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MeshCore KISS Modem Protocol
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Solo features
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External keyboard
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External keyboard
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External Keyboard & Joystick
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Support by device
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CardKB
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Typing
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Ext. KB — Full vs Compact
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Wired joystick
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Wiring (Heltec V3 / V4)
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2026-08-12 21:16:38 +00:00
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Built-in keyboards (Cardputer ADV, T-Echo Lite + KeyShield)
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2026-08-07 17:22:10 +00:00
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Clock screen
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Clock screen
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Clock screen
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Favourites dial
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Favourites dial
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Favourites dial
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Message screen
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Message screen
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Message screen
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Screen lock
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External Keyboard & Joystick
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Wiring (Heltec V3 / V4)
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Built-in keyboards (Cardputer ADV, T-Echo Lite + KeyShield)
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< svg xmlns = "http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox = "0 0 24 24" >< path d = "M10 20H6V4h7v5h5v3.1l2-2V8l-6-6H6c-1.1 0-2 .9-2 2v16c0 1.1.9 2 2 2h4zm10.2-7c.1 0 .3.1.4.2l1.3 1.3c.2.2.2.6 0 .8l-1 1-2.1-2.1 1-1c.1-.1.2-.2.4-.2m0 3.9L14.1 23H12v-2.1l6.1-6.1z" /></ svg >
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< h1 > External keyboard</ h1 >
< h2 id = "external-keyboard-joystick" > External Keyboard & Joystick</ h2 >
< p >< a href = "../../README.md" > Go back</ a ></ p >
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< p > Two optional, auto-detected hardware add-ons — a build with them enabled runs
the same with nothing plugged in. Two of the newer boards also ship with
their own < strong > built-in</ strong > keypad instead —
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see < a href = "#built-in-keyboards-cardputer-adv-t-echo-lite--keyshield" > Built-in keyboards</ a > .</ p >
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< ul >
< li >< strong > CardKB</ strong > — an M5Stack I2C QWERTY keyboard (address < code > 0x5F</ code > ), for typing
messages, names and labels without walking the on-screen letter grid.</ li >
< li >< strong > Wired joystick</ strong > — four direction contacts plus a Back button, replacing the
single-button navigation on boards that have no joystick of their own.</ li >
</ ul >
< h3 id = "support-by-device" > Support by device</ h3 >
< table >
< thead >
< tr >
< th > Device</ th >
< th style = "text-align: center;" > CardKB</ th >
< th style = "text-align: center;" > Wired joystick</ th >
</ tr >
</ thead >
< tbody >
< tr >
< td > Seeed Wio Tracker L1 (OLED)</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > ✅ Grove connector</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > onboard</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Seeed Wio Tracker L1 (E-ink)</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > ✅ Grove connector</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > onboard</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > GAT562 30S Mesh Kit</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > —</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > onboard</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
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< td > Heltec V3 < em > (experimental)</ em ></ td >
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< td style = "text-align: center;" > ✅ solder to free GPIOs</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > ✅ solder to free GPIOs</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
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< td > Heltec V4 < em > (experimental)</ em ></ td >
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< td style = "text-align: center;" > ✅ solder to free GPIOs</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > ✅ solder to free GPIOs</ td >
</ tr >
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< tr >
< td > M5Stack Cardputer ADV < em > (experimental)</ em ></ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > —</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > built-in keyboard instead, see below</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > LilyGO T-Echo Lite + KeyShield < em > (experimental)</ em ></ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > —</ td >
< td style = "text-align: center;" > built-in keypad instead, see below</ td >
</ tr >
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</ tbody >
</ table >
< hr />
< h2 id = "cardkb" > CardKB</ h2 >
< p > Plug it into the second I2C bus (the Grove connector on the Wio Tracker L1;
see < a href = "#wiring-heltec-v3--v4" > Wiring</ a > for the Heltec boards). The firmware probes
for it once at boot — nothing to enable in Settings.</ p >
< p > The same bus is scanned for environment sensors, so a CardKB and a sensor can
share it.</ p >
< h3 id = "typing" > Typing</ h3 >
< p > Printable characters insert straight at the cursor, bypassing the on-screen grid
completely. The alphabet and T9/ABC settings do not apply — a real keyboard sends
the right character already, so typing is always plain Latin ASCII regardless of
what Settings › </ p >
< table >
< thead >
< tr >
< th > Key</ th >
< th > Action</ th >
</ tr >
</ thead >
< tbody >
< tr >
< td > letters / digits / symbols / space</ td >
< td > insert at the cursor</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Backspace</ td >
< td > delete the character before the cursor</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Esc</ td >
< td > cancel / back</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Arrows</ td >
