maur3ra/thinknode-ttnmapper

This project turns a small hardware device called the Elecrow ThinkNode M1 into a portable mapping tool for a wireless network called The Things Network, or TTN. TTN is a long range, low power radio network that hobbyists and organizations use for things like sensors, and TTNMapper is a community project that maps how far that network's coverage actually reaches, by having people carry a device around and record where it can send signals from. The firmware, meaning the software that runs directly on the device, gets a GPS location fix, then sends that location over the LoRaWAN radio network in a format TTNMapper understands. It remembers its network login session in the device's internal storage, so restarting it does not force a fresh login each time, which the README notes makes startup faster and avoids a specific technical problem with repeated logins. The device also has a small e-paper screen that shows status information, plus buttons that control the screen and its backlight, and it can display battery voltage. The device decides when to transmit based on three triggers: getting its first GPS fix, a regular timer, or having moved a set distance since its last transmission, with a minimum wait time between transmissions so it does not send too often. Field testing described in the README confirmed that session restore, first fix sending, periodic sending, and movement based sending all worked, along with successful reception by nearby radio gateways. Building the firmware uses a tool called PlatformIO, and the project includes scripts to package the compiled firmware into a UF2 file and copy it onto the device while it is in a special reset mode. Network login keys are kept in a separate, uncommitted file so they are not accidentally shared. The README lists known issues plainly: the e-paper screen flickers on full refresh, battery readings are a bit noisy, and occasional bad GPS readings can slip through if quality filtering is too loose. Planned next steps include tighter GPS filtering, less screen flicker, and support for different movement profiles like walking or driving.