Getting Started
Identify Hardware​
This guide assumes that you have already purchased the devices you will be using with Meshtastic. If you haven't, you can check out our list of supported hardware to see your options.
Before you begin, it's important to determine which kind of hardware you're using. Meshtastic works with devices that have either of these two types of Micro-Controller Units (MCU):
ESP32​
The ESP32 chip is older and consumes more power than the nRF52 chip, but is equipped with both WiFi and Bluetooth. Supported ESP32 devices:
- LILYGO® TTGO T-Beam
- LILYGO® TTGO Lora
- Nano G1
- Station G1
- Heltec V3 and Wireless Stick Lite V3
nRF52​
The nRF52 chip is much more power efficient than the ESP32 chip and easier to update, but is only equipped with Bluetooth. Supported nRF52 devices:
- RAK WisBlock
- LILYGO® TTGO T-Echo
If your device is not listed above, please review our supported devices to determine which MCU your device has or contact us in Discord with any questions.
Never power on the radio without attaching an antenna! It could damage the radio chip.
Prior to connecting your Meshtastic device to the computer, you should perform the following basic checks.
Verify Data Cable​
Some cables only provide charging, verify that your cable is also capable of transferring data before proceeding. To check if your cable can also transfer data, try connecting it to another device (like a phone) and see if you can copy a file to or from it. If the file transfer works, then your cable is also able to transfer data and you can continue.
Install Serial Drivers​
If you don't have serial drivers installed on your computer, please choose one of the options below and install it before continuing.
Flash Firmware​
After completing the previous steps, you can now flash the Meshtastic firmware onto your device. To proceed, select the appropriate device type for your device.
Connect and Configure Device​
After flashing the Meshtastic firmware onto your device, you can now move on to initial configuration.