This is a fork of the Meshtastic firmware to provide additional features
- "Zero Hop Repeater inside Caves" ~ unlimited repeater chain
- "Power Timer Switch" ~ predefined shutdown and resume
These features will not be included in the official Meshtastic firmware.
We use "special" values to configure the add-ons and reuse default App and CLI.
config.device.node_info_broadcast_secs = 3601 # 1 enabled | 0 disable zero hops
config.device.role = REPEATER | ROUTER | ROUTER_CLIENT | CLIENT
config.power.on_battery_shutdown_after_secs = 1783 # timer switch enabled (cfg % 10 == 1..3 enabled >= 80% on)
config.power.sds_secs = 86405 # 5min per hour (cfg % 100 == 5)
config.power.ls_secs = 86328 # 15min=5+2x5 every 8hour (cfg % 100 - % 10)
config.power.on_battery_shutdown_after_secs = 9p4 # timer switch enabled (cfg % 10 == 4 Pattern 0..9 )
994 # pattern 9 high/low (>90% always <10% shutdown) balanced
984 # pattern 8 high/low (>80% always <20% shutdown) balanced
974 # pattern 7 high/low (>70% always <30% shutdown) balanced
964 # pattern 6 high/low (>85% always <60% shutdown) safety
954 # pattern 5 high/low (>80% always <50% shutdown) safety
944 * # pattern 4 high/low (>75% always <40% shutdown) safety
934 # pattern 3 high/low (>40% always <30% shutdown) alwayson
924 # pattern 2 high/low (>30% always <20% shutdown) alwayson
914 # pattern 1 high/low (>20% always <10% shutdown) alwayson
904 # pattern 0 high/low (>10% always < 0% shutdown) alwayson
config.power.sds_secs = 43205 * # 5min per hour (cfg % 100 == 5) resume 12 hours
config.power.ls_secs = 43228 * # 15min=5+2x5 every 8hour (cfg % 100 - % 10)
additional settings:
device.role = ROUTER_CLIENT
device.serial_output = enabled
device.rebroadcast = LOCAL_ONLY
device.nodeinfo = 10800
position.smart_position = disabled
position.gps_mode = NOT_PRESENT
display.screen_timeout = 1
lora.region = EU_868
lora.hop_limit = 7
lora.mqtt = ignore
bluetooth = enabled (!!!)
bluetooth.pairing = FIXED_PIN
telemetry.device_metrics = 900
Without BLE restart sometimes not work.
The installation requires the esptool, the installer of the original firmware and the binary of the modified firmware.
- Install esptool to upload new firmware
- Download the original Meshtastic firmware installer
- Download extended Meshtastic firmware binary
The newest binary you can download from meshtastic-firmware-addon/tree/master/.pio/build or compile to your target hardware.
Extend range:
This feature is NOT recommended for public use with LongFast and only in caves (1, 2) with e.g. MediumFast.
The feature is intended for longer chains of 20-30 repeaters or routers in caves. The transmission of the message takes 3-5 seconds per hop, i.e. up to one minute with 10 repeaters.
Note: use this feature with caution. Meshtastic stores the ID of the sender and message for 10 minutes so that they are not rebroadcast again. Theoretically, infinite loops could occur if there is a lot of traffic in the mesh network and the buffer for the message ID that has already been sent overflows.
Reduce current consumption:
- always switched on when battery fully charged (solar panel in sunny weather)
- power-on few minutes every hour (e.g. 5 minutes per hour)
- power-on more minutes at longer intervals (e.g. 15 minutes every 6 hours)
The objective is to be able to operate a router for several days even with very small solar panels and batteries.
This feature uses the power configuration:
- shutdown on battery low ~ xxxxPx (percent) / xxxxM (saving prefs 1..3)
- shutdown deep sleep ~ xxxxUP (minutes) uptime every hour
- shutdown light sleep ~ xxxLx (long) / xxxxI (interval)
| device | consumtion | current | hourly | interval hour | always-on | bat shutdown | deep sleep | light sleep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TLORA_2_1_1P6 | 11.1% | 72mAh/d | 5min | 15min (6hours) | >90% | 1793s | 86405s | 86326s |
| TLORA_2_1_1P6 | 16.6% | 108mAh/d | 8min | 16min (4hours) | >80% | 1783s | 86408s | 86314s |
| HELTEC_V2_1 | 11.1% | 83mAh/d | 5min | 15min (6hours) | >90% | 1793s | 86405s | 86326s |
| HELTEC_V2_1 | 16.6% | 124mAh/d | 8min | 16min (4hours) | >80% | 1783s | 86408s | 86314s |
*) current as ROUTER with 10% TX at 20dBm
The node stays switched on when the battery is charged to over X0 percent. This option is intended for the node to be operated with a solar panel. The node remains permanently active on sunny days and the power-saving mode is activated on shady days.
This option can be used to prevent the configuration from being saved to the flash every time the device is shut down.
- 0 ~ Power Timer Switch disabled
- 1 ~ Power Timer Switch enabled / save prefs disabled
- 2 ~ Power Timer Switch enabled / save prefs enabled - every hour
- 3 ~ Power Timer Switch enabled / save prefs enabled - every long interval
This option controls how many minutes the node is switched on per hour. It is always switched on on the hour if the node has received the time from another node or via GPS. Several time-controlled nodes synchronize via the time and expand the mesh network. Over time, human observers will notice that certain routers are online for a few minutes every hour. They can then adjust their communication accordingly.
