The MeshCore Layer Model¶

4 LAYERS · RF TO LEGAL

MeshCore is built from four strictly separated layers, each with a specific function.

The four layers¶

Diagram 1 bij techniek-lagen

Layer 1: RF Hardware¶

Microcontroller (ESP32/nRF52), LoRa chip (SX1262), antenna, and power supply. This is the physical foundation of every node.

Layer 2: LoRa PHY¶

The modem layer translates bits into radio signals via Chirp Spread Spectrum. Bandwidth (BW), Spreading Factor (SF), and Coding Rate (CR) determine the balance between range and speed.

Layer 3: Firmware and Network Stack¶

MeshCore firmware handles routing, message processing, and network management. Every node has its own identity in the form of an Ed25519 keypair; in packets and paths that node is identified by the first byte of its public key (see MeshCore Packet Structure). Nodes can learn routes to other nodes: intelligent routing instead of flooding ensures efficient network traffic.

Layer 4: Legal mode¶

Determines whether the device runs in HAM mode (70 cm band, no encryption, callsign required) or ISM mode (868 MHz, encryption, anonymous possible).

Link Budget — Why LoRa reaches so far¶

Link budget is the total signal loss a connection can sustain. LoRa achieves 150+ dB link budget, enabling:

Long distances with low power
Connections below the noise floor that can still be decoded
Meshes with few nodes that can already scale regionally (via hops)

Translated from Dutch by Anthropic Claude