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June 9, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

$6.5 RAK11160 LoRaWAN, WiFi, and BLE module pairs ESP32-C2 with STM32WLE5 for low-power, long-range IoT

RAK11160 ESP32-C2 STM32WL LoRaWAN module

RAKwireless RAK11160 is a new low-cost, low-power LoRaWAN, WiFi 4, and Bluetooth LE module based on ESP32-C2 (ESP8684) wireless microcontroller and STM32WLE5 LoRa SoC for LPWAN IoT applications. The company noticed that many people would combine their STMicro STM32WL-based RAK3172 WisDuo LoRaWAN module with an ESP32 module to add WiFi and/or Bluetooth connectivity to their projects besides LoRaWAN. So RAKwireless decided to offer a module combining both STM32WL and ESP32-C2 to offer a cheap and much more compact solution to their customers. RAK1160 was born. RAwireless RAK11160 specifications: LPWAN SoC/SiP – STMicro STM32WLE5 Core – Arm Cortex-M4 MCU @ 48 MHz Memory – 64 KB RAM Storage – 256 KB flash memory with ECC Wireless – Sub-GHz radio based on Semtech SX126x LoRaWAN 1.0.4 specification compliant Supported bands – EU433, CN470, IN865, EU868, AU915, US915, KR920, RU864, and AS923 LoRaWAN Activation by OTAA/ABP LoRa Point-to-Point (P2P) communication Tx Power Output – […]

June 5, 2025June 5, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Map Remote ID-enabled drones with ESP32-C3/S3 and Meshtastic LoRa modules

Colonel Panic’s Mesh Mapper is a project designed to map drones emitting the FAA’s Remote ID over WiFi or Bluetooth with location, altitude, pilot position, and identification data. This project utilizes an ESP32-C3 or ESP32-S3 to capture Remote ID transmissions within range, and then feeds the data into a Python Flask web application part of Mesh Mapper that provides real-time visualization and logging. Meshtastic allows multiple detection nodes to share information across a mesh network, so several ESP32 nodes can be deployed in an area and be alerted when drones fly within your property or neighborhood. While you could use your own ESP32-C3/S3 board and Meshtastic hardware for this project, Colonel Panic designed a breakout board for XIAO ESP32C3 or ESP32S3 WiFi & Bluetooth module and Heltec LoRa 32 V3 connected over serial to make things easier. Something like the XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa devkit might also do, […]

May 31, 2025May 31, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Wio Tracker L1 Pro is a battery-powered, ready-to-use Meshtastic LoRa node

Wio Tracker L1 Pro LoRa based off grid messaging device

The Wio Tracker L1 Pro is a battery-powered LoRa node pre-flashed with the Meshtastic firmware for low-power off-grid messaging and GPS coordinates sharing. It integrates a Semtech SX1262 LoRa module for wireless data transmission and uses a Nordic nRF52840 Bluetooth 5.0 SoC to process and display the data. The L1 Pro also features a 1.3-inch OLED display, a rechargeable battery, a USB Type-C port, and a solar panel connector housed in a durable 3D-printed enclosure. It is fully compatible with the Grove ecosystem and offers expansion via PTH headers and an SWD interface. Wio Tracker L1 Pro specifications: SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 CPU – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ 64 MHz Memory & storage – 1 MB Flash, 256 KB RAM Wireless – Bluetooth 5, Thread, ANT, Bluetooth Mesh, 802.15.4 (Zigbee), 2.4 GHz proprietary Display 1.3-inch OLED display with 64 x 28 resolution Active Area – 34.5mm x 23.0mm x 1.47mm […]

May 29, 2025June 2, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

OBJEX Link S3LW ultra-low-power ESP32-S3 LoRaWAN board takes up to 100W power input

OBJEX Link S3LW is a small development board based on the ultra-low-power ELPM-S3LW module with ESP32-S3 MCU and LoRaWAN connectivity and the ability to take 100W input via USB-C or a 2-pin terminal block for driving motors, controlling RGB LED strips, and other high-power projects. It’s compliant with the USB PD standard, features two 28-pin headers and a STEMMA I2C connector for expansion, as well as a built-in CP2102/CP2104 USB to serial bridge for debugging, and a few buttons. The company also offers an OBJEX ELPM-S3 module and OBJEX Link S3 board with the same features, minus LoRa/LoRaWAN support. OBJEX Link S3LW specifications: Wireless module ELPM-S3LW v1.2 Wireless SoC – ESP32-S3FN8 CPU – Dual-core 32-bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller with AI vector instructions up to 240MHz, RISC-V ULP co-processor Memory – 512KB SRAM Storage – 8MB flash Wireless – 2.4GHz WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 BLE + Mesh LoRa support LoRa […]

