Devices are the primary runtime unit in firmngin. A device has credentials, protocol metadata, entity values, availability, logs, dashboards, map metadata, firmware state, and optional monetization settings.
[image:device detail screen with availability, credentials, entities, and logs]
Device lifecycle
- Create a device in a workspace.
- Generate or copy device credentials.
- Configure firmware with the credentials.
- Publish entity values and receive commands.
- Monitor the device from the dashboard.
Device identity
Entities
Entities represent values or controls on a device. Examples:
- Sensor readings:
temperature, humidity, voltage.
- Actuator state:
relay, fan, door_lock.
- Operational state:
mode, battery, fault_code.
Use stable entity keys. Renaming entity keys can break dashboards, automations, map rules, and public pages that reference the old key.
Availability
Availability shows the latest reliable connection status for a device.
Do not mark a device online just because it exists in the database or has old telemetry.