Device Farm Setup Workflow

Fresh

Complete workflow for building a multi-device testing lab with Total Control.

Planning Phase

Step 1: Hardware Selection

Refer to Hardware Requirements for detailed specs per tier.

Quick Reference

Scale	CPU	USB Hubs	Budget Estimate
4 devices	i3	1x 10-port	$
10 devices	i3	1x 10-port	$
20 devices	i3	2x 10-port	$$
50 devices	i5/i7	5x 10-port + PCIe	$$$
100 devices	i7/i9	10-13x 10-port + PCIe	$$$$

Critical: Power Supply

Each USB hub must supply at least 12W per port. Use 120W rated hubs. Insufficient power causes disconnections during testing.

Step 2: Physical Setup

1. Mount USB hubs on rack or desk
2. Use quality data cables (original manufacturer preferred)
3. Connect hubs to back-panel USB ports (not front-panel)
4. For 50+ devices: install PCIe USB expansion cards
5. Ensure adequate ventilation for devices

Step 3: Software Installation

1. Install Total Control on Windows PC
2. Purchase Professional license + device tier add-on
3. Enable USB debugging on ALL devices
4. Connect devices one at a time initially for driver setup

Step 4: Device Enrollment

Step 5: Organize Devices

1. Name devices — Click pen icon in MDCC to set meaningful names
2. Create groups — Organize by purpose (e.g., "Samsung-Test", "API-Devices")
3. Tag devices — Add tags for script targeting

Step 6: Validate Setup

Run a simple validation script across all devices:

var { getDevices } = require('sigma/device');
var devices = getDevices();
print("Connected devices: " + devices.length);

devices.forEach(function(d) {
  var name = d.getName();
  var battery = d.getRemainingBattery();
  print(name + " - Battery: " + battery + "%");
});

Maintenance Tips

• Monitor battery levels and replace aging cables
• Keep devices charged (some apps drain rapidly)
• Use MDCC turbo mode settings to balance performance/power
• For TCP farms: use 5GHz WiFi with enterprise access points
• Run TC Connect batch tool for mass setup operations