May 11, 2025May 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

ThinkNode M2 ESP32-S3-based Meshtastic handset features 1.3-inch OLED display, 1,000 mAh battery

Elecrow ThinkNode M2 is yet another Meshtastic handset for off-grid messaging and GPS coordinate sharing based on an ESP32-S3 module providing Bluetooth connectivity to a smartphone, and a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver for low-power long-range wireless connectivity. It’s an evolution of the ThinkNode-M1, itself similar to the LILYGO T-Echo, based on a Nordic Semi nRF52840 Bluetooth module and SX1262 LoRa transceiver with an external antenna housed in a 3D printed enclosure. The new ThinkNode M2 is very similar but features a more powerful ESP32-S3 module instead, relies on a 1.3-inch OLED display instead of a 1.54-inch e-paper display, and is housed in an ABS plastic case. ThinkNode M2 specifications: Core module – ESP32-S3 module (looks to be ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 on the photo below) SoC – ESP32-S3 CPU – dual-core 32-bit microcontroller @ 240MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 384KB ROM 4MB flash Wireless – 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth […]

April 25, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

LILYGO T-Echo Lite – A 1.22-inch e-Paper display board with nRF52840 SoC, LoRa transceiver, GPS

LILYGO T-Echo Lite is a small Nordic Semi nRF52840 board with a 1.22-inch e-Paper display, a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver, and an L76K GPS module, that’s especially suitable for Meshtastic off-grid messaging firmware. It looks like it could even serve as the base for a Meshtastic watch. The T-Echo Lite is a lightweight version of the earlier T-Echo that ships with a larger 1.54-inch e-paper display. Three Lite versions are available: T-Echo Lite Core – Castellated module with nRF52840, LoRa, power, and battery management T-Echo Lite Base – A breakout board for the Core module with battery and solar panel connectors, Qwiic connector, USB port, an interface for a 1.22-inch e-paper display, and an optional GPS expansion header T-Echo Lite Main Unit – Complete solution built around the Base version, a 1.22-inch e-paper display, and an acrylic enclosure. The L76K GPS module is still an option. T-Echo Lite specifications: LILYGO […]

April 24, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

SenseCAP Solar Node P1 and P1-Pro are low-cost outdoor Meshtastic repeaters

SenseCAP Solar Node P1 P1 ProMeshtastic Repeaters

We’ve just written about RAKwireless solar-powered WisMesh repeaters to extend the range of Meshtastic networks, but there are now lower-cost options with Seeed Studio’s SenseCAP Solar Node P1 and P1-Pro repeaters. Both feature a solar panel, XIAO nRF52840 Plus and Wio-SX1262 modules, but the SenseCAP Solar Node P1-Pro adds GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo support with the XIAO L76K and four 18650 batteries for backup power.. SenseCAP Solar Node P1 and P1-Pro specifications Main controller – XIAO nRF52840 Plus SoC – Nordic nRF52840 Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ up to 64 MHz with 1 MB flash, 256 KB SRAM, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 802.15.4 connectivity Storage – 2 MB onboard Flash USB – USB-C port for power and programming Wireless Wio-SX1262 Module – Semtech SX1262, TXOP=22dBm@862-930MHz) Output Power – Up to +22 dBm Frequency Range – 862 MHz to 930 MHz Modulations – LoRa, (G)FSK, Long Range FHSS Sensitivity – Down to -148 […]

April 18, 2025April 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Solar-powered WisMesh Repeaters extend the range of Meshtastic networks

Solar Powered WisMesh Meshtastic Repeaters

RAKWireless has launched two solar-powered Meshtastic range extenders/repeaters: the WisMesh Repeater with a larger battery and external solar panel, and the WisMesh Repeater Mini with a more compact design with an integrated solar panel Meshtastic open-source firmware allows LoRa nodes to be used for off-grid messaging, GPS coordinates sharing, and more. The mesh network relies on nodes to communicate with each other and relay messages to other nodes if needed. However, this does not work reliably when nodes are too far apart or one node goes offline for whatever reason. That’s when Meshtastic repeaters are needed. WisMesh Repeater / Repeater Mini specifications: WisBlock RAK4631 Core Module Wireless SoC – Nordic Semi nRF52840 Cortex-M4F MCU @ 64 MHz with 1MB flash, 256 KB RAM, BLE 5.0, pre-flashed with Meshtastic firmware LoRa transceiver – Semtech SX126x series with support for Meshtastic 8xx and 9xx MHz networks 800 MHz – RU864/ IN865/ EU868 […]