# MeshFruit Message Board
## Overview
https://youtu.be/FxuyWbHRbRs
Cell towers go down. Power goes out. LoRa mesh radio keeps working!
This is an off-grid message board. It listens for messages sent across a LoRa mesh network and shows them on a 4.2" tri-color e-ink display. There is no internet, no cell service, and no subscription required!
Messages arrive over 915MHz radio from any node running [Meshtastic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meshtastic). The newest message is shown in bold red so it reads across a room, with older messages dropping to black underneath it.
E-ink holds its image with no power at all. The display only draws current when it redraws, so the board runs for over a day on a 2000mAh battery.
A button on the top cycles through three views. The weather view pulls a three day forecast, sunrise + sunset times, and the current moon phase. The message view lists what has come in over the mesh. The node view shows every radio the board has heard, sorted by signal strength.
This fully featured message board can also read CO2, temperature, and humidity readings from a STCC4 and SHT41 sensor connected to STEMMA QT port on the Feather ESP32-S3. These readings run along the top of the screen next to the battery level with an estimated runtime.
The board decodes messages using [Adafruit CircuitPython MeshFruit](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_Meshfruit), a library written for this project. It is receive only. The board listens to the mesh but never transmits, so it will not appear in anyone's node list.
# Parts
Featured
### Adafruit ESP32-S3 Feather with 4MB Flash 2MB PSRAM
[Adafruit ESP32-S3 Feather with 4MB Flash 2MB PSRAM](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5477)
The ESP32-S3 has arrived in Feather format - and what a great way to get started with this powerful new chip from Espressif! With dual 240 MHz cores, WiFi and BLE support, and native USB, this Feather is great for powering your IoT projects.
That's right - it's the new...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5477)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5477/guides)
Featured
### 4.2" 300x400 Tri-Color eInk / ePaper - Bare Display
[4.2" 300x400 Tri-Color eInk / ePaper - Bare Display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6382)
[E-Ink/E-Paper displays](https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=E-Ink+%2F+E-Paper) make for great low-power displays that are daylight visible and keep their image even when depowered. For folks who want to DIY their own E-Ink setups, this is a ** 4.2"...**
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6382)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6382/guides)
Featured
### Adafruit eInk Feather Friend with 32KB SRAM
[Adafruit eInk Feather Friend with 32KB SRAM](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4446)
Easy e-paper finally comes to your Feather with this **Adafruit EInk Feather Friend** that's designed to make it a breeze to add an eInk display. Chances are you've seen one of those new-fangled 'e-readers' like the Kindle or Nook. They have gigantic...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4446)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4446/guides)
Featured
### Adafruit RFM95W LoRa Radio Transceiver Breakout - 868 or 915 MHz
[Adafruit RFM95W LoRa Radio Transceiver Breakout - 868 or 915 MHz](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3072)
_"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is..._
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3072)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3072/guides)
Featured
### Adafruit STCC4 and SHT41 - CO2, Temperature & Humidity Sensor
[Adafruit STCC4 and SHT41 - CO2, Temperature & Humidity Sensor](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6478)
CO₂ sensors are essential for determining if a room is too 'stuffy' - high CO₂ makes humans grumpy and tired. That's why it's always nice to take a deep breath outside where CO₂ is about 400 ppm. However, until now, CO₂ sensors were always really chunky (
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6478)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6478/guides)
Featured
### Soft Tactile Button (8mm) x 10
[Soft Tactile Button (8mm) x 10](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101)
Put your project in stealth mode with these silent **Soft Tactile Switch Buttons**. ** **
**T** actile switches are standard input "buttons" on electronic projects. These work best in a PCB but
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3101/guides)
Featured
### Lithium Ion Battery - 3.7V 2000mAh
[Lithium Ion Battery - 3.7V 2000mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2011)
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 2000mAh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery,
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2011)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2011/guides)
Featured
### STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-pin Cable - 100mm Long
[STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-pin Cable - 100mm Long](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4210)
This 4-wire cable is a little over 100mm / 4" long and fitted with JST-SH female 4-pin connectors on both ends. Compared with the chunkier JST-PH these are 1mm pitch instead of 2mm, but still have a nice latching feel, while being easy to insert and remove.
