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Mark Qvist
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<a id="hardware-main"></a>
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# Communications Hardware
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One of the truly valuable aspects of Reticulum is the ability to use it over
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almost any conceivable kind of communications medium. The [interface types](interfaces.md#interfaces-main)
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available for configuration in Reticulum are flexible enough to cover the use
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of most wired and wireless communications hardware available, from decades-old
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packet radio modems to modern millimeter-wave backhaul systems.
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If you already have or operate some kind of communications hardware, there is a
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very good chance that it will work with Reticulum out of the box. In case it does
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not, it is possible to provide the necessary glue with very little effort using
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for example the [PipeInterface](interfaces.md#interfaces-pipe) or the [TCPClientInterface](interfaces.md#interfaces-tcpc)
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in combination with code like [TCP KISS Server](https://github.com/simplyequipped/tcpkissserver)
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by [simplyequipped](https://github.com/simplyequipped).
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It is also very easy to write and load [custom interface modules](interfaces.md#interfaces-custom)
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into Reticulum, allowing you to communicate with more or less anything you can think of.
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While this broad support and flexibility is very useful, an abundance of options
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can sometimes make it difficult to know where to begin, especially when you are
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starting from scratch.
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This chapter will outline a few different sensible starting paths to get
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real-world functional wireless communications up and running with minimal cost
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and effort. Two fundamental devices categories will be covered, *RNodes* and
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*WiFi-based radios*. Additionally, other common options will be briefly described.
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Knowing how to employ just a few different types of hardware will make it possible
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to build a wide range of useful networks with little effort.
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## Combining Hardware Types
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It is useful to combine different link and hardware types when designing and
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building a network. One useful design pattern is to employ high-capacity point-to-point
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links based on WiFi or millimeter-wave radios (with high-gain directional antennas)
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for the network backbone, and using LoRa-based RNodes for covering large areas with
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connectivity for client devices.
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<a id="rnode-main"></a>
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## RNode
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Reliable and general-purpose long-range digital radio transceiver systems are
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commonly either very expensive, difficult to set up and operate, hard to source,
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power-hungry, or all of the above at the same time. In an attempt to alleviate
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this situation, the transceiver system *RNode* was designed. It is important to
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note that RNode is not one specific device, from one particular vendor, but
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*an open plaform* that anyone can use to build interoperable digital transceivers
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suited to their needs and particular situations.
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An RNode is a general purpose, interoperable, low-power and long-range, reliable,
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open and flexible radio communications device. Depending on its components, it can
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operate on many different frequency bands, and use many different modulation
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schemes, but most commonly, and for the purposes of this chapter, we will limit
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the discussion to RNodes using *LoRa* modulation in common ISM bands.
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**Avoid Confusion!** RNodes can use LoRa as a *physical-layer modulation*, but it
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does not use, and has nothing to do with the *LoRaWAN* protocol and standard, commonly
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used for centrally controlled IoT devices. RNodes use *raw LoRa modulation*, without
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any additional protocol overhead. All high-level protocol functionality is handled
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directly by Reticulum.
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<a id="rnode-creating"></a>
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### Creating RNodes
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RNode has been designed as a system that is easy to replicate across time and
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space. You can put together a functioning transceiver using commonly available
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components, and a few open source software tools. While you can design and build RNodes
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completely from scratch, to your exact desired specifications, this chapter
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will explain the easiest possible approach to creating RNodes: Using common
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LoRa development boards. This approach can be boiled down to two simple steps:
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1. Obtain one or more [supported development boards](#rnode-supported)
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2. Install the RNode firmware with the [automated installer](#rnode-installation)
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Once the firmware has been installed and provisioned by the install script, it
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is ready to use with any software that supports RNodes, including Reticulum.
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The device can be used with Reticulum by adding an [RNodeInterface](interfaces.md#interfaces-rnode)
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to the configuration.
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<a id="rnode-supported"></a>
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### Supported Boards and Devices
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To create one or more RNodes, you will need to obtain supported development
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boards or completed devices. The following boards and devices are supported
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by the auto-installer.
