IceMeshCore

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IceMeshCore

Complete step-by-step guide for setting up a MeshCore LoRa mesh network with LilyGo hardware, integrated with Home Assistant for monitoring and messaging from a tablet/dashboard.

Architecture Overview 

                        LoRa 869.618 MHz
                       SF10 / BW 62.5 kHz

  [T-Deck "IceDeck"] <~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> [T-Beam SX1276]
   (Portable Client)            |                (Relay / Gateway)
    - MeshOS/Ultra FW           |                 - WiFi Companion FW
    - Physical Keyboard         |                 - Built from Source
    - GPS + Offline Maps        |                 - TCP:5000
    - SD Card (Map Tiles)       |                 |
                                |                 | WiFi (IoT VLAN)
                     [T-Beam Supreme SX1262]      v
                      (Dedicated Repeater)    [Home Network]
                       - Repeater FW               |
                       - OLED Status Display        v
                       - GPS + BME280         [Home Assistant]
                       - Built from Source     - meshcore-ha Integration
                                               - MeshCore Dashboard
                                               - MQTT Bridge
                                               - Automations & Alerts
                                                    |
                                                    v
                                             [Galaxy Tab Kiosk]
                                              - HA Dashboard URL
                                              - Send/Receive Messages
                                              - Monitor Mesh Status

Hardware

Device Chip Role Radio Firmware Connection
LilyGo T-Beam v1.x ESP32 + SX1276 Relay / Gateway 869.618 MHz, 20 dBm Companion Radio WiFi (custom build) WiFi TCP:5000
LilyGo T-Beam Supreme ESP32-S3 + SX1262 Dedicated Repeater 869.618 MHz, 22 dBm Repeater (custom build + OLED status) USB / Standalone
LilyGo T-Deck ESP32-S3 + SX1262 Portable Client 869.618 MHz, 22 dBm MeshOS/Ultra (closed-source) USB / Standalone

Radio Settings (EU - Long Range)

Parameter Value Notes
Frequency 869.618 MHz EU MeshCore standard, legal in DE/AT/CH
Spreading Factor SF10 Long range (~5-10 km rural, ~2-3 km urban)
Bandwidth 62.5 kHz Narrow = better sensitivity and range
Coding Rate 4/5 Minimum FEC, sufficient for good signal
TX Power 20-22 dBm Maximum legal (T-Beam: 20, Supreme/T-Deck: 22)

Step-by-Step Setup

  1. Flash T-Beam Relay - Build and flash WiFi companion firmware
  2. Flash T-Beam Supreme Repeater - Build and flash dedicated repeater with OLED status
  3. Flash T-Deck Client - Flash MeshOS via web flasher
  4. Configure T-Deck - Set radio parameters and name
  5. Setup Home Assistant - Install meshcore-ha + dashboard
  6. Download Map Tiles - Germany + Austria offline maps for T-Deck
  7. Test Communication - Verify bidirectional messaging

Detailed Instructions

Guide Description
docs/setup-guide.md Complete setup walkthrough (all steps)
docs/flash-tbeam.md T-Beam SX1276 WiFi companion flashing
docs/flash-tbeam-supreme.md T-Beam Supreme SX1262 repeater flashing
docs/flash-tdeck.md T-Deck MeshOS/Ultra flashing
docs/homeassistant.md Home Assistant integration
docs/radio-settings.md Radio configuration reference
docs/oled-status-display.md Customizing the repeater OLED display
docs/benutzerhandbuch-messaging.md User guide for Galaxy Tab messaging (DE)

Directory Structure 

IceMeshCore/
  configs/                          # PlatformIO config templates (no credentials!)
    tbeam_sx1276_wifi.ini             # T-Beam SX1276 WiFi companion
    tbeam_supreme_sx1262_repeater.ini # T-Beam Supreme SX1262 repeater
  docs/                             # Detailed step-by-step documentation
    setup-guide.md                    # Complete setup walkthrough
    flash-tbeam.md                    # T-Beam flashing details + troubleshooting
    flash-tbeam-supreme.md            # T-Beam Supreme repeater guide (comprehensive)
    flash-tdeck.md                    # T-Deck flashing details
    oled-status-display.md            # OLED display customization guide
    homeassistant.md                  # HA integration setup
    architecture.md                   # Network architecture details
    radio-settings.md                 # Radio configuration reference
    benutzerhandbuch-messaging.md     # Galaxy Tab user guide (German)
    images/                           # Screenshots and console output examples
  homeassistant/                    # HA configuration examples
    dashboard-meshcore.yaml
    automations-meshcore.yaml
  scripts/                          # Build and utility scripts
    build-tbeam.sh                    # Build + flash T-Beam SX1276
    build-tbeam-supreme.sh            # Build + flash T-Beam Supreme SX1262
    flash-tdeck.sh                    # Flash T-Deck
    download-tiles.py                 # Download offline map tiles
  README.md

Important Notes

  • EU Frequency: 868 MHz band (legal requirement for DE/AT/CH)
  • No credentials in repo - WiFi/MQTT passwords must be set locally
  • T-Beam radio identification: Check your hardware!
    • SX1276: Older T-Beam models (v1.0, v1.1, some v1.2) - 868 MHz, 20 dBm max
    • SX1262: Newer models (T-Beam Supreme, some v1.2+) - 868 MHz, 22 dBm max
  • MeshOS/Ultra: Closed-source T-Deck firmware with map support, flashed via web tool
  • MeshCore open-source: Companion radio and repeater firmware is open source and built from source
  • OLED Status Display: The T-Beam Supreme repeater includes a custom 3-screen status display showing traffic stats, signal quality, battery, and neighbor info

License

MIT - See LICENSE