Design Tower Communication Concept

[TylerFlar]

Objective

Similar to its drone counterpart, the tower system requires a communication handling package. The necessary commands are relatively similar (such as config, start, stop, ping data, and others). However, the added challenge is establishing a mesh network over radio frequencies rather than relying on an assumed 1:1 connection managed by 900MHz radio firmware. Various solutions have their own advantages and disadvantages, which must be evaluated.

Requirements

• The program MUST result in a Python package with a defined interface (i.e., the API endpoints must be in Python, but interprocess interactions can be implemented in other languages like C and C++ or using libraries like Protocol Buffers).
• The program MUST adopt a cost-effective approach. (Do not assume unlimited resources; find viable, cheaper alternatives).

Tasks

1. Research solutions used in other projects for inspiration.
2. Develop a simulated version of the mesh network.

Deliverables

• Pull request to the dev branch.
• Documentation of findings.

Note: A strong contender for this project is Meshtastic. This firmware can be flashed onto mid-cost LoRa radios. It also includes Python support, examples involving a broker like MQTT, GPS support, and traceroutes and simulators. They also support Bluetooth for possible configuration of the device via a phone instead of a hardcoded config. However, it is worth noting that data transmission speeds are quite low.