Measurement & Formatting

How the Meshtastic Android/KMP app formats numbers, units, and locale-sensitive values.

Overview

All measurement data transmitted by Meshtastic nodes uses metric units (meters, °C, hPa, m/s, etc.). The app converts and formats these values for display using two core utilities:

Utility	Location	Purpose
MetricFormatter	core/common/.../util/MetricFormatter.kt	Converts and formats physical measurements (temperature, pressure, speed, etc.)
NumberFormatter	core/common/.../util/NumberFormatter.kt	Decimal formatting: format follows the OS locale, formatInvariant keeps a fixed dot separator
MeasureFormatting	core/common/.../util/MeasureFormatting.kt	Pairs a fixed English unit symbol with a locale-formatted number, for the units that convert

Both live in org.meshtastic.core.common.util and are available to all KMP targets (Android, Desktop, iOS).

MetricFormatter API

MetricFormatter is a Kotlin object with pure functions for each measurement type:

object MetricFormatter {
    fun temperature(celsius: Float, isFahrenheit: Boolean): String
    fun voltage(volts: Float, decimalPlaces: Int = 2): String
    fun current(milliAmps: Float, decimalPlaces: Int = 1): String
    fun percent(value: Float, decimalPlaces: Int = 1): String
    fun humidity(value: Float): String
    fun pressure(hPa: Float, decimalPlaces: Int = 1): String
    fun snr(value: Float?, decimalPlaces: Int = 1): String
    fun rssi(value: Int?): String
    fun degreeSymbol(isFahrenheit: Boolean): String
    fun percent(value: Int): String
    fun windSpeed(metersPerSecond: Float, isImperial: Boolean, decimalPlaces: Int = 1): String
    fun rainfall(millimeters: Float, isImperial: Boolean, decimalPlaces: Int = 1): String
    fun weight(kilograms: Float, isImperial: Boolean, decimalPlaces: Int = 2): String
}

`snr` and `rssi` take a nullable reading and render the `—` placeholder when it is absent.

Usage

// Temperature — Fahrenheit conversion is handled automatically
MetricFormatter.temperature(22.5f, isFahrenheit = true)  // "72.5°F"
MetricFormatter.temperature(22.5f, isFahrenheit = false)  // "22.5°C"

// Signal metrics
MetricFormatter.snr(-5.2f)    // "-5.2 dB"
MetricFormatter.rssi(-97)     // "-97 dBm"

// Environment
MetricFormatter.pressure(1013.25f)  // "1013.3 hPa"
MetricFormatter.humidity(65.0f)     // "65%"
MetricFormatter.windSpeed(3.7f, isImperial = false)  // "13.3 km/h"
MetricFormatter.windSpeed(3.7f, isImperial = true)   // "8.3 mph"
MetricFormatter.rainfall(12.3f, isImperial = false)  // "12.3 mm"
MetricFormatter.rainfall(12.3f, isImperial = true)   // "0.5 in"

// Power
MetricFormatter.voltage(3.95f)      // "3.95 V"
MetricFormatter.current(125.0f)     // "125.0 mA"

NumberFormatter

NumberFormatter has two halves, and picking the wrong one is the mistake to avoid:

object NumberFormatter {
    fun format(value: Double, decimalPlaces: Int): String        // follows the OS locale
    fun format(value: Float, decimalPlaces: Int): String         // follows the OS locale
    fun formatInvariant(value: Double, decimalPlaces: Int): String  // fixed dot separator
}

Use �0� for anything a person reads. It delegates to the platform's own number formatter through an expect/actual (java.text.NumberFormat on JVM and Android), so a number reads the way that user writes numbers. NaN and infinity render as —.

Use �0� for anything a machine parses — a CoT payload another client reads, or a value written out and read back. Localizing those turns 1.5 into 1,5 and breaks the reader. It rounds half away from zero to match the locale path, which matters because firmware reports SNRSNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio). A measure used in communications to quantify the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. In Meshtastic and other wireless systems, a higher SNR indicates a clearer signal that can enhance the reliability and quality of data transmission. in quarter-dB steps and ties are routine.

