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FAQ: 4. T-Deck Related

4.1. Q: Is there a user guide for T-Deck, T-Pager, T-Watch, or T-Display Pro?

A: Yes, it is available on https://buymeacoffee.com/ripplebiz/ultra-v7-7-guide-meshcore-users

4.2. Q: What are the steps to get a T-Deck into DFU (Device Firmware Update) mode?

A:

  1. Device off
  2. Connect USB cable to device
  3. Hold down trackball (keep holding)
  4. Turn on device
  5. Hear USB connection sound
  6. Release trackball
  7. T-Deck in DFU mode now
  8. At this point you can begin flashing using the MeshCore web flasher at flasher.meshcore.io (use the Console / flash option).

4.3. Q: Why is my T-Deck Plus not getting any satellite lock?

A: For T-Deck Plus, the GPS baud rate should be set to 38400. Also, some T-Deck Plus devices were found to have the GPS module installed upside down, with the GPS antenna facing down instead of up. If your T-Deck Plus still doesn't get any satellite lock after setting the baud rate to 38400, you might need to open the device to check the GPS orientation.

GPS on T-Deck is always enabled. You can skip the "GPS clock sync" and the T-Deck will continue to try to get a GPS lock. You can go to the GPS Info screen; you should see the Sentences: counter increasing if the baud rate is correct.

Source

4.4. Q: Why is my OG (non-Plus) T-Deck not getting any satellite lock?

A: The OG (non-Plus) T-Deck doesn't come with a GPS. If you added a GPS to your OG T-Deck, please refer to the manual of your GPS to see what baud rate it requires. Alternatively, you can try to set the baud rate from 9600, 19200, etc., and up to 115200 to see which one works.

4.5. Q: What size of SD card does the T-Deck support?

A: Users have had no issues using 16GB or 32GB SD cards. Format the SD card to FAT32.

4.6. Q: what is the public key for the default public channel?

A:

T-Deck uses the same key the smartphone apps use but in base64

izOH6cXN6mrJ5e26oRXNcg==

Note: This is the shared key for the public default channel and is known to everyone - it provides NO privacy. Anyone can read default-channel traffic. Never send sensitive information on the default channel; create a private channel with your own key for any confidential traffic.

There is no = key on the T-Deck's hardware keyboard. You can use the on-screen software keyboard to enter =. Tap the text box to enable the on-screen software keyboard.

In izOH6cXN6mrJ5e26oRXNcg==, the 3rd character is a capital letter O (as in Oscar), not the digit zero 0.

The smartphone app key is in hex:

8b3387e9c5cdea6ac9e5edbaa115cd72

Source

4.7. Q: How do I get maps on T-Deck?

A: You need map tiles. Pre-downloaded map tile bundles (for Europe and the US) are sometimes shared as a way to support development. (Note: the specific download links are not currently available here - check the MeshCore Discord or the official T-Deck guide for the current tile-bundle links.)

Another way to download map tiles is to use a Python tile-download script to get the tiles for the areas you want. (The script link is not currently provided here; the MeshCore community shares both a base script and a modified version with extra error handling and parallel downloads - ask in the MeshCore Discord for the current links.)

4.8. Q: Where do the map tiles go?

Once you have the tiles downloaded, copy the \tiles folder to the root of your T-Deck's SD card.

4.9. Q: How to unlock deeper map zoom and server management features on T-Deck?

A: You can download, install, and use the T-Deck firmware for free, but it has some features (map zoom, server administration) that are enabled if you purchase an unlock code for \$10 per T-Deck device.

Unlock page: (link not currently provided here - the unlock code is sold via the developer's store; see the official T-Deck guide linked in 4.1 for the current purchase page.)

4.10. Q: How to decipher the diagnostics screen on T-Deck?

A: Space is tight on T-Deck's screen, so the information is a bit cryptic. The format is :

{hops} l:{packet-length}({payload-len}) t:{packet-type} snr:{n} rssi:{n}

See here for packet-type:

https://github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/blob/main/src/Packet.h#L19

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_REQ 0x00 // request (prefixed with dest/src hashes, MAC) (enc data: timestamp, blob)

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_RESPONSE 0x01 // response to REQ or ANON_REQ (prefixed with dest/src hashes, MAC) (enc data: timestamp, blob)

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_TXT_MSG 0x02 // a plain text message (prefixed with dest/src hashes, MAC) (enc data: timestamp, text)

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_ACK 0x03 // a simple ack #define PAYLOAD_TYPE_ADVERT 0x04 // a node advertising its Identity

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_GRP_TXT 0x05 // an (unverified) group text message (prefixed with channel hash, MAC) (enc data: timestamp, "name: msg")

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_GRP_DATA 0x06 // an (unverified) group datagram (prefixed with channel hash, MAC) (enc data: data_type, data_len, blob)

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_ANON_REQ 0x07 // generic request (prefixed with dest_hash, ephemeral pub_key, MAC) (enc data: ...)

#define PAYLOAD_TYPE_PATH 0x08 // returned path (prefixed with dest/src hashes, MAC) (enc data: path, extra)

Source

4.11. Q: The T-Deck sound is too loud, or can you customize the sound?

A: You can customise (and effectively quiet down) the sounds on the T-Deck by placing your own .mp3 files - including silent or quieter clips - onto the root dir of the SD card. Replacing a sound file with a silent or low-volume clip is the way to reduce or disable that alert. The files are:

  • startup.mp3
  • error.mp3
  • alert.mp3
  • new-advert.mp3
  • existing-advert.mp3

4.13. Q: What is the 'Import from Clipboard' feature on the t-deck and is there a way to manually add nodes without having to receive adverts?

A: 'Import from Clipboard' is for importing a contact via a file named 'clipboard.txt' on the SD card. The opposite, is in the Identity screen, the 'Card to Clipboard' menu, which writes to 'clipboard.txt' so you can share yourself (call these 'biz cards', that start with "meshcore://...")

4.14. Q: How to capture a screenshot on T-Deck?

A: To capture a screenshot on a T-Deck, long press the top-left corner of the screen. The screenshot is saved to the microSD card, if one is inserted into the device.

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