Outline & TODO

[benhylau]

The motivation for this platform is a low-cost device (USD 20 per node) that can self-organize to form a mesh network. This is expected for use running workshops and also to form ad-hoc or permanent city meshnets.

Preliminary prototyping on both the hardware (Orange Pi Zero 512 MB + TOP-GS07 RT5572 WiFi adapter) and software (Armbian + cjdns + IPFS) have convinced us this is a viable path where we can expect 20 Mbps of cjdns encrypted traffic from node to node (similar performance as a Raspberry Pi 2), carried over 802.11s Mesh Point links at 5 GHz, with support for live update of each node over the mesh.

Software:

• Run everything on RAM so the setup behaves as an embedded system with minimal persisted data
• Documentation to configure or build a custom image
• Package scripts to bring up TOP-GS07 as Mesh Point interface and join the appropriate mesh id
• Package and keep cjdns running all the time
• Package and keep IPFS running all the time
• A config storage solution to persist any required data outside of the ramdisk
• Partition SD card to support live update, storing and versioning system images properly for loading/swapping into RAM
• Securely push and download system images through the mesh itself

Hardware:

• Prototype with various antenna connectors and document range with different antenna gains
  • Default omnidirectional antenna
  • RP-SMA connector with coaxial wire soldered onto board
  • Directional antennas with RP-SMA connector
  • Directional antennas with N-type connector (bridged to board over adapter or pigtail)
• Experiment with a dual-antenna setup by swapping the omnidirectional ceramic antenna on the TOP-GS07 board (there are currently two antennas to the RT5572 chip, one leading to an external antenna and the other to a ceramic package)
• Convert USB adapter board into an Orange Pi Zero hat (see USB pinout)