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---
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#### LilyGO T-Beam Supreme
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262 or SX1268
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### LilyGO T-Beam
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262, SX1268, SX1276 or SX1278
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### LilyGO T3S3
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262, SX1268, SX1276 or SX1278
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### RAK4631-based Boards
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262 or SX1268
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- **Device Platform** nRF52
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- **Manufacturer** [RAK Wireless](https://www.rakwireless.com)
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---
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#### OpenCom XL
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- **Transceiver ICs** Semtech SX1262 and SX1280 (dual transceiver)
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- **Device Platform** nRF52
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- **Manufacturer** [Liberated Embedded Systems](https://liberatedsystems.co.uk/)
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---
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#### Unsigned RNode v2.x
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1276 or SX1278
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [unsigned.io](https://unsigned.io)
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---
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#### LilyGO LoRa32 v2.1
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1276 or SX1278
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### LilyGO LoRa32 v2.0
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1276 or SX1278
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### LilyGO LoRa32 v1.0
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1276 or SX1278
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### LilyGO T-Deck
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262 or SX1268
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### LilyGO T-Echo
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262 or SX1268
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- **Device Platform** nRF52
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- **Manufacturer** [LilyGO](https://lilygo.cn)
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---
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#### Heltec T114
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262 or SX1268
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- **Device Platform** nRF52
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- **Manufacturer** [Heltec Automation](https://heltec.org)
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---
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#### Heltec LoRa32 v4.0
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [Heltec Automation](https://heltec.org)
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---
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#### Heltec LoRa32 v3.0
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1262 or SX1268
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [Heltec Automation](https://heltec.org)
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---
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#### Heltec LoRa32 v2.0
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- **Transceiver IC** Semtech SX1276 or SX1278
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- **Device Platform** ESP32
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- **Manufacturer** [Heltec Automation](https://heltec.org)
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---
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<a id="rnode-installation"></a>
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### Installation
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Once you have obtained compatible boards, you can install the [RNode Firmware](https://github.com/markqvist/RNode_Firmware)
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using the [RNode Configuration Utility](https://github.com/markqvist/rnodeconfigutil).
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If you have installed Reticulum on your system, the `rnodeconf` program will already be
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available. If not, make sure that `Python3` and `pip` is installed on your system, and
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then install Reticulum with with `pip`:
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```default
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pip install rns
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```
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Once installation has completed, it is time to start installing the firmware on your
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devices. Run `rnodeconf` in auto-install mode like so:
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```default
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rnodeconf --autoinstall
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```
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The utility will guide you through the installation process by asking a series of
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questions about your hardware. Simply follow the guide, and the utility will
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auto-install and configure your devices.
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<a id="rnode-usage"></a>
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### Usage with Reticulum
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When the devices have been installed and provisioned, you can use them with Reticulum
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by adding the [relevant interface section](interfaces.md#interfaces-rnode) to the configuration
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file of Reticulum. In the configuraion you can specify all interface parameters,
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such as serial port and on-air parameters.
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## WiFi-based Hardware
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It is possible to use all kinds of both short- and long-range WiFi-based hardware
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with Reticulum. Any kind of hardware that fully supports bridged Ethernet over the
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WiFi interface will work with the [AutoInterface](interfaces.md#interfaces-auto) in Reticulum.
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Most devices will behave like this by default, or allow it via configuration options.
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This means that you can simply configure the physical links of the WiFi based devices,
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and start communicating over them using Reticulum. It is not necessary to enable any IP
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infrastructure such as DHCP servers, DNS or similar, as long as at least Ethernet is
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available, and packets are passed transparently over the physical WiFi-based devices.
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Below is a list of example WiFi (and similar) radios that work well for high capacity
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Reticulum links over long distances:
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- [Ubiquiti airMAX radios](https://store.ui.com/collections/operator-airmax-devices)
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- [Ubiquiti LTU radios](https://store.ui.com/collections/operator-ltu)
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- [MikroTik radios](https://mikrotik.com/products/group/wireless-systems)
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This list is by no means exhaustive, and only serves as a few examples of radio hardware
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that is relatively cheap while providing long range and high capacity for Reticulum
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networks. As in all other cases, it is also possible for Reticulum to co-exist with IP
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networks running concurrently on such devices.
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## Ethernet-based Hardware
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Reticulum can run over any kind of hardware that can provide a switched Ethernet-based
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medium. This means that anything from a plain Ethernet switch, to fiber-optic systems,
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to data radios with Ethernet interfaces can be used by Reticulum.
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The Ethernet medium does not need to have any IP infrastructure such as DHCP servers
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or routing set up, but in case such infrastructure does exist, Reticulum will simply
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co-exist with.
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To use Reticulum over Ethernet-based mediums, it is generally enough to use the included
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[AutoInterface](interfaces.md#interfaces-auto). This interface also works over any kind of
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virtual networking adapter, such as `tun` and `tap` devices in Linux.
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## Serial Lines & Devices
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Using Reticulum over any kind of raw serial line is also possible with the
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[SerialInterface](interfaces.md#interfaces-serial). This interface type is also useful for
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using Reticulum over communications hardware that provides a serial port interface.
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## Packet Radio Modems
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Any packet radio modem that provides a standard KISS interface over USB, serial or TCP
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can be used with Reticulum. This includes virtual software modems such as
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[FreeDV TNC](https://github.com/xssfox/freedv-tnc) and [Dire Wolf](https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf).
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