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4210)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4210/guides)
Featured
### High-strength 'rare earth' magnet
quantity: 4
[High-strength 'rare earth' magnet](https://www.adafruit.com/product/9)
Yow! These things are super powerful. .47" diameter and .18" thick discs. Great for use with your SpokePOV Kit. If you have an aluminium frame, use tape/foam sticky tape to attach it.
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/9)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/9/guides)
### Part: M2.5X5mm Screws
quantity: 8
M2.5X5mm Screws
# MeshFruit Message Board
## Circuit Diagram
## Circuit Diagram
This provides a visual reference for wiring of the components. This diagram was created using [Fritzing software](http://fritzing.org/download/).
- RFM95W **VIN** to **3V** on the Feather
- RFM95W **GND** to **GND** on the Feather
- RFM95W **SCK** to **SCK** on the Feather
- RFM95W **MOSI** to **MOSI** on the Feather
- RFM95W **MISO** to **MISO** on the Feather
- RFM95W **CS** to **11** on the Feather
- RFM95W **RST** to **12** on the Feather
- RFM95W **G0** to **A5** on the Feather
Button goes between Feather **A0** and **GND** — internal pull-up, so no external resistor needed. Sensor on the STEMMA QT port with a JST SH cable, so no soldering.
SCK, MOSI and MISO are shared with the eInk Feather Friend, so D5, D6, D9 and D10 are unavailable.
# MeshFruit Message Board
## Code
The code for this project listens for LoRa mesh packets, decodes them, and draws them to the e-ink display. It also reads the air quality sensor, checks the battery, and fetches a weather forecast over WiFi.
Click on the Download Project Bundle button below to get all the files. Save the zip. Plug your Feather into your computer via a known-good data+power USB cable. The **CIRCUITPY** drive shows up in your computer's File Explorer or Finder (depending on your operating system). Copy the files to **CIRCUITPY**.
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/MeshFruit_EInk_Message_Board/code.py
### Files
Four Python files go in the root of the **CIRCUITPY** drive.
- **code.py** — setup, display layout, packet handling, and the main loop
- **mesh\_weather.py** — forecast lookup and moon phase
- **mesh\_icons.py** — weather glyphs drawn with `vectorio`
- **mesh\_fonts** folder — the five bitmap fonts the layout uses
### Libraries
The Project Bundle includes the libraries, but the screenshot above shows what the **lib** folder on **CIRCUITPY** should look like when you are done. These are the libraries this project uses.
- adafruit\_bitmap\_font
- adafruit\_bus\_device
- adafruit\_debouncer
- adafruit\_display\_text
- adafruit\_max1704x
- adafruit\_meshfruit
- adafruit\_requests
- adafruit\_rfm9x
- adafruit\_ssd1683
- adafruit\_ticks
- neopixel
### Settings
The weather view needs your WiFi credentials and your location. Open **settings.toml** on the **CIRCUITPY** drive and add the following.
```python
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-network-name"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-network-password"
LATITUDE = "40.7128"
LONGITUDE = "-74.0060"
```
Coordinates are in decimal degrees. Use a negative value for west and for south. Four decimal places is plenty.
The message and node views work without WiFi. Only the forecast needs it.
### Radio settings
The radio has to match the mesh you want to listen to. These values are near the top of **code.py**.
- `FREQUENCY` is set to `906.875`, which is slot 20 in the US 915MHz band. Slot N sits at 902.125 + (N - 1) \* 0.25 MHz. Outside the US, run `meshtastic --info` on a node to read the frequency for your region.
- `CHANNEL_HASH` is set to `0x08`, which is the default public channel.
