Radio Telemetry Tracker Tower Communications Package (Comms Package)

The Radio Telemetry Tracker Tower Communications Package is a Python-based library designed to facilitate mesh network communication between radio telemetry towers using Meshtastic devices. It provides a robust framework for configuration management, ping data transmission, and error handling between towers in a distributed network.

Note: This package is intended as a shared component for tower-based radio telemetry systems. It provides the communication infrastructure between towers but is not meant for standalone use.

Table of Contents

• Radio Telemetry Tracker Tower Communications Package (Comms Package)
  • Table of Contents
  • Overview
  • Prerequisites
  • Installation
  • Configuration
  • Usage
  • Message Types
  • Development
  • License

Overview

This package provides:

• Mesh Network Communication: Interface with Meshtastic devices for tower-to-tower communication
• Message Types: Protobuf-defined messages for configuration, pings, and errors
• Acknowledgments: Built-in support for message acknowledgments and retries
• Position Tracking: Integration with GPS data from Meshtastic devices
• Simulation Support: Simulated mesh interface for development and testing

Prerequisites

• Python 3.13
• Poetry for dependency management
• Meshtastic-compatible device for real deployment
• Protocol Buffers compiler for development

Installation

1. Add as a dependency to your project:

   poetry add git+https://github.com/UCSD-E4E/radio-telemetry-tracker-tower-comms-package.git

2. Or clone for development:

   bash
   git clone https://github.com/UCSD-E4E/radio-telemetry-tracker-tower-comms-package.git
   
   cd radio-telemetry-tracker-tower-comms-package
   
   poetry install

Configuration

The library supports two interface types:

1. Meshtastic Interface:

    from radio_telemetry_tracker_tower_comms_package import NodeConfig, TowerComms
    
    config = NodeConfig(
    interface_type="meshtastic",
    device="/dev/ttyUSB0", # Serial port for Meshtastic device
    )

2. Simulated Interface (for testing):

   from radio_telemetry_tracker_tower_comms_package import NodeConfig, TowerComms
   
   config = NodeConfig(
   interface_type="simulated",
   numeric_id=1, # Unique node ID
   user_id="Tower1" # Human-readable name
   )

Usage

Basic usage pattern:

1. Initialize communications:

   from radio_telemetry_tracker_tower_comms_package import TowerComms, NodeConfig
   
   def on_ack_success(packet_id: int):
       print(f"Packet {packet_id} acknowledged")
   
   def on_ack_failure(packet_id: int):
       print(f"Packet {packet_id} failed")
   
   config = NodeConfig(interface_type="meshtastic", device="/dev/ttyUSB0")
   comms = TowerComms(config, on_ack_success, on_ack_failure)

2. Register message handlers:

   def handle_ping(data: PingData):
       print(f"Ping received from {data.node_id} at freq {data.frequency}")
   
   comms.register_ping_handler(handle_ping)

3. Start communication:

   comms.start() # Opens the mesh interface

4. Send messages:

   comms.send_request_config(destination=2, want_ack=True)
   
   ping_data = PingData(frequency=915000000, amplitude=0.8, latitude=32.7, longitude=-117.1, altitude=100)
   comms.send_ping(ping_data, destination=None) # Broadcast

5. Stop communication:

   comms.stop() # Closes the mesh interface

Message Types

• ConfigData: Tower configuration parameters
• PingData: Radio ping detection data with GPS coordinates
• ErrorData: Error messages and diagnostics
• RequestConfigData: Configuration request messages

Development

1. Install development dependencies:

   poetry install --with dev

2. Run tests:

   poetry run pytest

3. Check code style:

   poetry run ruff check . --fix

License

This project is licensed under the terms specified in the LICENSE file.