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Meck v1.3 — T-Deck Pro & T5S3 OTA Updates, DM Inbox & Roomserver Fixes

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@pelgraine pelgraine released this 23 Mar 04:21
· 171 commits to main since this release
ota-1.3
19efb52

An update for both the T-Deck Pro and T5S3 E-Paper Pro. This release adds over-the-air firmware update capabilities from your phone or other device, a DM inbox for reading received direct messages, roomserver message handling, and per-contact unread indicators. Nine firmware variants across both platforms.

📄 Meck_README_v1.3_23_March_2026.pdf is included in this release — it covers all keyboard controls, touch gestures, screen navigation, settings, and feature documentation for both platforms.

⚠️ First-Time Flashing — Read This First

Each firmware is provided in two formats:

  • filename.bin — the application firmware only. Use this for updating an existing Meck install (including OTA updates from your phone).
  • filename-merged.bin — includes the bootloader, partition table, and application firmware in a single image. Use this if you are flashing Meck for the first time, coming from a different firmware, or if your device is not booting correctly after an update.

If in doubt, use the -merged.bin file. It will always work regardless of what was previously on the device.

⚠️ Important: The merged filename uses a hyphen (-merged.bin) not an underscore. The MeshCore web flasher uses this suffix to detect merged firmware and flash at the correct address (0x0). Files without -merged.bin in the name are written at 0x10000, which will fail on a clean device.

Flashing with the MeshCore Web Flasher (recommended)

  1. Go to https://flasher.meshcore.co.uk/
  2. Select Custom Firmware
  3. Load the .bin or -merged.bin file and click Flash
  4. Select your device in the popup and click Connect

Flashing with esptool.py

esptool.py --port /dev/ttyACM0 --baud 921600 write_flash 0x0 firmware-merged.bin

What's New Since v1.2

📲 OTA Firmware Update (T-Deck Pro & T5S3)

Update your firmware directly from your phone — no computer or serial cable required. The device creates a temporary WiFi access point, and you upload the new firmware via your phone's browser.

How it works:

  1. Download the new .bin file to your phone (from GitHub Releases, Discord, etc.)
  2. On the device: Settings → Firmware Update → Enter (T-Deck Pro) or tap (T5S3)
  3. The device starts a WiFi network called Meck-Update-XXXX and displays the connection details
  4. On your phone: connect to the Meck-Update WiFi network, open a browser, and go to 192.168.4.1
  5. Tap Choose File, select the .bin, and tap Upload
  6. The device receives the file, saves it to SD, verifies the image, flashes it to the inactive partition, and reboots

Total time is under 2 minutes. The device's existing partition layout already supports dual OTA partitions — no initial USB reflash is needed. If the new firmware fails to boot, the ESP32 bootloader automatically rolls back to the previous working firmware.

Note: Use the non-merged .bin file for OTA updates, not the merged binary. The merged binary includes the bootloader and partition table, which are only needed for first-time USB flashing.

💬 DM Inbox (T-Deck Pro & T5S3)

Received direct messages can now be viewed on-device. Previously, DMs were only visible as a brief toast notification and then disappeared — there was no way to go back and read them.

  • T-Deck Pro: Press D past the last channel on the Channel Messages screen to reach the DM inbox. Press A to return to group channels.
  • T5S3: Swipe left past the last channel on the Channel Messages screen to reach the DM inbox. Swipe right to return to group channels.

The DM inbox shows all received direct messages with sender name and timestamp, sorted by arrival order. Entering the DM inbox automatically marks all DM messages as read.

✉️ Per-Contact DM Unread Indicator (T-Deck Pro & T5S3)

Contacts with unread direct messages now show a * marker next to their name in the contacts list. When you compose a DM to that contact (or view the DM inbox), the indicator is cleared.

🏠 Roomserver Messaging Fixes (T-Deck Pro & T5S3)

Room server messages previously accumulated as permanent unread counts that could never be cleared. Two fixes address this:

  • Mark-read on login: When you successfully log into a room server via the Repeater Admin screen, all unread messages from that room are automatically marked as read and the unread count updates immediately.
  • BLE companion sync: The companion app message sync now correctly marks contact messages (including room server messages) as read when pulled to the app. Previously only group channel messages were handled.