- `MESH_SYNC_WORD` is set to `0x2B`. This is written straight to the radio register because it differs from the library default.
### Things to change
A few values near the top of **code.py** are worth knowing about.
- `USE_FAHRENHEIT` set to `False` switches the sensor readings and the forecast to Celsius.
- `MAX_MESSAGES` is how many messages are kept in memory. The oldest drop off the end.
- `IDLE_REFRESH_SECONDS` is how often the board redraws when no messages arrive, so the battery and sensor readings stay current.
- `SLEEP_SECONDS` is how long the board naps between checks. Shorter is more responsive to button presses and uses more power.
# MeshFruit Message Board
## 3D Printing
3MF files for 3D printing are oriented and ready to print on FDM machines using PLA filament. Original design source files may be downloaded using the links below.
[Edit Design](https://a360.co/4hDHMSU)
[MeshFruit Message Board.3mf](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/146/507/original/MeshFruit_Message_Board.3mf?1789942649)
Info: The dropdown on the Fusion 360 site allows you to pick your preferred 3D file format like STEP, STL, etc.
### Slice with settings for PLA material
The parts were sliced using BambuStudio using the slice settings below.
- PLA filament 220c extruder
- 0.2 layer height
- 10% gyroid infill
- 200mm/s print speed
- Tree Supports
- 60 C heated bed
## Design Source Files
The project assembly was designed in Fusion 360. Once opened in Fusion 360, It can be exported in different formats like STEP, STL and more.
Electronic components like Adafruit's boards, displays, connectors and more can be downloaded from the [Adafruit CAD parts GitHub Repo](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CAD_Parts/)
# MeshFruit Message Board
## Assembly
Solder short headers to the bottom of the Feather. Solder short socket headers on top of the eInk Feather Friend to fit the Feather ESP32 S3 on top of the eInk Friend.
Measure 50mm long silicone ribbon wires to connect the LoRa board and button to the Feather.
A spring antenna is soldered to the LoRa board.
The eInk Feather Friend fastens to a plate mount with machine screws.
A 2000mAh LiPo battery is held in place with a retainer. The battery retainer use machine screws to secure it to the plate mount.
The STEMMA sensor is fastened to the edge of the plate, next to the vents on the case to allow air to reach it away from the Feather boards.
The e-ink display slides into the case, under the snap fits, from the opposite side of the vents.
The mounting plate slides into the case from the vent side of the case, under the snap fits, and presses into the case to hold the display in place.
The ribbon cable has just enough length to reach the port on the eInk Feather Friend.
Gently bend the ribbon cable into the port on the eInk Feather Friend. Use tweezers to secure the ribbon cable with the two side tabs on the port.
The Feather's headers press fit into the sockets on the eInk Feather Friend.
The LoRa board is secure with a clip and mounts to the battery holder with additional machine screws.
The button is sandwiched between the case wall and the cutout.
The STEMMA and battery cables are plugged into the ports on the Feather.
Magnets press fit into the cavities in the lid.
The lid snap fits to the case with no screws.
# MeshFruit Message Board
## Usage
### Quick Reference
- **Press the button** — cycle to the next view: weather, messages, nodes
- **Blue NeoPixel** — button press registered, the panel is redrawing now
- **Amber NeoPixel** — button press registered, waiting on the refresh cooldown
- **Green NeoPixel** — a new message arrived
- **Yellow NeoPixel** — the panel will redraw within ten seconds
- **Purple NeoPixel** — the panel is updating, about twenty seconds
### Boot Up
Plug in the battery or connect USB power. The board restores any node names it has learned, draws the current view, and starts listening.
The first draw takes about twenty seconds. The display holds whatever was on it before that, so the old image stays until the new one is ready.
## Refresh Rate
Tri-color e-ink cannot redraw more than once every three minutes. The display driver enforces this, and refreshing sooner would damage the panel.
This makes the board a bulletin board rather than a chat window. A message that arrives right after a refresh waits for the next one. The board queues it and redraws as soon as the panel allows.
The NeoPixel is how you know a press or a message registered before the screen catches up.
The board also redraws every thirty minutes on its own, so the battery level, air readings, and forecast stay current even when no messages arrive.
## Header
The top of every view shows the same three things.
- The name of the current view on the left
- CO2 in parts per million, temperature, and humidity in the middle
- Battery percentage and estimated runtime on the right
Runtime reads as `72% 14h` on battery, or `72% +3h` while charging, where the second number is time to full. A reading with no second number means the battery is holding steady and an estimate would be noise.
## Status Bar
The bottom of every view shows how many messages are held and the signal strength of the last packet heard, in dBm. A number closer to zero is a stronger signal. Around -90 is a normal indoor reading.
## Button
Press the button to move to the next view. The order is weather, then messages, then nodes, then back to weather.
Switching views does not reboot the board, so messages received earlier are still there when you come back.
## Weather View
The current conditions row shows an icon, the temperature, and a description, all in red. Sunrise, sunset, and the moon phase sit on the right.
Below that is a three day forecast with a high, a low, and a description for each day.
The bottom half of the screen shows the two newest messages.
The forecast updates every thirty minutes. WiFi is only used for this, and the rest of the board works without it.
## Messages View
Messages are listed newest first. The newest one is drawn in bold red so it reads from across a room. Older messages are black.
A long message drops to a smaller size so it does not crowd the others off the screen. It stays red.
The board shows as many complete messages as fit. It never cuts one off partway. When messages do not fit, the status bar reads something like `3 shown, 5 older`.
## Nodes View
Every radio the board has heard is listed, strongest signal first. Each row shows the node name, its ID, the signal strength, and how many packets have come from it.
A node shows its short name once it has sent a NodeInfo broadcast. Until then only the ID appears, which looks like `!09d43fc8`.
Node names are saved to the Feather's non-volatile memory, so they survive a reboot. Without this, the board would show raw IDs until every node happened to announce itself again, which can take up to three hours.
## Sending a Message
Any node on the same channel can send to the board. Pair a Meshtastic node to your phone over Bluetooth, set the region to match your board, and send a message on the default channel.
The board is receive only. It listens to the mesh but never transmits, so it will not appear in anyone's node list.
## Battery Life
The board runs for over a day on a 2000mAh battery.
E-ink draws power only while redrawing. Most of the remaining draw is the radio listening and the processor waking to check for packets. The board light sleeps between checks and wakes on the radio's interrupt pin, so nothing is missed while it naps.
## Guide Products
### Adafruit ESP32-S3 Feather with 4MB Flash 2MB PSRAM
[Adafruit ESP32-S3 Feather with 4MB Flash 2MB PSRAM](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5477)
The ESP32-S3 has arrived in Feather format - and what a great way to get started with this powerful new chip from Espressif! With dual 240 MHz cores, WiFi and BLE support, and native USB, this Feather is great for powering your IoT projects.
