Quick Start
Quick Start
Get your ALPON X5 AI online and registered to ALPON Cloud in under five minutes. This guide walks through unboxing, antenna installation, first power-up, and verifying the device is reachable.
To set up the ALPON X5 AI: (1) register the device by scanning the QR code on its label or adding it manually in Sixfab Connect, (2) attach the four antennas (2x LTE, 1x GNSS, 1x Wi-Fi), (3) connect power via USB-C PD or the 9-30V DC screw terminal, (4) wait for the status LEDs to turn green, and (5) access the device from the ALPON Cloud dashboard or remote terminal. The whole process takes about five minutes.
Before you begin
What you will need
- ALPON X5 AI device (from the box)
- USB-C power adapter (27W PD, included)
- 4x antennas (2x LTE, 1x GNSS, 1x Wi-Fi, included)
- A Sixfab Connect account
- A smartphone or laptop with a camera (for QR registration)
- An active internet connection (on your phone or laptop)
Create one free at connect.sixfab.com/signup. Takes 30 seconds. You will need the account to complete Step 1.
Setup in 5 steps
Link your ALPON X5 AI to your Sixfab Connect account. Pick one of two methods.
Scan QR code
Recommended- Find the QR code on the bottom label of the device.
- Scan it with your phone camera.
- You will be redirected to Sixfab Connect. Log in.
- The device is auto-registered to your account.
Manual registration
Alternative- Log in to Sixfab Connect.
- Go to Assets and click Add new device.
- Enter the serial number and activation code from the label.
- Confirm to register the device.
Each antenna is labeled with a letter. Match the letter to the corresponding SMA connector on the back of the device and hand-tighten. Do not use tools.
Always install antennas before powering on the device. Connecting or disconnecting antennas on a powered LTE radio can damage the module.
The ALPON X5 AI accepts three power options. For Quick Start, use the included USB-C adapter.
- Connect the USB-C PD adapter to the USB-C port on the device.
- Plug the adapter into mains power.
- The power LED lights up within 3 seconds.
Non-PD USB-C adapters may not deliver the full 27W required under AI workloads. The device can boot on lower power but may throttle the NPU.
First boot takes about 60 seconds. Watch the status LEDs on the front panel to confirm connectivity.
The Status LED is solid green. The device now appears as Online in your Sixfab Connect dashboard.
Open Sixfab Connect and select your ALPON X5 AI from the asset list. From here you can:
- Open a remote terminal (browser-based SSH, no client needed)
- Monitor device health (CPU, memory, temperature, network)
- Deploy containerized applications to the device
- Configure OTA updates and firmware
- Manage eSIM profiles and network failover
If you connect over HDMI or local SSH, the default user is alpon with password sixfab. Change this password before deploying to production. See ALPON X5 AI OS for details.
Troubleshooting common first-boot issues
The power LED does not turn on
Check that the USB-C adapter is a PD-capable 27W unit. Standard USB-C phone chargers may not negotiate the required voltage. Try the screw terminal with a 9-30V DC supply as an alternative.
The status LED stays red or does not turn green
The device cannot reach ALPON Cloud. Verify the LTE antennas are tight, move the device to a location with better cellular reception, or plug in an Ethernet cable to an internet-connected router. First-time provisioning can take up to 3 minutes.
The QR code does not scan
Use the Manual registration method in Step 1. Enter the serial number printed next to the QR code on the device label.
The device appears Offline in Sixfab Connect after a few minutes
First, confirm the cellular LED is not red. If cellular is weak, connect an Ethernet cable to the device. If both networks are unavailable, the device reports offline until any network path is restored.
Next steps
Now that your ALPON X5 AI is online, pick where to go next based on what you want to build.
Updated about 8 hours ago