MeshCore Open

Open-source Flutter client for MeshCore LoRa mesh networking devices.

Overview

MeshCore Open is a cross-platform mobile application for communicating with MeshCore LoRa mesh network devices via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The app enables long-range, off-grid communication through peer-to-peer messaging, public channels, and mesh networking capabilities.

Screenshots

Contacts

Chat

Reactions

Map

Channels

Features

Core Functionality

• Direct Messaging: Private encrypted conversations with individual contacts
• Public Channels: Broadcast messages to channel subscribers on the mesh network
• Contact Management: Organize contacts, track last seen times, and manage conversation history
• Contact Groups: Create custom groups to organize your mesh network contacts
• Message Reactions: React to messages with emoji responses
• Message Replies: Thread conversations with inline reply functionality

Mesh Network

• Path Visualization: View routing paths and signal quality for each contact
• Route Management: Manual path overriding and automatic route rotation
• Signal Metrics: Real-time SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) tracking
• Node Discovery: Automatic detection of nearby mesh nodes
• Repeater Support: Connect to and manage repeater nodes for extended range

Map & Location

• Live Map View: Real-time visualization of mesh network nodes on an interactive map
• Node Filtering: Filter by node type (chat, repeater, sensor) and time range
• Location Sharing: Share GPS coordinates and custom markers with contacts
• Offline Maps: Download map tiles for offline use in remote areas
• MGRS Coordinates: Support for Military Grid Reference System coordinate format

Device Management

• BLE Connection: Scan and connect to MeshCore devices via Bluetooth
• Device Settings: Configure radio parameters, power settings, and network options
• Battery Monitoring: Real-time battery status with chemistry-specific voltage curves
• Firmware Updates: Over-the-air firmware updates via BLE (coming soon)

Repeater Hub

• CLI Access: Full command-line interface to repeater nodes
• Settings Management: Configure repeater behavior, power limits, and network settings
• Statistics Dashboard: View repeater traffic, connected clients, and system health
• Remote Management: Administer repeaters from anywhere on the mesh network

Technical Details

Architecture

• Framework: Flutter 3.38.5 / Dart 3.10.4
• State Management: Provider pattern with ChangeNotifier
• BLE Protocol: Nordic UART Service (NUS) over Bluetooth Low Energy
• Storage: Local SQLite database for messages and contact data
• Encryption: End-to-end encryption for private messages using the MeshCore protocol

Platform Support

• ✅ Android: Full support (API 21+)
• ✅ iOS: Full support (iOS 12+)
• 🚧 Desktop: Limited support (macOS/Linux/Windows)

Dependencies

Package	Purpose
flutter_blue_plus	Bluetooth Low Energy communication
provider	State management
sqflite	Local database storage
flutter_map	Interactive map display
latlong2	Geographic coordinate handling
flutter_local_notifications	Background notification support
smaz	Message compression
pointycastle	Cryptographic operations
intl	Internationalization and date formatting

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Flutter SDK 3.38.5 or later
• Android Studio / Xcode (for mobile development)
• A MeshCore-compatible LoRa device

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/zjs81/meshcore-open.git
   cd meshcore-open
   

2. Install dependencies

   flutter pub get
   

3. Run the app

   flutter run
   

Building for Release

Android APK:

flutter build apk --release

iOS:

flutter build ios --release

Project Structure

lib/
├── main.dart                    # App entry point
├── connector/
│   ├── meshcore_connector.dart  # BLE communication & state management
│   └── meshcore_protocol.dart   # Protocol definitions & frame parsing
├── screens/
│   ├── scanner_screen.dart      # Device scanning (home screen)
│   ├── contacts_screen.dart     # Contact list
│   ├── chat_screen.dart         # Direct messaging
│   ├── channels_screen.dart     # Public channels
│   ├── map_screen.dart          # Network visualization map
│   ├── settings_screen.dart     # Device settings
│   └── repeater_hub_screen.dart # Repeater management
├── models/
│   ├── contact.dart             # Contact data model
│   ├── message.dart             # Message data structure
│   └── channel.dart             # Channel definitions
├── services/
│   ├── notification_service.dart      # Push notifications
│   ├── message_retry_service.dart     # Automatic message retry
│   ├── background_service.dart        # Background BLE connection
│   └── map_tile_cache_service.dart    # Offline map storage
└── storage/
    ├── message_store.dart       # Message persistence
    ├── contact_store.dart       # Contact database
    └── unread_store.dart        # Unread message tracking

BLE Protocol

Nordic UART Service (NUS)

• Service UUID: 6e400001-b5a3-f393-e0a9-e50e24dcca9e
• RX Characteristic: 6e400002-b5a3-f393-e0a9-e50e24dcca9e (Write to device)
• TX Characteristic: 6e400003-b5a3-f393-e0a9-e50e24dcca9e (Notify from device)

Device Discovery

Devices are discovered by scanning for BLE advertisements with the name prefix MeshCore-

Message Format

Messages are transmitted as binary frames using a custom protocol optimized for LoRa transmission. See meshcore_protocol.dart for frame structure definitions.

Configuration

App Settings

• Theme: System default, light, or dark mode
• Notifications: Configurable for messages, channels, and node advertisements
• Battery Chemistry: Support for NMC, LiFePO4, and LiPo battery types
• Message Retry: Automatic retry with configurable path clearing

Device Settings

• Radio Power: Transmit power adjustment (10-30 dBm)
• Frequency: LoRa frequency configuration
• Bandwidth: Channel bandwidth selection
• Spreading Factor: Range vs. speed trade-off
• Network ID: Mesh network identifier

Contributing

This is an open-source project. Contributions are welcome!

Development Guidelines

• Follow the Flutter style guide
• Use Material 3 design components
• Write clear commit messages
• Test on both Android and iOS before submitting PRs

Code Style

• Prefer StatelessWidget with Consumer for reactive UI
• Use const constructors where possible
• Keep functions small and focused
• Avoid premature abstractions

Support

For issues, questions, or feature requests, please open an issue on GitHub: https://github.com/zjs81/meshcore-open/issues

Donate

If you find MeshCore Open useful and would like to support development, you can donate Solana or other Solana tokens:

Solana Address: F15YanjZj96YTBtKJYgNa8RLQLCZkx5CEwogPWkqXeoQ

Your support helps maintain and improve this open-source project!

Acknowledgments

• Built with Flutter
• Map tiles from OpenStreetMap