That's right - it's the new...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/5477)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/5477/guides)
### 4.2" 300x400 Tri-Color eInk / ePaper - Bare Display
[4.2" 300x400 Tri-Color eInk / ePaper - Bare Display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6382)
[E-Ink/E-Paper displays](https://www.adafruit.com/search?q=E-Ink+%2F+E-Paper) make for great low-power displays that are daylight visible and keep their image even when depowered. For folks who want to DIY their own E-Ink setups, this is a ** 4.2"...**
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6382)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6382/guides)
### Adafruit eInk Feather Friend with 32KB SRAM
[Adafruit eInk Feather Friend with 32KB SRAM](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4446)
Easy e-paper finally comes to your Feather with this **Adafruit EInk Feather Friend** that's designed to make it a breeze to add an eInk display. Chances are you've seen one of those new-fangled 'e-readers' like the Kindle or Nook. They have gigantic...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4446)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4446/guides)
### Adafruit RFM95W LoRa Radio Transceiver Breakout - 868 or 915 MHz
[Adafruit RFM95W LoRa Radio Transceiver Breakout - 868 or 915 MHz](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3072)
_"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat. You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles. Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there. The only difference is..._
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3072)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3072/guides)
### Adafruit STCC4 and SHT41 - CO2, Temperature & Humidity Sensor
[Adafruit STCC4 and SHT41 - CO2, Temperature & Humidity Sensor](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6478)
CO₂ sensors are essential for determining if a room is too 'stuffy' - high CO₂ makes humans grumpy and tired. That's why it's always nice to take a deep breath outside where CO₂ is about 400 ppm. However, until now, CO₂ sensors were always really chunky (
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/6478)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/6478/guides)
### Soft Tactile Button (8mm) x 10
[Soft Tactile Button (8mm) x 10](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101)
Put your project in stealth mode with these silent **Soft Tactile Switch Buttons**. ** **
**T** actile switches are standard input "buttons" on electronic projects. These work best in a PCB but
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/3101)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/3101/guides)
### Lithium Ion Battery - 3.7V 2000mAh
[Lithium Ion Battery - 3.7V 2000mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2011)
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 2000mAh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery,
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/2011)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/2011/guides)
### STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-pin Cable - 100mm Long
[STEMMA QT / Qwiic JST SH 4-pin Cable - 100mm Long](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4210)
This 4-wire cable is a little over 100mm / 4" long and fitted with JST-SH female 4-pin connectors on both ends. Compared with the chunkier JST-PH these are 1mm pitch instead of 2mm, but still have a nice latching feel, while being easy to insert and remove.
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4210)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4210/guides)
## Related Guides
- [Adafruit ESP32-S3 Feather](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-esp32-s3-feather.md)
- [Bare E-Ink Displays Crash Course](https://learn.adafruit.com/bare-e-ink-displays-crash-course.md)
- [Adafruit STCC4 and SHT41 CO2, Temperature & Humidity Sensor](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-stcc4-and-sht41-co2-temperature-humidity-sensor.md)
- [HalloWing Flapping Bat](https://learn.adafruit.com/hallowing-flapping-bat.md)
- [Digital Nose Milk Freshness Checker](https://learn.adafruit.com/digital-nose-gas-sensor-milk-freshness-checker.md)
- [File Glider](https://learn.adafruit.com/file-glider.md)
- [Arcade Synth Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/arcade-synth-controller.md)
- [Adafruit Feather RP2040 RFM95](https://learn.adafruit.com/feather-rp2040-rfm95.md)
- [Single Channel LoRaWAN Gateway for Raspberry Pi](https://learn.adafruit.com/raspberry-pi-single-channel-lorawan-gateway.md)
- [Combo Dial Safe with Circuit Playground Express](https://learn.adafruit.com/combo-dial-safe-with-circuit-playground-express.md)
- [Touch Tone Phone Dial-a-Song](https://learn.adafruit.com/touch-tone-phone-dial-a-song.md)
- [Glitter Positioning System](https://learn.adafruit.com/glitter-positioning-system.md)
- [Feather ESP32-S3 TFT CircuitPython Day 2024 Countdown Clock](https://learn.adafruit.com/feather-esp32-s3-tft-circuitpython-day-2024-countdown-clock.md)
- [LO-LA59 Droid](https://learn.adafruit.com/lola-droid.md)
- [MIDI for Makers](https://learn.adafruit.com/midi-for-makers.md)
- [Goose Game M4SK Controller](https://learn.adafruit.com/goose-game-m4sk-controller.md)
- [CircuitPython Libraries on any Computer with FT232H](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-on-any-computer-with-ft232h.md)
- [Magic Storybook with ChatGPT](https://learn.adafruit.com/magic-storybook-with-chatgpt.md)