< td > same as the joystick</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Enter</ td >
< td > same as the centre button</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td >< strong > Fn+Enter</ strong ></ td >
< td >< strong > submit the field</ strong > — no need to find the DONE cell</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td >< strong > Fn+letter</ strong ></ td >
< td > open the accent popup for that letter (e.g. Fn+A → á à ä ã…)</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td >< strong > Tab</ strong ></ td >
< td > the Hold-Enter equivalent, everywhere — context menus, shift-lock, clear-all</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td >< strong > Fn+Esc</ strong ></ td >
< td > lock / unlock the device (single press, works in both directions)</ td >
</ tr >
</ tbody >
</ table >
< p > Fn+Esc rather than the adjacent Fn+Backspace on purpose: Fn and Backspace sit
next to each other on CardKB's layout and would be far too easy to hit by
accident. See < a href = "../screen_lock/screen_lock/" > Screen Lock</ a > for the physical
button equivalent.</ p >
< h3 id = "ext-kb-full-vs-compact" > Ext. KB — Full vs Compact</ h3 >
< p >< strong > Settings › › </ strong > picks how the on-screen keyboard behaves while
a CardKB is doing the typing.</ p >
< table >
< thead >
< tr >
< th > Mode</ th >
< th > Behaviour</ th >
</ tr >
</ thead >
< tbody >
< tr >
< td >< strong > Full</ strong > (default)</ td >
< td > The letter grid stays on screen. Arrows and Enter drive the grid exactly as physical buttons do, so CardKB and the joystick can be used interchangeably.</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td >< strong > Compact</ strong ></ td >
< td > The grid, the special-row icons and the status line are all hidden — only the text being typed and two shortcut hints remain. Arrows move the < strong > text cursor</ strong > directly, and plain Enter submits the field (same as Fn+Enter).</ td >
</ tr >
</ tbody >
</ table >
2026-08-12 21:51:42 +00:00
< p >< strong > Compact is designed to need no joystick at all</ strong > — the right choice when
CardKB is the only input device, e.g. a Heltec V3/V4 with no joystick
soldered on.</ p >
2026-08-07 17:22:10 +00:00
< p > Cursor mode and the accent / placeholder popups draw their own visible feedback,
so they behave identically in both modes.</ p >
< hr />
< h2 id = "wired-joystick" > Wired joystick</ h2 >
2026-08-12 21:36:56 +00:00
< p > Four direction contacts plus a fifth "press" contact. Each contact simply
shorts its pin to ground — the firmware enables the internal pull-ups, so no
external resistors are needed.</ p >
2026-08-07 17:22:10 +00:00
< ul >
2026-08-12 21:36:56 +00:00
< li > The stick's own press contact drives the centre / Enter press — your thumb
is already on the stick, so pressing it in is the natural "confirm" action.</ li >
< li > The board's existing user button (PRG on the Heltec boards) becomes Back
instead. Back is < strong > not</ strong > optional: the UI uses it unconditionally once the
joystick is enabled. Triple-clicking Back toggles the buzzer.</ li >
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< li >< strong > Settings › › </ strong > rotates the direction mapping at
runtime (0–
independent of display rotation.</ li >
</ ul >
< hr />
< h2 id = "wiring-heltec-v3-v4" > Wiring (Heltec V3 / V4)</ h2 >
< p > Neither board ships with a joystick or a keyboard header, so both are soldered to
free GPIOs. V3 and V4 are pin-compatible per Heltec's documentation and the solo
builds use the same assignment for both — < strong > confirmed working on real V4
hardware</ strong > ; still worth checking against your own V3 module before soldering.</ p >
< table >
< thead >
< tr >
< th > Function</ th >
< th > GPIO</ th >
< th > Notes</ th >
</ tr >
</ thead >
< tbody >
< tr >
< td > CardKB SDA</ td >
< td > 3</ td >
< td > second I2C bus (< code > Wire1</ code > ) — < em > not</ em > the OLED's 17/18</ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > CardKB SCL</ td >
< td > 4</ td >
< td ></ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Joystick UP</ td >
< td > 23</ td >
< td ></ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Joystick DOWN</ td >
< td > 6</ td >
< td ></ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Joystick LEFT</ td >
< td > 47</ td >
< td ></ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
< td > Joystick RIGHT</ td >
< td > 48</ td >
< td ></ td >
</ tr >
< tr >
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< td > Joystick press — Enter</ td >
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< td > 33</ td >
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< td > the stick's own fifth contact; required when the joystick is enabled</ td >
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</ tr >
< tr >
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< td > Back</ td >
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< td > 0</ td >
< td > the onboard PRG button — nothing to wire</ td >
</ tr >
</ tbody >
</ table >
< p > Everything above lives in the < code > [env:Heltec_v3_companion_solo_dual]</ code > /
< code > [env:heltec_v4_companion_solo_dual]</ code > blocks in
< a href = "../../variants/heltec_v3/platformio.ini" >< code > variants/heltec_v3/platformio.ini</ code ></ a >
and < a href = "../../variants/heltec_v4/platformio.ini" >< code > variants/heltec_v4/platformio.ini</ code ></ a > ,
with comments explaining which pins are safe to reuse. To build a CardKB-only
device, comment out the joystick block and set Ext. KB to Compact.</ p >
2026-08-12 21:16:38 +00:00
< hr />
< h2 id = "built-in-keyboards-cardputer-adv-t-echo-lite-keyshield" > Built-in keyboards (Cardputer ADV, T-Echo Lite + KeyShield)</ h2 >
< p >< em > Experimental</ em > — newly-added board support, not the CardKB/joystick add-ons
above. Both keypads are TCA8418-based and share one polling path, entirely
independent of the CardKB code — a board can have either, or neither.</ p >
< ul >
< li >< strong > M5Stack Cardputer ADV</ strong > — built-in QWERTY, no CardKB or joystick needed.</ li >
< li >< strong > LilyGO T-Echo Lite + KeyShield</ strong > — the KeyShield add-on gives the T-Echo
Lite a T9 keypad; without it the board has no usable input for the solo UI.</ li >
</ ul >
< p > Neither keypad follows CardKB's exact Fn-shortcut table (Fn+Enter,
Fn+letter accent popups, Tab, Fn+Esc lock) — see each board's own
< code > platformio.ini</ code > / keyboard driver under < code > variants/</ code > for its current keymap.</ p >
2026-08-07 17:22:10 +00:00
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