Skip to content

Meck v1.10 -- Custom Channel Notification Tones, Per-Channel Notifications, Message History Deletion, Games

Pre-release
Pre-release

Choose a tag to compare

@pelgraine pelgraine released this 14 May 23:37
· 56 commits to main since this release

A feature-packed update for the T-Deck Pro. This release adds custom notification tones for both the Audio and 4G variants, per-channel notification preferences with @mention support, the ability to delete message history per channel, a games menu with Snake and Minesweeper, and expands the maximum group channel count to 40 across all builds.


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.

Flashing with the MeshCore Web Flasher (recommended)

  1. Go to https://flasher.meshcore.io/
  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 v1.9

Custom Notification Tones (Audio + 4G Variants)

Each channel can now have its own notification tone instead of the default buzzer. When a message arrives on a channel with a custom tone assigned, that tone plays through the speaker and the buzzer is suppressed.

How to set a custom tone:

  1. From the home screen, press S to open settings
  2. Scroll down to the Channels >> section and press Enter to open it
  3. Navigate to the channel you want to customise
  4. Press T to open the tone picker
  5. Use W/S to browse the available tones, then press Enter to select
  6. To remove a custom tone, select Default (silent) from the top of the list

Audio variant (PCM5102A DAC): A selection of bundled tones are copied to the /alarms/ folder on the SD card on first boot. You can also drop your own MP3 files into that folder -- they'll appear in the tone picker alongside the bundled options. This gives you complete flexibility to use any short MP3 as a notification sound.

4G variant (A7682E modem): Seven bundled notification tones are embedded in the firmware as 8kHz mono WAV files. On first boot (with the 4G modem enabled in settings and the red LED on and blinking to indicate the modem is ready), the tones are transferred to the modem's internal filesystem. Playback goes through the modem's own speaker amplifier. Custom user-supplied tones are not supported on the 4G variant -- only the bundled set is available. The 4G modem must be switched on in settings for the notification tones to work, as all audio output on the 4G variant goes through the modem hardware.

Available bundled tones: Bell, Ding, High Trill, Low Soft Ding (x2), Mid Trill, and Soft Notif. All are short, 1-2 second alert sounds.

Per-Channel Notification Preferences

Each channel and the DM inbox can now be individually set to one of three notification levels:

  • All -- notify on every message (default)
  • @ (Mentions) -- only notify when someone tags you with @YourNodeName or @[YourNodeName] in their message
  • Off -- completely muted (no buzzer, no custom tone, no keyboard backlight flash, no screen wake, no toast popup)

Messages are always stored in history regardless of the notification setting -- only the alerts and unread badges are suppressed. You won't miss anything; you just won't be interrupted.

How to set notification preferences:

  1. From the home screen, press S to open settings
  2. Scroll down to the Channels >> section and press Enter to open it
  3. Navigate to the channel you want to configure
  4. Press N to cycle through the three modes: All, @, Off
  5. The current setting is shown in the channel row as N:All, N:@, or N:Off

The @mention detection is case-insensitive and supports both the plain @NodeName format and the bracketed @[Node Name] format used by the MeshCore companion app.

Delete Message History

You can now clear all stored messages for any individual channel or the DM inbox without removing the channel itself. This is useful for tidying up busy channels or clearing old conversations.

How to delete message history:

  1. From the home screen, press M to open channel messages
  2. Press A or D to open the channel picker
  3. Navigate to the channel you want to clear
  4. Press X to bring up the delete confirmation overlay
  5. Press Enter to confirm, or Q to cancel

On the T5S3, long-press a channel in the channel picker to bring up the same confirmation.

The channel itself is not removed -- only its message history. The unread counter is reset and the change is saved to SD immediately. New messages will continue to appear as they arrive.

Games

Press J from the home screen (or tap the Games tile on the T5S3) to open the games menu. Two classic games are included:

Snake -- the Nokia classic. Guide the snake around the screen to eat food and grow longer. The game ends if you crash into the walls or your own tail. The game runs at a pace suited to the e-ink refresh rate, so it's surprisingly playable.

Key Action
W Turn up
A Turn left
S Turn down
D Turn right
Q Quit to games menu
IMG_2933

Minesweeper -- clear the board without hitting a mine. Each revealed cell shows a number indicating how many of its eight neighbours contain mines. Use flags to mark cells you suspect are mined so you can keep track of your progress. Clear all non-mine cells to win.

Key Action
W / A / S / D Move cursor
Enter Reveal cell
F Toggle flag on cell
Q Quit to games menu
IMG_2932

Other Changes

  • MAX_GROUP_CHANNELS expanded to 40 across all T-Deck Pro build variants (previously 20). This accommodates networks with large channel lists.

Known Limitations

  • 4G ringer cannot be silenced via software. The A7682E modem drives the speaker directly on incoming calls through its SPKP/SPKN pins. There is no software-accessible path to mute or intercept the hardware ringer. If you need silence, the modem can be toggled off in settings -- incoming calls will not be received while the modem is off, but LoRa messaging continues to work normally.

T-Deck Pro Firmware Variants

Six companion firmware variants for the LilyGo T-Deck Pro:


v1.10-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, OTA firmware update, custom notification tones, and games. Up to 2,000 contacts and 40 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.

v1.10W-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 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

v1.10-4G.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 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

v1.10A-Meck-Audio-BLE (PCM5102A Audio only).bin
Everything in the 4G-BLE build plus the audiobook player, alarm clock, sleep timer, auto-queuing, and voice notes over LoRa -- minus the 4G modem features. BLE companion support included. Custom notification tones with full MP3 flexibility. Up to 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

Do not flash this on the 4G variant -- the I2S audio pins (GPIO 7, 8, 9) conflict with the A7682E modem control lines.
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.

v1.10AW-Meck-Audio-WiFi (PCM5102A Audio only).bin
Same as the Audio-BLE build but with WiFi replacing BLE as the companion transport. Includes voice notes over LoRa and custom notification tones. No BLE companion app support. Up to 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

Do not flash this on the 4G variant -- same GPIO conflict applies.

v1.10A-SA-Meck-standalone-firmware (PCM5102A Audio only).bin
Same as the Audio-BLE build but with Bluetooth and WiFi completely removed at compile time. Includes voice notes over LoRa and custom notification tones. 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 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

Do not flash this on the 4G variant.


T5S3 E-Paper Pro Firmware Variants

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


v1.10-Meck-T5S3Pro-BLE_NOGPS.bin
BLE companion build. Connect to MeshCore companion apps via BLE. Touch-driven UI with virtual keyboard. Up to 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

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

v1.10-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 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

v1.10-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 2,000 contacts and 40 channels.

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


Meck_README_v1.10.pdf is included in this release -- it covers all keyboard controls, touch gestures, screen navigation, settings, and feature documentation for all platforms, provided in PDF form for convenience.

MeshCore Companion Apps

BLE variants connect to the standard MeshCore companion apps:

WiFi variants connect via TCP on port 5000: