Repeater Daemon in Python using the pymc_core Lib.
I started pyMC_core as a way to really get under the skin of MeshCore — to see how it ticked and why it behaved the way it did. After a few late nights of tinkering, testing, and head-scratching, I shared what I’d learned with the community. The response was honestly overwhelming — loads of encouragement, great feedback, and a few people asking if I could spin it into a lightweight repeater daemon that would run happily on low-power, Pi-class hardware.
That challenge shaped much of what followed:
- I went with a lightweight HTTP server (CherryPy) instead of a full-fat framework.
- I stuck with simple polling over WebSockets — it’s more reliable, has fewer dependencies, and is far less resource hungry.
- I kept the architecture focused on being clear, modular, and hackable rather than chasing performance numbers.
There’s still plenty of room for this project to grow and improve — but you’ve got to start somewhere! My hope is that pyMC_repeater serves as a solid, approachable foundation that others can learn from, build on, and maybe even have a bit of fun with along the way.
I’d love to see these repeaters out in the wild — actually running in real networks and production setups. My own testing so far has been in a very synthetic environment with little to no other users in my area, so feedback from real-world deployments would be incredibly valuable!
The repeater daemon runs continuously as a background process, forwarding LoRa packets using pymc_core's Dispatcher and packet routing.
The following hardware is currently supported out-of-the-box:
Waveshare LoRaWAN/GNSS HAT (SPI Version Only)
Hardware: Waveshare SX1262 LoRa HAT (SPI interface - UART version not supported)
Platform: Raspberry Pi (or compatible single-board computer)
Frequency: 868MHz (EU) or 915MHz (US)
TX Power: Up to 22dBm
SPI Bus: SPI0
GPIO Pins: CS=21, Reset=18, Busy=20, IRQ=16
Note: Only the SPI version is supported. The UART version will not work.
HackerGadgets uConsole
Hardware: uConsole RTL-SDR/LoRa/GPS/RTC/USB Hub
Platform: Clockwork uConsole (Raspberry Pi CM4/CM5)
Frequency: 433/915MHz (configurable)
TX Power: Up to 22dBm
SPI Bus: SPI1
GPIO Pins: CS=-1, Reset=25, Busy=24, IRQ=26
Additional Setup: Requires SPI1 overlay and GPS/RTC configuration (see uConsole setup guide)
Frequency Labs meshadv-mini
Hardware: FrequencyLabs meshadv-mini Hat
Platform: Raspberry Pi (or compatible single-board computer)
Frequency: 868MHz (EU) or 915MHz (US)
TX Power: Up to 22dBm
SPI Bus: SPI0
GPIO Pins: CS=8, Reset=24, Busy=20, IRQ=16
Frequency Labs meshadv
Hardware: FrequencyLabs meshadv-mini Hat
Platform: Raspberry Pi (or compatible single-board computer)
Frequency: 868MHz (EU) or 915MHz (US)
TX Power: Up to 22dBm
SPI Bus: SPI0
GPIO Pins: CS=21, Reset=18, Busy=20, IRQ=16, TXEN=13, RXEN=12, use_dio3_tcxo=True
...
Real-time monitoring dashboard showing packet statistics, neighbor discovery, and system status
statistics and performance metrics
Before You Begin
Make sure SPI is switched on using raspi-config:
sudo raspi-config- Go to Interface Options
- Select SPI
- Choose Enable
- Reboot when prompted:
sudo rebootAfter reboot, you can confirm SPI is active:
ls /dev/spi*You should see something like:
/dev/spidev0.0 /dev/spidev0.1Install Git (if not already installed):
sudo apt update
sudo apt install git -yClone the Repository:
git clone https://github.com/rightup/pyMC_Repeater.git
cd pyMC_RepeaterQuick Install:
sudo ./manage.shThis script will:
- Create a dedicated
repeaterservice user with hardware access - Install files to
/opt/pymc_repeater - Create configuration directory at
/etc/pymc_repeater - Setup log directory at
/var/log/pymc_repeater - Launch interactive radio & hardware configuration wizard
- Install and enable systemd service
After Installation:
# View live logs
sudo journalctl -u pymc-repeater -f
# Access web dashboard
http://<repeater-ip>:8000Development Install:
pip install -e .The configuration file is created and configured during installation at:
/etc/pymc_repeater/config.yaml
To reconfigure radio and hardware settings after installation, run:
sudo bash setup-radio-config.sh /etc/pymc_repeater
# or
sudo ./manage.sh
# then restart the service
sudo systemctl restart pymc-repeater
To upgrade an existing installation to the latest version:
# Navigate to your pyMC_Repeater directory
cd pyMC_Repeater
# Run the upgrade script
sudo ./manage.shThe upgrade script will:
- Pull the latest code from the main branch
- Update all application files
- Upgrade Python dependencies if needed
- Restart the service automatically
- Preserve your existing configuration
sudo ./manage.shThis script will:
- Stop and disable the systemd service
- Remove the installation directory
- Optionally remove configuration, logs, and user data
- Optionally remove the service user account
The script will prompt you for each optional removal step.
- Public Map Integration - Submit repeater location and details to public map for discovery
- Remote Administration over LoRa - Manage repeater configuration remotely via LoRa mesh
- Trace Request Handling - Respond to trace/diagnostic requests from mesh network
I welcome contributions! To contribute to pyMC_repeater:
- Fork the repository and clone your fork
- Create a feature branch from the
devbranch:git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name dev
- Make your changes and test with real hardware
- Commit with clear messages:
git commit -m "feat: description of changes" - Push to your fork and submit a Pull Request to the
devbranch- Include a clear description of the changes
- Reference any related issues
# Install in development mode with dev tools (black, pytest, isort, mypy, etc)
pip install -e ".[dev]"
# Setup pre-commit hooks for code quality
pip install pre-commit
pre-commit install
# Manually run pre-commit checks on all files
pre-commit run --all-filesNote: Hardware support (LoRa radio drivers) is included in the base installation automatically via pymc_core[hardware].
Pre-commit hooks will automatically:
- Format code with Black
- Sort imports with isort
- Lint with flake8
- Fix trailing whitespace and other file issues
This software has been tested on actual hardware, but is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, express or implied. While care has been taken to ensure stability and reliability, I make no guarantees about the software's performance, compatibility, or suitability for any particular purpose.
By using this software, you acknowledge and agree that:
- You use this software entirely at your own risk
- I hold no responsibility for any damage to hardware, data loss, or system failures
- You are responsible for ensuring compliance with local radio regulations and licensing requirements
- No support or warranty is guaranteed, though community assistance is available
This software is intended for educational and experimental purposes. Always test in a controlled environment before deploying to production.
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
