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impressBox

ARM Boards – impressBox Installation Guide (Raspberry Pi 5)

Step-by-step setup using pre-configured balenaOS image

Supported Devices

The Raspberry Pi 5 builds on the huge success of the Raspberry Pi 4. Compared to its predecessor, it delivers a 2-3× increase in CPU performance and a significant uplift in GPU performance.

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 Support

This guide is specifically for the Raspberry Pi 5 (ARMv8). For Raspberry Pi 4 or 3, please download the appropriate image from your dashboard.
Raspberry Pi 5 device 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

Verification

We recommend verifying the checksum if you encounter any boot issues. Ensure the download completes fully before unzipping (though most flashing tools handle zip files directly).
2

Install balenaEtcher

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

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

Flash Image to microSD

Connect your microSD card to your computer using a card reader.

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 into Raspberry Pi

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

microSD card insertion into Raspberry Pi
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 (Official Raspberry Pi 27W USB-C Power Supply recommended for Pi 5).

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.