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MeshCore

Source: https://www.austinmesh.org/learn/meshcore-vs-meshtastic/

What is MeshCore?

MeshCore is a multi platform system for enabling secure text based communications utilising LoRa radio hardware. It can be used for Off-Grid Communication, Emergency Response & Disaster Recovery and more.

Mesh networking in 30 seconds

ELI5

-Think of sending a whisper across a playground. With Meshtastic, everyone passes your whisper along, so the "chain" can move and grow as people move around, but they stop sharing your message after it's passed through 7 people. With MeshCore, only special helpers (repeaters) pass the whisper, but they can pass it to up to 64 more helpers.

-By default, with MeshCore those helpers also talk faster and there are fewer side conversations that might delay your whisper. On Meshtastic, the other people talk slower and are having side conversations that have to finish before your whisper can be shared, slowing down the rate at which your whisper makes its way through the crowd.

TL;DR;

-Meshtastic works well when people and links are moving (friends at an event, a hike, a bike ride). Regular nodes help by rebroadcasting, so coverage can shift and grow as people move. MeshCore works well when you can place fixed repeaters on rooftops or hills. Phones connect through companion radios; companions do not rebroadcast, so repeaters are what grow the mesh. Main differences

  • Off-Grid Hop limits: Meshtastic default 3 (max 7); MeshCore up to 64. -passes Who rebroadcasts: Meshtastic clients help relay; MeshCore companions do not. Only repeaters relay. -Telemetry(battery, temperature, etc): Meshtastic pushes data regularly; MeshCore pushes rarely, and allows manual pulling.

  • Responsiveness: MeshCore feels considerably faster with default config; Meshtastic can be manually tuned to similar results.

  • Self-healing + multi-hop: Messages can traverse multiple radios (“hops”). If one link disappears, the mesh finds another path.

  • Flood routing: On low-power radios, many systems use a simple “managed flood” where nodes selectively rebroadcast packets without maintaining big routing tables.
  • Direct paths: Some systems learn a path during the first flood, then send future messages via a more efficient “next-hop” route, falling back to flood if the path breaks.

Default roles & behavior

-Meshtastic: Default role is CLIENT, which does take part in rebroadcasting in most cases. This helps ad-hoc, moving groups connect even without fixed infrastructure. -MeshCore: Default end-user firmware is Companion (USB/BLE app companion). Companions do not rebroadcast other people’s packets; Repeaters handle forwarding. This concentrates airtime on purpose-built, well-placed infrastructure nodes.

-Meshtastic shines for non-geostationary groups (e.g. a ski hill or a bike ride with moving parties). MeshCore is optimized for large scale meshes with infrastructure nodes (repeaters) placed on high points.

Routing strategies

  • Meshtastic: Managed flood. Since v2.6, Direct Messages use next-hop routing: flood to discover, then optimized relays for subsequent DMs. -MeshCore: Flood-then-direct by design: first message floods to learn a path; later messages embed the learned path; if that route fails after a few retries, the node automatically falls back to flood.

Hop limits

  • Meshtastic: Default Max Hops = 3 (configurable to max 7)
  • MeshCore: Internal max hop limit = 64

Hardeware

Bare minimum is a MCU and radio. And most devices are. See:

-XIAO ESP32S3 & Wio-SX1262 -XIAO ESP32S3 & Wio-SX1262

Almost all devices contain either an esp32 or nrf52. The esp32 uses up to 5 times more current than the nrf52. If you want to build a solar powered or mobile node, you are better of with the nrf52.

Here is the up-to-date listing of supported devices for meshcore