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v1.0.0 – New Hardware, Automated Firmware, and openHop Rebrand

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@yellowcooln yellowcooln released this 26 Jun 16:12
v1.0.0
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This is the first major release of openHop Modem, bringing expanded hardware support, automated firmware distribution, improved board-specific features, and the completion of the openHop rebrand.

Building on the v0.8.x modem platform, v1.0.0 doubles the number of supported firmware targets, introduces automated firmware asset generation, expands Ethernet deployments, and adds GPS, battery, RF front-end, and board-specific management features—all while maintaining wire-protocol compatibility with existing Repeater deployments.

Highlights

  • Rebranded from pyMC Modem to openHop Modem.
  • Expanded support from 8 to 16 firmware targets.
  • Added browser-flasher-ready firmware assets and automated firmware publishing.
  • Added Ethernet-capable modem targets.
  • Added board-specific GPS, battery, RF, and Wi-Fi controls.
  • Maintained compatibility with existing v0.8.x serial and TCP modem clients.

New Hardware Support

New supported targets include:

  • Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4
  • Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4.2
  • Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4.3
  • Heltec Wireless Tracker V2
  • MeshSmith Photon-1W XIAO ESP32-C6
  • B&Q Consulting Station G2
  • RAK4631 WisMesh Ethernet
  • MeshSmith EtherMesh-1W

The project now supports 16 firmware environments spanning ESP32, ESP32-P4, and nRF52 platforms.

Firmware Asset Automation

v1.0 introduces a fully automated firmware publishing pipeline.

New features include:

  • Automatic firmware builds from main
  • Browser-flasher-ready firmware packages
  • ESP32 manifests, bootloaders, partitions, and firmware images
  • nRF52 HEX and DFU packages
  • SHA256 checksum generation
  • Manual and selective firmware builds
  • Automatic asset-update pull requests

Ethernet Support

Ethernet deployments have been significantly expanded.

New support includes:

  • RAK4631 WisMesh Ethernet (W5100S)
  • MeshSmith EtherMesh-1W
  • Improved ESP32-P4 Ethernet support
  • Updated documentation for wired modem deployments

Board Improvements

Photon-1W

  • GPS support
  • Battery fuel-gauge telemetry
  • Wi-Fi antenna switching
  • Persistent GPS enable/disable
  • TCP modem diagnostics
  • Improved recovery when radio initialization fails

Heltec V4 Family

  • Dedicated V4, V4.2, and V4.3 support
  • Battery monitoring
  • GPS connector support
  • RF front-end controls
  • External FEM/LNA controls
  • AGC reset configuration
  • Improved transmit behavior

Additional Boards

  • Heltec Wireless Tracker V2 support
  • Station G2 support with SH1107 display
  • Updated RAK4631 Ethernet implementation
  • Improved nRF52 compatibility
  • Updated T114 GPS configuration

Web UI Improvements

  • Generic Wi-Fi setup reset controls
  • Additional board-specific configuration options
  • Improved recovery when radio initialization fails
  • Continued HTTP Basic Authentication support
  • Updated configuration portal experience

Documentation & Branding

  • Completed the openHop rebrand throughout the project.
  • Updated installation and deployment documentation.
  • Added browser flashing guidance.
  • Removed legacy modem side-loading instructions.
  • Clarified built-in Repeater modem support.
  • Updated networking and board documentation.

Fixes

  • Improved TCP CRC handling
  • Fixed RAK4631 Ethernet configuration
  • Fixed Photon radio pin mapping
  • Fixed Photon fuel-gauge I²C handling
  • Fixed Heltec V4 GPS configuration
  • Fixed RSSI sampling
  • Fixed firmware asset workflow permissions
  • Numerous board-specific compatibility improvements

Upgrade Notes

  • Existing v0.8.x Repeater deployments remain compatible.
  • The modem wire protocol is unchanged.
  • ESP32 boards continue to support Web UI and OTA where available.
  • Ethernet-only targets may not provide the Web UI and should be configured as documented.
  • Fresh network firmware continues to default to an empty TCP token until configured.

This release establishes openHop Modem as the primary firmware platform for the openHop ecosystem, with significantly broader hardware support, automated firmware delivery, and a stable foundation for future board additions.

Updating Existing Devices

Existing openHop Modem installations can be upgraded using the built-in OTA update mechanism.

Step 1: Download the Firmware

Download the appropriate firmware.bin for your board from:

https://github.com/openhop-dev/openhop_modem/tree/main/firmware

Step 2: Install the Update

You can install the new firmware using either method below.

Option 1: Web UI (Recommended)

  1. Log in to the modem web interface.
  2. Navigate to OTA Update.
  3. Select the downloaded firmware.bin.
  4. Start the update and wait for the modem to reboot.

Option 2: OTA via curl

Upload the firmware directly to the modem:

curl --user <username>:<password> \
  -F "firmware=@firmware.bin" \
  http://<modem-ip>/update

Replace:

  • <username> with your web UI username
  • <password> with your web UI password
  • <modem-ip> with the modem's IP address

The modem will automatically reboot after the update completes.

Note: OTA updates require a board that supports the HTTP/Web UI firmware updater. Boards without the HTTP interface must be updated using their normal flashing method (USB, DFU, etc.).

What's Changed

New Contributors

Full Changelog: v0.8.0...v1.0.0

Contributors

yellowcooln, matthew73210, and 2 other contributors
Assets 2
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