Quick Start Checklist
| # | Step | Confirmation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plug in power (USB-C adapter or power bank) | Red power LED turns on |
| 2 | Wait for status LED to turn solid green (~90 seconds) | Blinking yellow → solid green = ready |
| 3 | On your phone, find WiFi "DNO-HCxx" and enter the password from the QR card | WiFi connected icon appears |
| 4 | Scan the QR card → Gateway Lobby opens automatically | You see the role selection screen |
| 5 | Commander taps "Admin", enters PIN to log in | Admin dashboard appears |
| 6 | Tell each team member: "Scan this QR and pick your role" | Everyone confirms they see their station |
Print this table and tape it next to the device. In an emergency, nobody has time to read long documents.
What Is xGrid?
xGrid is a complete medical information system that fits in a palm-sized device. It needs no internet, no server room, no IT staff. Plug in, boot up, connect to WiFi — and your entire medical station is online.
The device runs three systems simultaneously:
- xGrid Community Grid — patient registration, triage, clinical handoffs, prescriptions
- xGrid Medical Grid — inventory management, blood bank, surgery tracking, pharmacy
- xGrid READY — facility supply inventory and resilience tracking
All data lives on the device itself. If power is lost and restored, nothing is lost.
From Unboxing to Online
You just received a device. In the box:
- Edge computing device (system pre-installed)
- USB-C power cable + adapter (or use any power bank)
- QR card set (one main entry card + individual role cards)
- A small card with the WiFi name and password
Step 1: Plug In and Wait for Green
Connect the power cable. The status LED on the front of the device shows:
- Blinking yellow — system is booting, please wait
- Solid green — all services are ready
- Red — startup failed, troubleshooting needed
From power-on to green usually takes 60 to 90 seconds. If the yellow LED is still blinking after 3 minutes, unplug and replug the power.
Step 2: Connect to the Device's WiFi
The device automatically creates a WiFi hotspot on boot. The name follows the format DNO-HCxx (where xx is the station number).
Open your phone's WiFi settings, find this network, and enter the password from the card. Once connected, your phone is on the device's local network — no external internet required.
Step 3: Scan the QR Code to Enter Gateway Lobby
After connecting to WiFi, scan the QR card. Your phone's browser opens the Gateway Lobby — the main hall of the entire system.
The Lobby lists every available station. Each team member only needs to know one thing: scan the code, pick your role. No URLs to memorize, no port numbers to remember.
Step 4: Assign Roles
As the commander or charge nurse, your first job is to put people in the right seats. Tell each team member:
"Scan this QR, pick your role, and you're ready to go."
No accounts to create. No apps to install. The phone browser is their workstation.
Role Assignment Matrix
| Role | Select in Lobby | Primary Tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Admin | Global management, permission escalation, transfer approvals |
| Physician | Doctor Station | Consultations, exams, prescriptions, surgical referrals |
| Nurse | Nurse Station | Triage, vital signs, shift handoffs |
| Pharmacist | Pharmacy | Prescription dispensing, inventory deduction |
| Blood Bank | Blood Bank | Blood unit intake, issuance, expiry tracking |
| Anesthesia | Anesthesia Station | Pre-op assessment, intraoperative records |
| BioMed / Equipment | Equipment Management | Instrument checkout, return, maintenance |
| EMT / Transfer | Transfer Station | ISBAR handoffs, evacuation tracking |
| Supply | Supply Station | Receiving, stocktaking, inter-station transfers |
| Station Manager | Station Management | Inter-station transfers, topology management |
Small station (2-3 people): Commander doubles as physician + admin. One nurse covers triage + vitals. Pharmacist handles supplies.
Medium station (5-8 people): One person per core role. Multiple nurses can use the Nurse PWA simultaneously from their own phones.
Large station (10+ people): Equipment, blood bank, and transfer each have dedicated staff. Assign a charge nurse to coordinate.
Commander's First Actions
After logging into Admin, complete these immediately:
- Change the default PIN — the factory PIN is for initial setup only; change it right away
- Verify the station name — confirm the station code is correct (e.g., HC-001) in Settings
- Check the Dashboard — confirm all system services show green status
No network configuration needed. No database setup. These were completed when the device was provisioned.
If the Lobby Won't Load
In rare cases, the QR code or Lobby page may not load. Use these fallback URLs to access each system directly:
| System | Fallback URL | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| CIRS Community Grid | http://10.0.0.1:8090 | Patients, triage, prescriptions, Admin |
| MIRS Medical Grid | http://10.0.0.1:8000 | Inventory, blood bank, pharmacy, surgery |
| HIRS Home Grid | http://10.0.0.1:8001 | Facility supply inventory |
Type these URLs directly into your phone's browser. But under normal circumstances, always enter through the Lobby — its links automatically point to the right places.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can't find the WiFi signal? The device might still be booting. The WiFi hotspot takes about 60 seconds to appear after power-on, but can sometimes take up to 2 minutes. If it's not visible after 3 minutes, unplug the power and plug it back in.
Connected to WiFi but pages won't load? System services need about 30 extra seconds to finish starting up. The WiFi hotspot comes online before the services do. Wait a moment and refresh the page.
Admin login fails? Verify the PIN is correct. If you've changed it and forgotten it, the device will need to be reset (contact IT support or refer to the technical installation guide).
Screen looks broken or too small? All PWAs are optimized for mobile screens. If the display looks wrong, clear the browser cache and re-enter. Chrome and Safari are recommended.
What if the power goes out? The device works with portable power banks. If power is completely lost, all services restart automatically when power returns. No data is lost — SQLite WAL mode protects all in-flight writes.
Series Navigation
This is the first article in the xGrid Field Station Operations Guide series. Full series:
- Three Minutes to Online — From Power-On to a Fully Operational Station (this article)
- The Patient Journey — From Triage to Discharge
- Surgery and Transfusion — Managing Critical Cases
- LSCO Battlefield Medicine — A Field Medic's Operations Manual
- Daily Operations — Inventory, Blood Bank, and Shift Handoffs
The system is online. Next, let's see what happens when the first patient arrives.