Unit conversion

Four measurements convert away from metric for display, each gated by a boolean flag sourced from the device locale or preferences:

Measurement	Flag	Source	Conversion
temperature	isFahrenheit	getSystemTemperatureUnit()	°F = °C × 1.8 + 32
windSpeed	isImperial	getSystemMeasurementSystem()	m/s × 3.6 → km/h, or × 2.23694 → mph
rainfall	isImperial	getSystemMeasurementSystem()	mm ÷ 25.4 → in
weight	isImperial	getSystemMeasurementSystem()	kg × 2.20462 → lb

The two source functions (in core/common/.../util/MeasurementSystem.kt) are deliberately separate: some locales mix systems (the UK uses miles for distance but Celsius for temperature), so temperature must never be derived from the distance unit. On Android, getSystemTemperatureUnit() delegates to androidx.core.text.util.LocalePreferences, which resolves CLDR locale data and honors the Android 14+ Regional preferences temperature override.

The in-app Units choice (UnitsOverride, stored in UiPrefs) is folded in by LocaleUnitsProvider, which is the only place display code takes units from. A Konsist rule (MeasurementSystemSourceTest) keeps direct reads of the OS resolution out of the rest of the codebase, because a direct read follows the locale but ignores the setting. A forced system carries its temperature with it (metric → °C, imperial → °F), overriding even an explicit OS regional temperature preference.

getSystemMeasurementSystem() resolves the locale in this order (temperature is separate: as described above, getSystemTemperatureUnit() reads the regional temperature preference via LocalePreferences, shares only the region backfill, and falls back to Celsius):

1. The ms Unicode extension (the Android 16+ Measurement system preference) wins outright.
2. A locale with no region — the in-app language picker offers bare tags like en — takes its region from the system configuration rather than letting ICU guess one from the language.
3. Anything still unclassified falls back to metric, never imperial.

The Android and Desktop implementations share the region table and the override reader in commonMain, so the two clients can't disagree about the same locale.

Everything else (voltage, current, pressure, SNRSNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio). A measure used in communications to quantify the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. In Meshtastic and other wireless systems, a higher SNR indicates a clearer signal that can enhance the reliability and quality of data transmission., RSSIRSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator). The raw power level of a received signal, where a value closer to zero is stronger. Clients rate signal quality from SNR rather than RSSI., humidity, percent) displays in its native metric units. The user-facing Units & Locale page explains what end users see.

Adding a new measurement type

To add a new measurement formatter:

1. Add a function to �0� in core/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/common/util/MetricFormatter.kt:

   fun radiation(microSieverts: Float, decimalPlaces: Int = 2): String =
       "${NumberFormatter.format(microSieverts, decimalPlaces)} μSv/h"

2. Add tests in core/common/src/commonTest/:

   @Test
   fun radiationFormatting() {
       assertEquals("0.15 μSv/h", MetricFormatter.radiation(0.15f))
       assertEquals("1.23 μSv/h", MetricFormatter.radiation(1.234f))
   }

3. Use in UI — call from any commonMain composable or ViewModel:

   Text(text = MetricFormatter.radiation(node.radiationLevel))

4. Run verification:

   ./gradlew :core:common:allTests

DateFormatter

Date and time formatting uses the DateFormatter expect object with platform-specific actual implementations:

Function	Output Example
formatRelativeTime()	"5 min ago"
formatDateTime()	"May 13, 2026 2:30 PM"
formatShortDate()	"May 13"
formatTime()	"2:30 PM"
formatTimeWithSeconds()	"2:30:45 PM"
formatDate()	"2026-05-13"
formatDateTimeShort()	"5/13/26 2:30 PM"

Unlike MetricFormatter, DateFormatter is declared with expect/actual (an expect object in commonMain, an actual object per platform) because date formatting inherently depends on platform locale APIs.

Design decisions

Decision	Rationale
Display formatting follows the OS locale	A number shown to a user should read the way that user writes numbers
formatInvariant keeps a fixed . for machine-read values	Interop payloads and re-parsed values break if localized
Only temperature, wind speed, rainfall and weight convert	The remaining metric units are universally understood in their native form
object singleton pattern	Stateless utility — no instance management needed

Related

• User-facing docs: Units & Locale explains what end users see
• Source code: core/common/src/commonMain/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/common/util/MetricFormatter.kt
• Tests: core/common/src/commonTest/kotlin/org/meshtastic/core/common/util/MetricFormatterTest.kt