FLOCK NOIR

Plug in. Install. Start scanning.

Install Flock Noir using a USB data cable and desktop Chrome or Edge. This firmware is built for the XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense with an OV2640. Use the Pi release for a Raspberry Pi; other ESP32-S3 boards and ESP32-CAM have different wiring.

Checking firmware…

When updating Flock Noir, leave Erase device unchecked to keep saved settings. Erasing resets internal settings; the microSD card is separate. Firmware updates restart the device.

1 / Connect your board

1. Connect the XIAO with a USB data cable. Close serial monitors or other flashers using that port.
2. Select Connect & install, choose the XIAO USB serial device, then follow the installer.
3. If it is not detected, hold BOOT, tap RESET, release BOOT and reconnect. After installation, tap RESET if it stays in the bootloader.

2 / Open Flock Noir

Join WiFi Flock Noir with password flocknoir, then open 192.168.4.1. Your computer may lose internet while connected to the board.

The ALPR tab combines OPT101 timing, camera patterns and Flock WiFi/BLE evidence. Scanner handles general device signatures. Pig Detector listens only for Axon BLE and repeats its siren while matches remain fresh. Wardrive logs WiFi and BLE to WiGLE CSV with detection alerts and optical analysis paused. Choosing a scan tab starts that mode and stops the previous scanner. Camera and Settings leave the selected mode running.

Field scan turns off the hotspot: ALPR/General/Wardrive hop their WiFi channels; Pig Detector turns WiFi off for Axon BLE. Hold BOOT for 1.5 seconds to restore the dashboard. Detection keeps running.

3 / Wire and enable the OPT101

D1 is the second pin down on the left, looking at the component side with USB at the top. These connections are for a breakout module with those labels; check its markings before wiring. Use 3.3 V signal levels.

Enable OPT101 in the ALPR tab after wiring and check its response to light. First-install default is off. GPS remains on D7/GPIO44 (GPS TX), D6/GPIO43 (optional GPS RX), at 9600 baud.

The 8–12 Hz optical profile is experimental, not a universal ALPR rate. At ~25 fps narrow pulses can alias; logs preserve that ambiguity. Timing matches and nearby radio signatures indicate candidates. They do not prove a particular camera is present, and a quiet scan cannot rule one out.