Meshtastic
Meshtastic is a decentralized wireless off-grid mesh networking LoRa protocol.[1][2] The main goal of the project is enabling low-power, long-range communication over unlicensed radio bands. Its designed around exchanging text messages and data in off-grid environments, with potential applications in IoT projects where a decentralized communication system is needed without existing infrastructure.[3][4]
Meshtastic uses LoRa peer to peer (p2p), a long-range radio protocol, to form a mesh network by rebroadcasting messages to extend communication reach. Each device can connect with a single phone, enabling messaging in off-grid areas, making it useful for not only messages, but also data transmissions.[5][6][2]
Hardware
[edit]Meshtastic uses hardware development boards, like ESP32 and nRF52840, that support LoRa and BLE communication technologies, along with GNSS receivers. These devices enable seamless mobile app connectivity via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, allowing long-range message retransmission across a mesh network using LoRa transceivers. This setup is ideal for developing communicators that don't rely on conventional infrastructure.[7]
Commercial purpose built Meshtastic boards and kits are available.[2]
Use cases
[edit]Due to the small form factor of most Meshtastic nodes they can be used in different environments where phone or internet connectivity is limited.
Proposed use cases
[edit]- Hiking, skiing, paragliding, and other outdoor sports with limited cellular coverage[8]
- Applications requiring open-source GPS communicators (e.g., for glider pilots)[8]
- Secure, long-range group communication without relying on cellular providers[8]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Build IoT Apps with Meshtastic". IEEE Spectrum. IEEE. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c "HackSpace Magazine Issue 80: Meshtastic Tutorial". HackSpace Magazine. Raspberry Pi Foundation. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "SoCal Mesh". SoCal Mesh Network. SoCalMesh.org. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Meshtastic: A LoRa Mesh Communication Tool for Off-Grid Networking". GIGAZINE. GIGAZINE.net. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Denver Mesh Network". Denver Mesh. DenverMesh.org. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Tech Behind CCC Parallel Vote Tabulation Network". Techzim. Techzim.co.zw. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ "Meshtastic 2.0: Faster, Smarter, and More Reliable". RAKwireless News. RAKwireless. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Meshtastic: A Hiking, Skiing, GPS Mesh Communicator". Hackster.io. Hackster. Retrieved September 17, 2024.