MeshCore Firmware Types

MeshCore has three main deployable firmware roles — Companion, Repeater, and Room Server. (A compile-time 'Simple Sensor' build also exists as an experimental/example application, and 'sensor' appears as a contact type, but it is not one of the three primary deployable roles.) All three are available through the official flasher at flasher.meshcore.io. The information on this page is verified from the official MeshCore FAQ and GitHub repository.

The Three Firmware Roles

1. Companion Firmware

The firmware for your personal handheld or desk node - the device you use to send and receive messages. Companion firmware connects to the MeshCore app on your phone (Android, iOS, or web).

Connection modes (the same Companion firmware family, built for how the app connects):

• BLE Companion - connects to the app via Bluetooth Low Energy. Best for mobile use.
• USB Serial Companion - connects via USB cable. Good for desk use or CLI access.
• WiFi Companion - a WiFi connection mode (not a separate firmware type) for fixed home setups on boards that support it.

Companion firmware is installed on: RAK4631, Heltec V3, T-Deck, T-Deck Plus, T-Echo, Station G2, and other supported devices.

2. Repeater Firmware

The firmware for infrastructure nodes that extend network coverage. A repeater runs unattended - it receives messages and re-transmits them to extend the mesh, but has no direct user interface.

• Configured via CLI (serial console or BLE) or the config tool at config.meshcore.io
• Supports power-saving mode (powersaving on) for solar/battery deployments. When enabled, the device sleeps between radio transmissions.
• A Room Server can also repeat via the set repeat on command, so one device can do both — but the FAQ does not recommend it: a room server with repeat enabled lacks the full repeater and remote-administration features. For the best experience, run a repeater and a room server on separate devices.

3. Room Server Firmware

The firmware that turns a device into a message store-and-forward server. A room server:

• Stores messages per client (capacity depends on firmware version)
• Delivers missed messages when a client reconnects
• Hosts a "room" that community members join
• Runs as LoRa firmware on a supported embedded radio device. (A Raspberry Pi can only act as a room server if it has an attached LoRa radio/companion node — a bare Pi has no radio and cannot join the mesh on its own.)

A Note on "Sensor"

"Sensor" is not a fourth co-equal deployable firmware role. Environmental-sensor support in MeshCore is a compile-time build feature (enabled with build flags), and a "Simple Sensor" example build exists in the source tree as an experimental/example application. Separately, "sensor" appears as a contact-type enum value (sensor=4) used to classify a node in contact lists. Neither makes Sensor a first-class deployable role alongside Companion, Repeater, and Room Server. See the IoT & Sensors book for how MeshCore's compile-time sensor support actually works.

Developer / Example Firmware

The MeshCore source repository also contains example firmware used for development and specialized applications:

• simple_sensor - an example "Simple Sensor" telemetry build (compile-time, not a primary deployable role)
• simple_secure_chat - standalone terminal chat (not a general-use firmware)
• kiss_modem - KISS protocol modem interface for integration with other software

These example firmwares are for developers and are not distributed as primary deployable roles through the standard flasher.

Source: Official MeshCore FAQ (github.com/meshcore-dev/MeshCore/blob/main/docs/faq.md), build.sh, and flasher.meshcore.io. Verified 2026-05-03.