🔧 Bug Fixes

  • DM unread counter stuck — the MSG:X unread count on the home screen now correctly decrements when DMs are read, whether via the DM inbox, BLE sync, or room login
  • T5S3 DM access — long-press on a Chat contact with unread messages now opens a read view before compose, rather than jumping straight to the virtual keyboard
  • Settings persistence — GPS baud rate, portrait mode, dark mode, and auto-lock timer now correctly persist across reboots. Previously these settings could revert to defaults after a power cycle

T-Deck Pro Firmware Variants

Six firmware variants for the LilyGo T-Deck Pro:

v1.3-Meck-4G-BLE.bin
For T-Deck Pro 4G boards. Full-featured build — messaging, contacts, direct messages, repeater admin, e-book reader, notes, emoji, GPS, map viewer, BLE companion app support, SMS & Phone app, IRC client, web browser, and OTA firmware update. Up to 500 contacts and 20 channels.

Note: BLE is toggled off at boot to save battery. Navigate to the Bluetooth home page and press Enter to enable it when you want to connect to the app.

v1.3W-Meck-4G-WiFi.bin
For T-Deck Pro 4G boards. Same as the 4G-BLE build but with WiFi replacing BLE as the companion transport — connect via the MeshCore web app, iOS/Android app, meshcore.js, or Python CLI over your local network (TCP port 5000). No BLE companion app support. Up to 1,500 contacts and 20 channels.

v1.3-4G.SA-Meck-standalone-firmware (A7682E (4G) version).bin
For T-Deck Pro 4G boards. No BLE or WiFi companion — maximum battery life. The web browser, IRC client, map viewer, and OTA firmware update are all still available (they use WiFi independently, not as a companion transport). Up to 1,500 contacts and 20 channels.

v1.3A-Meck-Audio-BLE (PCM5102A Audio only).bin
Everything in the 4G-BLE build plus the audiobook player, sleep timer, and auto-queuing — minus the 4G modem features. BLE companion support included. Up to 500 contacts and 20 channels.

⚠️ PCM5102A audio hardware only. The I2S audio pins (GPIO 7, 8, 9) conflict with the A7682E modem control lines — do not flash on 4G boards.

Note: BLE is toggled off at boot to save battery. Navigate to the Bluetooth home page and press Enter to enable it when you want to connect to the app.

v1.3AW-Meck-Audio-WiFi (PCM5102A Audio only).bin
Same as the Audio-BLE build but with WiFi replacing BLE as the companion transport. No BLE companion app support. Up to 1,500 contacts and 20 channels.

⚠️ PCM5102A audio hardware only — same GPIO conflict applies. Do not flash on 4G boards.

v1.3A-SA-Meck-standalone-firmware (PCM5102A Audio only).bin
Same as the Audio-BLE build but with Bluetooth and WiFi completely removed at compile time. The radio hardware is never initialised, giving a significant battery life improvement. The web browser, IRC client, and map viewer are not available on this variant. Up to 1,500 contacts and 20 channels.

⚠️ PCM5102A audio hardware only — do not flash on 4G boards.

T5S3 E-Paper Pro Firmware Variants

Three firmware variants for the LilyGo T5S3 E-Paper Pro (V2, H752-B):

v1.3-Meck-T5S3Pro-BLE_NOGPS.bin
BLE companion build. Connect to MeshCore companion apps via BLE. Touch-driven UI with virtual keyboard. Up to 500 contacts and 20 channels.

Note: BLE is toggled off at boot. Navigate to the Bluetooth home page and long-press the screen to enable it.

v1.3-Meck-T5S3Pro-WiFi_NOGPS.bin
WiFi companion build. Connect via MeshCore web app, meshcore.js, or Python CLI over local network (TCP port 5000). Includes the web browser, IRC client, and OTA firmware update. Up to 1,500 contacts and 20 channels.

v1.3-Meck-T5S3Pro-Standalone_NOWIFI_NOBLE_NOGPS.bin
No BLE or WiFi — maximum battery life. Touch-driven standalone operation with full messaging, contacts, reader, and notes. Up to 1,500 contacts and 20 channels.

All T5S3 variants include CardKB support (auto-detected via QWIIC).

MeshCore Companion Apps

BLE variants connect to the standard MeshCore companion apps:

WiFi variants connect via TCP on port 5000:

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