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Node Types

FIRMWARE PROFILES · ROLES IN THE MESH

MeshCore distinguishes different node types based on their function in the network. These types are determined by the firmware profile you flash onto your hardware.

Node Types Overview

  • Companion Radio — The most commonly used type for end users. Acts as a radio interface for a smartphone via Bluetooth (BLE), USB, or WiFi. The MeshCore Companion App controls the node.
  • Repeater — Primary task: forwarding messages to extend network range. Typically placed at strategic locations with a good antenna position such as rooftops or hilltops.
  • Room Server — One Room per node, with store-and-forward: messages are held until the recipient is reachable again. The queue holds 32 posts and lives in working memory. Remote administration works with any administrator password; whether your client offers it is another matter — on a T-Deck it takes a registration key, in the smartphone app an unlock.
  • Standalone Device — Hardware such as the T-Deck Plus can operate completely independently. With a built-in screen and keyboard you can type and read messages directly — no smartphone needed.
  • Telemetry Node — Specifically for sending sensor data: temperature, humidity, battery voltage. Expandable via GPIO, I²C, or SPI interfaces.

Typical network

In practice, a network consists of a combination of these node types. A typical family network:

[!NOTE] Example: 2–4 Companion Radios for family members, 1 Repeater at a high point for better coverage, and 1 Room Server at home for store-and-forward.

All five node types in a network: two companion radios, a repeater, a room server, a standalone device and a telemetry node

Translated from Dutch by Anthropic Claude