is in the URL (?productId=XXXXXX).

  7. 7
    Save & Restart

    Tap Save & Restart. The device connects to WiFi and starts tracking.

Button Reference

ButtonLocationAction
BOOTFrontHold 5s → enter setup mode. Single press during setup mode → factory reset confirmation.
TOPFrontSingle press → manually advance to next display screen. Hold 3s → toggle Night Mode.
VolumeBackCycle through volume levels: mute → 25% → 50% → 75% → 100%.
BrightnessBackCycle through LED brightness: 10% → 30% → 80% → 150% → 180% (Tracker) / 80% (Original).

Audio File Names

The device stores audio files in its internal FFat filesystem. Each of the 8 alert tiers requires 3 MP3 files. One is chosen at random when the alert fires.

TierDefault ThresholdFile 1File 2File 3
Small Gain±3%SmallGain_1.mp3SmallGain_2.mp3SmallGain_3.mp3
Small Loss±3%SmallLoss_1.mp3SmallLoss_2.mp3SmallLoss_3.mp3
Big Gain±8%BigGain_1.mp3BigGain_2.mp3BigGain_3.mp3
Big Loss±8%BigLoss_1.mp3BigLoss_2.mp3BigLoss_3.mp3
Medium Gain±12%MedGain_1.mp3MedGain_2.mp3MedGain_3.mp3
Medium Loss±12%MedLoss_1.mp3MedLoss_2.mp3MedLoss_3.mp3
Huge Gain±20%HugeGain_1.mp3HugeGain_2.mp3HugeGain_3.mp3
Huge Loss±20%HugeLoss_1.mp3HugeLoss_2.mp3HugeLoss_3.mp3

How to replace a sound

  1. ›Enter setup mode: Hold the BOOT button for 5 seconds until the display shows "Setup Mode".
  2. ›Connect to hotspot: On your device, connect to the "CardPulse-Setup" WiFi and open 192.168.4.1.
  3. ›Delete old file: Navigate to /list to see all files on the device. Find the file you want to replace and delete it.
  4. ›Upload new file: Go to /upload. Select your replacement MP3 file. It must be named exactly as shown in the table above.
  5. ›Test it: Go to /test and tap the tier name to play the new file without triggering a full alert.
  6. ›Exit setup mode: Press Save & Restart or simply power cycle the device to return to normal mode.

Troubleshooting

The device only supports 2.4GHz WiFi networks. If your router broadcasts both 2.4GHz and 5GHz under the same SSID, connect your phone to the 2.4GHz band, then use a separate SSID for setup. Also verify your password has no special characters that might cause issues. Re-enter credentials via the setup portal (hold BOOT button 5 seconds to re-enter setup mode).

This means the device connected to WiFi but failed to fetch price data. Check: (1) Your JustTCG API key is entered correctly in the portal. (2) The TCGplayer card ID is correct — verify it from the card's TCGplayer URL. (3) You haven't exceeded the free tier limit (1,000 requests/month, 100/day). (4) justtcg.com is reachable from your network.

Check the Volume button on the back of the device — tap it to cycle through volume levels. If volume is at max and still no sound, verify the audio files are present on the device by connecting to the setup portal and browsing to /list. If files are missing, re-upload them via the /upload endpoint. Also check that Night Mode isn't active — it mutes all audio.

Tap the Brightness button on the back of the device to cycle through brightness levels — it may be set to the lowest level. If LEDs still don't respond, enter the setup portal and verify the LED colour/mode is configured. A hard reset (hold BOOT + TOP buttons simultaneously for 3 seconds) restores default settings.

Night Mode requires NTP time sync on boot. If the device can't reach a time server (usually 0.pool.ntp.org), it won't know what time it is and Night Mode won't activate. Ensure your network allows outbound NTP traffic on UDP port 123. You can verify the device has synced time by checking the display — it will show the current time if NTP is working.

This usually indicates a power supply issue. The device requires a stable 5V/2A USB-C supply. Some USB hubs or low-quality cables cause voltage drops that trigger the ESP32's brownout detector. Try a different cable and power adapter. If the issue persists, the FFat filesystem may be corrupted — factory reset the device and reconfigure from scratch.

Need more help? Check the full FAQ for more questions and answers.