# Claiming P2/Photon2 Without USB. Possible?

**URL:** <https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773>\
**Category:** Getting Started\
**Created:** [December 11, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773 "2024-12-11T16:45:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![willdueease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@willdueease](https://community.particle.io/u/willdueease)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 4:45pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773/1 "2024-12-11T16:45:17Z")

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I have a PCBA with a P2 on it that had the USB port damaged in manufacturing. Is it possible to claim a P2 module without using USB?

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**Author:** ![rickkas7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/rickkas7/32/8681_2.png) [@rickkas7](https://community.particle.io/u/rickkas7)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773/2 "2024-12-11T17:44:36Z")

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I would read the serial number off the label; you can either do it by hand or use a data matrix code reader.

Add this to a P2/Photon 2 product. This will allow you to see the Device ID, which you can use if you also need to claim the device.

The hardest thing will be configuring the Wi-Fi. If you have the old Particle mobile app (no longer supported) that would work. If you are creating your own BLE-based app, that would work. You could use the React Native, iOS, or Android [provisioning sample code](https://docs.particle.io/reference/device-os/wifi-setup-options/) but this is fairly involved.

You could set the Wi-Fi credentials in firmware, but this would require being able to flash the device, which you can't do OTA since it doesn't have Wi-Fi. You could use a CMSIS-DAP debugger.

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**Author:** ![willdueease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@willdueease](https://community.particle.io/u/willdueease)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773/3 "2024-12-11T18:02:11Z")

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The BLE provisioning mode looks interesting! The P2 boots up into Listening Mode, do I need to put it into BLE Provisioning mode via the mode/rst buttons, or is it active in parallel to the Listening-Mode?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![rickkas7](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/rickkas7/32/8681_2.png) [@rickkas7](https://community.particle.io/u/rickkas7)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 6:08pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773/4 "2024-12-11T18:08:05Z")

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It should be possible to use the default Particle UUIDs for BLE provisioning with the device in listening mode from the factory. You'll also need the mobile secret, which is device specific. You can get this from the cloud after the device is in your product, or by reading the data matrix code on the serial number sticker.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![willdueease](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f475e1/32.png) [@willdueease](https://community.particle.io/u/willdueease)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2024, 6:09pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773/5 "2024-12-11T18:09:41Z")

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Great! I'll give that a shot. I also have an unpopulated debugger header that I can install.

Thanks for the help!

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**Author:** ![friedl\_1977](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/community.particle.io/friedl_1977/32/22930_2.png) [@friedl\_1977](https://community.particle.io/u/friedl_1977)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773/6 "2024-12-14T19:58:18Z")

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Hi @willdueease -

Just a thought - I managed to snap off the USB port on a board an assembled recently. After trying a couple of things I realized it might be easier to just cut the end of a USB cable, strip the V+, D+, D- and GND wires, solder them to the board and done! Worked like a charm.

Regards, Friedl.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/particle/original/3X/6/4/64635adccc35238caa19e9b553ec3e98b163d026.png) [@system](https://community.particle.io/u/system)\
**Post date:** [June 15, 2025, 7:58am UTC](https://community.particle.io/t/claiming-p2-photon2-without-usb-possible/68773/7 "2025-06-15T07:58:44Z")

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