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impressBox

ARM Boards – impressBox Installation Guide

Step-by-step setup for Raspberry Pi 5 & 4

Supported Device

Raspberry Pi 5

Latest generation with 2-3x performance boost. Ideal for heavy content and 4K playback.

impressBox provides a fully managed, pre-configured OS image based on balenaOS, ensuring stability, remote updates, and zero-configuration deployment for your digital signage network.

Architecture

This guide is specifically for ARMv8 64-bit architecture boards. The selected image is optimized for the Raspberry Pi 5.
Raspberry Pi 5 board

Installation Steps

1

Download balenaOS Image

Download the specific OS image prepared for impressBox on Raspberry Pi 5. This image includes the necessary container runtime and watchdog services.

raspberrypi5-6.10.24-v17.4.2.zip
File size: ~400 MB

Note on File

The downloaded file is a .zip archive. Most flashing tools (like Etcher) can handle .zip files directly without extracting them first.
2

Install balenaEtcher

We recommend using balenaEtcher to flash the OS image to your microSD card. It is free, open-source, and automatically verifies the write integrity.

Download tool:https://www.balena.io/etcher/
3

Flash Image to microSD

Connect a high-quality microSD card (Class 10 or better, 16GB+) to your computer.

Warning: Data Erasure

This process will completely erase all data on the selected microSD card. Please ensure you have backed up any important files before proceeding.
  1. Open balenaEtcher.
  2. Click Flash from file and select the downloaded .zip image.
  3. Click Select target and choose your microSD card.
  4. Click Flash! and wait for the validation to complete.
4

Insert microSD & Power On

Once flashing is complete, safely eject the card from your computer and insert it into the microSD slot on the underside of your Raspberry Pi 5.

Tip: Ensure the card is fully inserted. On Pi 4 it clicks in; on Pi 5 it may just slide in firmly depending on the specific slot mechanism, but usually friction-fit.

5

Connect Network & Power

1. Network

Connect an Ethernet cable for the most reliable connection. The device is configured to use DHCP automatically.

2. Power

Connect the USB-C power supply. For Pi 5, the official 27W USB-C PD supply is highly recommended.

6

First Boot & Deployment

Initial Setup Takes Time

Please be patient! The first boot sequence involves expanding the filesystem, installing the Docker engine, and downloading the impressBox container layers. This process takes 5–15 minutes depending on your internet speed.

What happens automatically:

  • Device boots balenaOS
  • Connects to impressBox Cloud
  • Downloads latest Player container
  • Launches Player application
7

Device Registration

Once the download is complete, the impressBox splash screen will appear, followed by a pairing code.

  1. Log in to m.impressbox.eu.
  2. Navigate to the Device list.
  3. At the bottom, locate the Add new device field and enter the 6-digit code displayed on your TV.
  4. Give your screen a name and assign a playlist.

Advanced Network Configuration

Ready to Go!

Your Raspberry Pi 5 is now a powerful digital signage player. You can manage content, schedule updates, and monitor device health remotely from the dashboard.