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2. Connect to SABA Core

What is SABA Core?​

SABA Core is the central server that connects your LLM peripheral to Claude Desktop.

Components:

  • MQTT Broker (Mosquitto) - Device communication
  • MCP Bridge - Claude Desktop connection
  • Projection Manager - Web interface for tool management

Architecture​

┌─────────────────┐    MQTT     ┌─────────────────┐    MCP/SSE    ┌─────────────────┐
│   IoT Devices   │ ◄─────────► │   Core Server   │ ◄───────────► │  Claude Desktop │
│ (Hardware SDK)  │   1883      │ (Bridge+Broker) │     8083      │   (mcp-remote)  │
└─────────────────┘             └─────────────────┘               └─────────────────┘
                                         │
                                    HTTP │ 8084
                                         ▼
                                ┌─────────────────┐
                                │ Projection Mgr  │
                                │  (Web Interface)│
                                └─────────────────┘

1. Install SABA Core​

Install Docker​

First, you need Docker. Download it from the official Docker website.

Run Core Server​

git clone https://github.com/kawaiiTaiga/project_SABA.git
cd project_SABA/core_server
docker compose up -d --build

Check Ports​

Default ports:

  • MQTT Broker: 1883 (for device communication)
  • MCP Bridge: 8083 (for Claude Desktop connection)
  • Projection Manager: 8084 (web management interface)

Verify Installation​

# Check core server status
curl http://localhost:8083/healthz

# List connected devices (empty initially)
curl http://localhost:8083/devices

# Open web interface
# Navigate to http://localhost:8084 in browser

2. Device Provisioning​

To connect your device to SABA Core, you need to complete the provisioning process.

Provisioning Steps​

Step 1: Power On Device

Upload firmware to ESP32 and power it on. It will automatically enter setup mode on first boot.

Step 2: Connect to Wi-Fi

The device creates a Wi-Fi AP named MCP-SETUP-XXXX. Connect to this Wi-Fi.

Step 3: Configure via Browser

Navigate to http://192.168.4.1 and enter:

  • Wi-Fi SSID: Your home/office Wi-Fi name
  • Wi-Fi Password: Wi-Fi password
  • MQTT Broker Host: IP address of the computer running SABA Core (e.g., 192.168.1.100)
  • MQTT Broker Port: 1883 (default)

Step 4: Save and Reboot

Save settings and the device will reboot and automatically connect to SABA Core.

Finding MQTT Broker Host​

Windows:

ipconfig
# Look for "IPv4 Address" (e.g., 192.168.1.100)

macOS/Linux:

ifconfig
# or
ip addr show

3. Verify Device in Projection Manager​

Access Web Interface​

Open http://localhost:8084 in your browser.

You'll see the "Project Saba MCP Manager" page.

Check Device​

Your connected device should appear in the list:

  • Device ID (e.g., esp32-cam-01)
  • Connection status
  • Available tools

Device not showing?

# Check broker logs
docker logs -f mcp-broker

# Check bridge logs
docker logs -f mcp-bridge

Verify your device's MQTT settings are correct.

4. Configure Tool Names​

Tool Naming Rules​

MCP requires specific naming conventions:

Allowed:

  • Letters (a-z, A-Z)
  • Numbers (0-9)
  • Underscore (_)
  • Hyphen (-)

Not Allowed:

  • Spaces
  • Special characters
  • Non-ASCII characters (Korean, Chinese, etc.)

Examples:

  • ✅ take_photo, camera_shot, sensor_read
  • ❌ take photo, capture photo, capture(image)

Rename Tools​

  1. Select device in Projection Manager
  2. Find tool in the list
  3. Enter new name in "Alias" field
  4. Update "Description" if needed
  5. Save

Apply Changes​

Important: After changing settings, you must restart the Bridge.

Click "Restart Bridge" button in web interface, or:

docker restart mcp-bridge

5. Test Connection​

Check Device Status​

curl http://localhost:8083/devices

Should return JSON list of connected devices.

Check MCP Endpoint​

curl -i http://localhost:8083/sse

Should return 200 OK with Content-Type: text/event-stream.

Troubleshooting​

Device Not Connecting​

Check MQTT Broker:

docker logs -f mcp-broker

Verify Device MQTT Settings:

  • Is Broker Host correct?
  • Is port 1883?
  • Are they on the same network?

Tools Not Appearing​

  • Check if tools are enabled in Projection Manager
  • Restart device to reconnect
  • Check bridge logs: docker logs -f mcp-bridge

Settings Not Applying​

  • Click "Restart Bridge" button
  • Or run docker restart mcp-bridge
  • Check config file: ./config/projection_config.json

Next Steps​

Once SABA Core and your device are connected, it's time to connect Claude Desktop.

Move on to 3. Connect to Claude Desktop.