MeshGrid ATAK Distribution

Official binary-only distribution for connecting ATAK-CIV (Android) to the MeshGrid LoRa mesh network via a dedicated ESP32 node.

This repository publishes installation documentation and GitHub Releases with prebuilt binaries. It does not include source code, protocol specifications, or cryptographic implementation details.

Product site: meshgrid.org
Core node firmware & hardware wiring: MeshGrid-Node-Firmware
Latest release: v1.0.0

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Download

Download both files from the v1.0.0 release page (Assets section):

Asset	Description
MeshGrid_ESP32_ATAK_BUILD1005.bin	ESP32 application firmware (BUILD 1005)
ATAK-Plugin-MeshGrid-0.4.0-ATAK-5.5.1-civ-release.apk	ATAK-CIV plugin v0.4.0 (release, minified)

Do not clone this repository to obtain the binaries — use Releases only.

SHA-256 (v1.0.0)

MeshGrid_ESP32_ATAK_BUILD1005.bin
  77983cc7b1eb061b6426411874246562d41469dcb8bd050b6f7f24f235680c47

ATAK-Plugin-MeshGrid-0.4.0-ATAK-5.5.1-civ-release.apk
  147d4b3cc2a6df5f47c7429514be2368a6111821e9c014a4781566464648afcb

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Requirements

Hardware

Same node hardware as MeshGrid-Node:

• ESP32 DevKit (4 MB flash)
• EBYTE E22-900T22D LoRa module + suitable antenna
• Optional GPS module and battery sense (see hardware docs)

Software

• ATAK-CIV 5.5.1 (CIV) on Android — requires plugin API com.atakmap.app@5.5.1.CIV
• Tested with: ATAK-CIV 5.5.1.8 (CIV). Other 5.5.1.x builds on the same API line are expected to work; 5.4.x and 5.6.x are not supported by this release.
• Python 3 + esptool for firmware flashing (pip install esptool)
• USB data cable to the ESP32

No Android Studio, ATAK SDK, or build tools are required for end users — install the prebuilt plugin APK from Releases.

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1. Flash ESP32 firmware

Download MeshGrid_ESP32_ATAK_BUILD1005.bin from v1.0.0 first.

Find the serial port

macOS: ls /dev/cu.usb*

Linux: ls /dev/ttyUSB* /dev/ttyACM*

Windows: Device Manager → COM port

Flash (application image at 0x10000)

Use this when the board already has a compatible MeshGrid partition layout, or after a previous MeshGrid/ATAK firmware flash:

esptool.py --chip esp32 --port <PORT> --baud 460800 \
  write_flash -z 0x10000 MeshGrid_ESP32_ATAK_BUILD1005.bin

Blank ESP32: flash bootloader + partitions + app from a full MeshGrid install, or use the official MeshGrid-Node factory image first, then upgrade with the command above. See MeshGrid-Node-Firmware installation.

Manual bootloader mode

If flashing fails: hold BOOT, tap EN, keep BOOT 2–3 s, start flash, release BOOT when upload begins.

Verify boot

Serial monitor 115200 baud:

[MeshGrid] boot BUILD 1005
[BLE] mesh advertising started name=MESHGRID_ATAK

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2. Provision the ESP32 node

The node must use the same mesh network password as your other MeshGrid nodes.

Provisioning is done over USB serial (115200). Follow the MeshGrid node provisioning workflow supplied with your mesh deployment (password, optional device name, optional node allow-list).

After provisioning:

• Note the 6-digit BLE pairing PIN provided by your provisioning process
• Note the node’s node= ID from the serial boot log (needed for roster on Core nodes)

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3. Install ATAK plugin

Download ATAK-Plugin-MeshGrid-0.4.0-ATAK-5.5.1-civ-release.apk from v1.0.0.

1. Install ATAK-CIV 5.5.1.x on the Android device (see Requirements)

2. Install the plugin APK:

   adb install -r ATAK-Plugin-MeshGrid-0.4.0-ATAK-5.5.1-civ-release.apk

   Or copy the APK to the device and open it with a file manager (if your device policy allows sideloading).

3. ATAK → Settings → Tool Preferences → Installed Plugins → enable MeshGrid

4. Open Tools → MeshGrid

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4. Connect and use

1. Enter your mesh network password in the plugin panel
2. Confirm the BLE pairing PIN matches your provisioned node
3. Scan → select MESHGRID_ATAK (or your provisioned name) → Connect
4. Accept Bluetooth pairing with the PIN
5. Mesh positions appear on the ATAK map; use native ATAK GeoChat (All Chat Rooms) for mesh messaging

GPS source: NODE (ESP32 GPS), PHONE, or AUTO — selectable in the plugin panel.

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Multi-node roster (Core / iOS meshes)

If your MeshGrid Core nodes use an authorized-node allow-list, every Core node must include this ATAK ESP32’s node= ID in the same roster list.

On each Core node (USB serial 115200):

roster set <id1>,<id2>,<atak_node_id>
roster

Replace IDs with your actual node IDs. Without this step, inbound mesh traffic from Core may work while outbound chat from ATAK is blocked.

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Check
Plugin not visible in ATAK	Installed Plugins → MeshGrid enabled; restart ATAK
BLE connects but no mesh data	Same mesh password on ESP32; LoRa antenna and wiring
ATAK chat not reaching iOS	Core roster includes ATAK node= ID on every Core node
Pairing fails	Forget old Bluetooth bond; use correct 6-digit PIN
Wrong ATAK version	Install ATAK-CIV 5.5.1.x (API 5.5.1.CIV); tested on 5.5.1.8

Hardware and LoRa issues: MeshGrid-Node-Firmware troubleshooting

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License and redistribution

Binaries distributed via GitHub Releases are proprietary. Unauthorized copying, modification, reverse engineering, or redistribution is not permitted except as explicitly authorized by the copyright holder.

No source code, protocol documentation, or implementation details are published in this repository.

For licensing, support, or updated builds: info@meshgrid.org · meshgrid.org