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First Boot: What to Expect

Once flashing is complete, your Muon board will automatically begin its first boot process.
This stage sets up the Device OS, initializes connectivity, and launches system services to bring your device online.

The onboard LED will indicate different stages of boot.
You can refer to the LED behavior guide in the Particle Docs for details.

First boot usually takes about 30 seconds, but if the device needs to initialize the cellular connection or switch eSIM profiles, it may take up to 5 minutes depending on network conditions.

Boot Process Overview​

Booting Muon for the first time typically proceeds as follows:

  1. The bootloader starts
  2. The device loads Device OS (provided by Particle)
  3. The user-space application is launched (this is the code you write, but the initial flash contains a basic application)
  4. The device establishes cellular connectivity
  5. Cloud connection is made via cellular or Wi-Fi (if configured)
  6. The device becomes fully operational and visible in the Particle Console

The initial application installed is a minimal one — simply verifying that boot has completed and the system is stable.

Connectivity Behavior​

  • Cellular: The cellular modem will activate automatically.

    ⚠️ The first-time cellular registration can take up to 5 minutes as the device negotiates with the network and handles eSIM profile activation.

  • Wi-Fi: If you configured Wi-Fi during setup, the device will attempt to connect to WiFi in parallel.

Once the device is connected, it:

  • Appears in your Particle Console
  • Is ready to receive over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates etc...

After Setup: What's Next?​

At the end of the setup flow, you’ll be given several options:

  • View your device in the Particle Console
  • Explore Blueprints – sample applications ready to deploy to your Muon
  • View documentation – including data sheets, tutorials, and technical specs
  • Deploy a basic application – deploy using our web based IDE
  • Install or desktop tools – develop applications for the device using your laptop

About Blueprints​

Blueprints are out-of-the-box example applications you can flash to Muon immediately.
They replace only the user-space application — Device OS remains unchanged.

You can always return to the Blueprint Library later to experiment with examples.

Programming & Development​

Option 1: Use the Web IDE​

Visit build.particle.io to:

  • Create and edit firmware
  • Flash apps to your device over-the-air
  • View output in the Event Viewer

📦 Try modifying the Hello World example, which publishes "Hello World" every 10 seconds.
Change the message, click Flash, and watch your changes update the device in real time in the web console for the device (in the event viewer)

Option 2: Use Particle Workbench​

Download the Particle Workbench for advanced development:

  • Open any Blueprint tutorial in full context
  • Access Particle’s library ecosystem
  • Use full project folder structure and offline tools

Application Safety & Recovery​

Device OS includes automatic fallback protection.

If you flash an application that crashes or behaves incorrectly, the device:

  • Detects the issue on boot
  • Prevents the faulty app from running
  • Enters Safe Mode
  • Asks the Particle Cloud for a valid fallback

This system, known as Safe Mode Healer, ensures your device always remains accessible.

Security Considerations​

Development builds of Muon provide:

  • Open USB access by default
  • JTAG enabled
  • Bootloader is unprotected

For production, these settings are locked down:

  • USB is disabled unless explicitly enabled
  • JTAG is disabled
  • Secure boot enforced on the bootloader

This separation helps you prototype quickly while maintaining security in the field.