It is recommended to switch on the node for 15 minutes every few hours. The regular interval for position with time is 15 minutes. Even without GPS, the node receives the time from other nodes and can therefore regularly align itself with the time.
The number is a multiplier for a supplement to the regular uptime. If the uptime is 5 minutes and the multiplier is 2, this results in a longer uptime of 15 minutes.
An interval can be defined in which the node remains switched on for a longer uptime.
- 0 = interval deactivated
- 2..8 = interval of 2 .. 8 hours (12x ... 3x a day)
The early shutdown uses the remaining charge as a buffer so that the node does not drop to 0% charge.
Despite the timer, the battery may discharge and the node may no longer start if there is no sun for a longer period of time. Mode 4 switches to deep sleep beforehand and wakes up again after SDS configuration. In principle, the node DB is only saved for the long intervals.
| Sub-Mode 4 | Always-on PCT | Shutdown PCT | hint |
|---|---|---|---|
| xx94 | >90% | <10% | balanced (summer) |
| xx84 | >80% | <20% | balanced (summer) |
| xx74 | >70% | <30% | balanced (summer) |
| xx64 | >85% | <60% | safety (winter) |
| xx54 | >80% | <50% | safety (winter) |
| xx44 | >75% | <40% | safety (winter) |
| xx34 | >40% | <30% | alwayson |
| xx24 | >30% | <20% | alwayson |
| xx14 | >20% | <10% | alwayson |
| xx04 | >10% | n/a | alwayson |
Example: 974 means that the node is always in continuous operation above 70% battery charge. A solar node with a large panel and battery should always be switched on in normal sunlight. Between 70% and 30%, the node switches to interval mode and can still be reached every full hour. Below 30% battery charge, the SDS 43228 node switches off for 12 hours in order to save energy and recharge the battery via the solar cell.
- 220mA × 15s boot
- 120mA × 5s TX nodeinfo to mesh
- 60mA × 40s RX read from mesh
- avg: 105mA for 60 seconds (boot)
- avg: 25mA standby ESP32 (10% TX, 20dBm)
| long | short | pause | mAh/d |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120m | 5m | 115m | 89mAh |
| 60m | 5m | 55m | 105mAh |
| 30m | 5m | 25m | 175mAh |
| 20m | 5m | 15m | 253mAh |
By default nodes send time inside position frame every 900 seconds. Once a day a timer switch node should listen for minimum 15 minutes to get time from other nodes.
- gateway / zero hop repeater #3437
re-init RTC after resume- long uptime without RTC every 24h
- buffer sensor data at RTC
- buffer chat data at RTC
- upload telemetry to thinkspeak
- upload sensor to thinkspeak
- interactive chatbot
- change fix position via admin channel for static router on hills
- autoreply for direct message to router with hint "contact owner at node XYZ"
- select battery type #3910
- custom wifi power #2267
- turn off wifi by voltage level #2259
- customize boot screen #3362
- customize message screen #2427
- upload to Thingspeak #3626
- changeable MAC address (node id)
- use internal RTC temperature sensor #3883
virtual waypoint (fake position), existing feature- message store to flash #3664, #3637
- lorawan gateway for sensors #3838
- variables for canned message (e.g. $rssi, $snr, $lat, $lon)
- custom duty cycle #2288
- use public wifi and auto join
- auto confirm public wifi conditions
- inverval pax counter with deep sleep #d12648
- pax counter radius (rssi minimum) #3885
- one button control e.g. for canned messages (hook button #)
- Heltec Wireless Stick OLED-display #3714
- adjust hops to own limit #3833
- remove old nodes from nodedb
- determine and mark direct neighbors by retransmit own messages
- binary (image) file transfer
- act ESP32 as wifi access point #1308
- bboard #
- lora update over the air
- automatic reboot #3982
- remote messaging via lora (like remote admin)
- different hop limit for low prio portnum (e.g. telemetry)
- limit filesize = limit part id 6bit
- 253 byte × 64 parts ~ 16 kb
- max 8 parts / minute ~ 8 min / 16 kb
- network
- ntp server [32] = server#{string}
- rsyslog server [32] = server#{string}
- range test
- message interval = sec{number}
- canned
- messages [200] = {string}
The OTA update via Lora is only intended for nodes that are extremely difficult to access, where a wireless update via Bluetooth is not possible.
An update via Lora is only possible if the old firmware release already contains the extension for the update via Lora.
To update a Node-A, a second Node-B is required as a source. It is recommended to connect both nodes directly and without hops. In addition, the Short/Fast configuration with 10.94 kbps should be used for the update.
The OTA update via Lora extends the update via BLE. The chunks are received via Lora instead of Bluetooth. The new firmware release is retrieved by Node-A from Node-B.
The Admin Channel is used to initiate the retrieval of the new firmware. The address of Node-B is configured as a message for Node-A in the Canned module. Node-A then sends direct messages to Node-B to retrieve the chunks and Node-B responds with the parts of the new firmware binary.
# This is a layout for 4MB of flash
# Name, Type, SubType, Offset, Size, Flags
# nvs, data, nvs, 0x9000 (36kb), 0x6000, (24kb)
# otadata, data, ota, , 0x2000 (8kb),
# app0, app, ota_0, , 0x1c0000 (1792kb),
# app1, app, ota_1, , 0x1c0000 (1792kb),
# spiffs, data, spiffs, , 0x06f000 (444kb),
- update firmware
- update files
- update setup