From b40b2636696fbd520ac12b3ec674089b4512b6eb Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bernhard M Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2026 20:21:03 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Revise README with comprehensive project details Updated README to include detailed features, devices, and installation instructions for MeshCore. --- README.md | 82 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 82 insertions(+) create mode 100644 README.md diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a7cfea6 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,82 @@ +Would be nice if you support me: https://buymeacoffee.com/bmks — thank you very much!! +> Important: Use at your own risk. You, the device owner, are responsible for any damage, data loss, or bricked devices. + +# MeshCore / additional GUIs for embedded mesh radios + +MeshCore is a lightweight hybrid routing mesh protocol for packet radios... this Repo is mainly about the companion firmware for user-friendly UIs and (actually) support for devices such as the LilyGO T-Deck Plus and Seeed Studio SenseCap Indicator-TFT. + +## Table of contents +- [Features](#features) +- [Devices](#devices) +- [Installation](#installation) +- [Default radio settings](#default-radio-settings) +- [Why "this" GUI?](#why-this-gui) +- [Notes & reliability](#notes--reliability) +- [Contributing](#contributing) + +## Features + +The improved companion UI is a full-featured, touch-first interface designed +for small embedded mesh radios. Highlights include: + +- Tabs: `Contacts`, `Channels` (groups + Users/DMs), `Map` (slippy tile map), and `Mgmt` (settings & admin). +- Status bar: device name, transport badges (BLE/WiFi), and battery or duty-cycle indicator; temporary left-side overrides for short messages. +- Touch-first interactions: large touch targets, configurable UI zoom, reliable touch scrolling and list handling. +- Hardware navigation: D-pad / joystick / T-Deck trackball support, with configurable debounce and keyboard navigation for non-touch targets. +- On-screen keyboard: overlay keyboard with upper/lower/symbol modes and D-pad focus support; editor buffer sized for channel sends (up to ~125 chars). +- Messaging: messenger-style channels and DM threads, send confirmations, unread counts, IRC-style transcript view, full message detail view, timestamps, and quick-send actions. +- Message metadata: display of path/hops, best-effort RSSI and SNR, overheard repeaters list, and route hints. +- Contacts: sortable/filterable contact list (Azimuth, LastHeard, LastMessage), badges for GPS/reachability/online, favorite/tel flags, and detailed contact view with public key. +- Map: slippy-tile map with zoom, pan/drag, auto-centering, jump-to-me, map selection of contacts, and tile fetching/caching behavior configurable per target. +- Management features: edit device name, WiFi SSID/password, BLE PIN, screen timeout, radio parameters (frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor, coding rate, TX power), GPS pins/baud, and other device settings. +- Diagnostics & logs: neighbor scan helper, Rx-raw packet log viewer with parsed metadata, parsed packet detail view, telemetry request/pending state and telemetry history, and ping records for reachability tests. +- Telemetry & sensors: manual telemetry requests, telemetry records (voltage, temperature, humidity, CO2, TVOC), and support helpers for CayenneLPP / LPP payloads. +- Alerts & popups: lightweight banner/popups, sticky popups, and power/battery info overlays. +- Persistence: user preferences saved (screen timeout, battery label mode, contacts filter, T-Deck nav debounce, touch tuning) using NVS/Preferences. +- Developer & advanced helpers: public key detail, raw RX log scrolling, parsed packet metadata for debugging, and small utilities (neighbor repeater scan, telemetry probe, ping helper). + +## Devices + +This firmware includes companion UIs and support for several devices; notable examples: + +- LilyGO T-Deck / T-Deck Plus — more details: https://lilygo.cc/en-us/products/t-deck-plus-1 +- Seeed Studio SenseCap Indicator (TFT / D1Pro) — more details: https://www.seeedstudio.com/ + +## Installation + +Flash using the MeshCore web flasher: + +1. Open https://flasher.meshcore.co.uk/ and choose "Custom Firmware". +2. For first-time installation, perform a full flash erase (this removes all settings). +3. Upload the built firmware image and flash to your device. + +Notes: + +- Full flash erase is only needed for first-time installs or major updates. Subsequent updates can be done without erasing settings. +- First boot after flashing may take 1–2 minutes. The screen can flicker while partitions and settings initialize. + +## Default radio settings + +These defaults are used when there are no saved preferences on the device (EU/UK): + +- Frequency: 869.618 MHz +- Bandwidth: 62.5 kHz +- Spreading Factor: 8 +- Coding Rate: 8 +- TX Power: 22 dBm + +Adjust and persist settings from the Management screen on-device. + +## Why "this" GUI? + +MeshCore focuses on a compact, reliable mesh stack while adding polished on-device GUIs for a better out-of-the-box experience on small embedded devices. This repository adds companion UIs and platform variants to support hardware (such as the T-Deck Plus and SenseCap Indicator). + +## Notes & reliability + +- Persistence: key settings are stored on-device and survive reboots and updates. +- Reliability: UI touch mapping and state handling were improved to remain accurate when using zoomed UIs. +- GPS: some device variants (e.g. T-Deck Plus) require specific UART baud rates (38400) or correct antenna orientation; + +## Contributing + +Contributions welcome. Please open issues for bug reports, improvements, enhancements, or device support (thats more tricky when i do not own one).