diff --git a/analog_system_monitor_arduino/analog_system_monitor_arduino.ino b/analog_system_monitor_arduino/analog_system_monitor_arduino.ino
index 530d11d..2bf40dd 100644
--- a/analog_system_monitor_arduino/analog_system_monitor_arduino.ino
+++ b/analog_system_monitor_arduino/analog_system_monitor_arduino.ino
@@ -122,13 +122,21 @@ unsigned long lastPacketTime = 0;
 const unsigned long watchdogTimeout = 5000;  // 5 seconds
 unsigned long lastFadeTime = 0;
 
+// -------------------------------
+// Animation tuning
+// -------------------------------
+const float FADE_IN_FACTOR  = 0.999f;   // boot-up 0 → 100%
+const float FADE_OUT_FACTOR = 0.999f;   // watchdog 100% → 0
+const unsigned long FADE_INTERVAL = 1;  // ms between fade steps
+
 // -------------------------------
 // Connection state machine
 // -------------------------------
 enum ConnectionState {
-    STATE_DISCONNECTED,  // fade to zero
-    STATE_CONNECTING,    // fade in 0 → 100%
-    STATE_CONNECTED      // normal UDP-driven slew
+    STATE_DISCONNECTED,        // fade to zero
+    STATE_CONNECTING,          // fade in 0 → 100%
+    STATE_WAIT_FOR_FIRST_PACKET, // hold at 100%, wait for first UDP
+    STATE_CONNECTED            // normal UDP-driven slew
 };
 
 ConnectionState connectionState = STATE_DISCONNECTED;
@@ -543,8 +551,8 @@ void loop() {
 
     if (idx == NUM_CHANNELS) {
 
-      // First valid packet after being disconnected → start CONNECTING
       if (connectionState == STATE_DISCONNECTED) {
+          // First valid packet after being disconnected → start CONNECTING
           Serial.println("STATE CHANGE: DISCONNECTED → CONNECTING (UDP connection established)");
           connectionState = STATE_CONNECTING;
 
@@ -562,6 +570,38 @@ void loop() {
           // Ignore UDP values during fade-in, just keep watchdog alive
           lastPacketTime = millis();
       }
+      else if (connectionState == STATE_WAIT_FOR_FIRST_PACKET) {
+          // First real packet after fade-in completes
+          Serial.println("STATE CHANGE: WAIT_FOR_FIRST_PACKET → CONNECTED (first UDP packet received)");
+
+          for (int ch = 0; ch < NUM_CHANNELS; ch++) {
+              if (!overrideActive[ch]) {
+                  targetDuty[ch] = values[ch];
+                  slewStartDuty[ch] = currentDuty[ch]; // currently ~100%
+              }
+          }
+
+          slewStartTime = millis();
+          lastPacketTime = millis();
+          connectionState = STATE_CONNECTED;
+
+          // Debug output
+          Serial.println("Received UDP packet (first after fade-in):");
+          for (int i = 0; i < NUM_CHANNELS; i++) {
+            Serial.print("  CH");
+            Serial.print(i);
+            Serial.print(" (");
+            Serial.print(channelLabels[i]);
+            Serial.print("): ");
+            Serial.print(values[i], 2);
+            if (channelUnits[i][0] != '\0') {
+              Serial.print(" ");
+              Serial.print(channelUnits[i]);
+            }
+            Serial.println();
+          }
+          Serial.println();
+      }
       else if (connectionState == STATE_CONNECTED) {
           // Normal UDP-driven update
           for (int ch = 0; ch < NUM_CHANNELS; ch++) {
@@ -631,10 +671,7 @@ void loop() {
           }
 
           // Fade-in animation: 0 → 100% on all non-override channels
-          const unsigned long fadeInterval = 1;
-          const float fadeInFactor = 0.999f;  // fast at start, slow near 100%
-
-          if (now - lastFadeTime >= fadeInterval) {
+          if (now - lastFadeTime >= FADE_INTERVAL) {
               lastFadeTime = now;
 
               bool allReached = true;
@@ -644,7 +681,7 @@ void loop() {
                       float cd = currentDuty[ch];
 
                       // Exponential approach to 100%
-                      cd = cd * fadeInFactor + 100.0f * (1.0f - fadeInFactor);
+                      cd = cd * FADE_IN_FACTOR + 100.0f * (1.0f - FADE_IN_FACTOR);
                       currentDuty[ch] = cd;
 
                       float calibratedDuty = applyCalibration(ch, cd);
@@ -659,30 +696,27 @@ void loop() {
               }
 
               if (allReached) {
-                  Serial.println("STATE CHANGE: CONNECTING → CONNECTED (fade-in complete)");
-                  // Initialize slew baseline from currentDuty
-                  for (int ch = 0; ch < NUM_CHANNELS; ch++) {
-                      slewStartDuty[ch] = currentDuty[ch];
-                  }
-                  slewStartTime = millis();
-                  connectionState = STATE_CONNECTED;
+                  Serial.println("STATE CHANGE: CONNECTING → STATE_WAIT_FOR_FIRST_PACKET (fade-in complete)");
+                  connectionState = STATE_WAIT_FOR_FIRST_PACKET;
               }
           }
       } break;
 
+      case STATE_WAIT_FOR_FIRST_PACKET: {
+          // Hold at ~100%, do nothing until first UDP packet arrives
+          // (handled in UDP parsing above)
+      } break;
+
       case STATE_DISCONNECTED: {
           // Watchdog fade-to-zero (always active in this state)
-          const unsigned long fadeInterval = 1;
-
-          if (now - lastFadeTime >= fadeInterval) {
+          if (now - lastFadeTime >= FADE_INTERVAL) {
               lastFadeTime = now;
 
               for (int ch = 0; ch < NUM_CHANNELS; ch++) {
 
                 if (currentDuty[ch] > 0.0f) {
 
-                  const float fadeFactor = 0.999f;
-                  currentDuty[ch] *= fadeFactor;
+                  currentDuty[ch] *= FADE_OUT_FACTOR;
 
                   if (currentDuty[ch] < 0.01f)
                     currentDuty[ch] = 0.0f;