rsDeck

Dual-mode Ratspeak firmware for the LilyGo T-Deck Plus.

Ratspeak | Docs | Downloads | rsReticulum

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rsDeck turns a LilyGo T-Deck Plus into a two-mode Reticulum handheld. Standalone mode is an on-device Ratspeak/LXMF messenger. RNode mode makes the T-Deck a host-controlled radio for Ratspeak, Sideband, or another Reticulum client over BLE or USB serial.

Install

Use the Ratspeak web flasher: ratspeak.org/download.html.

Put the T-Deck Plus in download mode by holding the trackball while powering on, connect USB, then flash rsdeck-full. The standalone-only and RNode-only images are release artifacts for launcher users or focused testing.

Modes

On boot, the launcher lets you choose:

• Standalone: a local Reticulum/LXMF messenger with identity management, contacts, peer discovery, messages, LoRa, and WiFi TCP access.
• RNode: a host-controlled RNode-style radio target for Ratspeak or other Reticulum clients over BLE or USB serial.

RNode mode self-provisions the T-Deck RNode product/model/default config and running firmware hash on first boot, so users should not need a separate rnodeconf setup step for the bundled release images.

Basic Use

On first boot, Standalone mode generates a Reticulum identity and asks for a display name. Your LXMF address is the 32-character hex string you share with contacts.

• Tabs: Home, Friends, Msgs, Peers, Setup.
• Navigation: trackball movement and click/Enter.
• Announce: press the trackball or Enter on the Home tab.
• Add contacts: select a discovered peer, then open or save the chat.
• Send messages: open a chat, type, and press Enter.
• Delivery color: yellow while sending, green after delivery confirmation.
• Identity import: place one raw 64-byte Reticulum identity file under /ratdeck/identity/ on the SD card, then use Setup -> Import Identity. Files named import.identity or import.key are preferred; otherwise rsDeck accepts exactly one non-reserved .identity or .key file in that folder. Ratspeak's encrypted .rsi backups are not imported on-device; from Ratspeak, export a Reticulum Identity File for rsDeck import.

Radio Presets

Long Fast is the compiled-in default. All radio parameters can also be tuned from Setup. Changes apply immediately.

Preset	SF	BW	CR	TXP	Bitrate	Link budget
Short Turbo	7	500 kHz	4/5	14 dBm	21.99 kbps	140 dB
Short Fast	7	250 kHz	4/5	14 dBm	10.84 kbps	143 dB
Short Slow	8	250 kHz	4/5	14 dBm	6.25 kbps	145.5 dB
Medium Fast	9	250 kHz	4/5	17 dBm	3.52 kbps	148 dB
Medium Slow	10	250 kHz	4/5	17 dBm	1.95 kbps	150.5 dB
Long Turbo	11	500 kHz	4/8	22 dBm	1.34 kbps	150 dB
Long Fast (default)	11	250 kHz	4/5	22 dBm	1.07 kbps	153 dB
Long Moderate	11	125 kHz	4/8	22 dBm	0.34 kbps	156 dB

You are responsible for operating within local laws and radio regulations.

WiFi Bridging

WiFi bridging is experimental. STA mode can connect to existing WiFi and reach remote Reticulum nodes such as rns.ratspeak.org:4242.

AP mode exposes a local TCP endpoint for a nearby Reticulum host:

[[rsdeck]]
  type = TCPClientInterface
  target_host = 192.168.4.1
  target_port = 4242

The bridging UI and interface behavior may change as Ratspeak's client release stabilizes.

Build From Source

git clone https://github.com/ratspeak/rsDeck
cd rsDeck
python3 -m pip install platformio esptool
make prep-tdeck
make package
make flash port=/dev/cu.usbmodem3101

Useful build targets:

make build-launcher      # launcher only
make build-standalone    # standalone messenger app
make build-rnode         # host-controlled RNode target
make full-image          # launcher + Standalone + RNode
make package             # release zips and launcher bins

Release artifacts are written to dist/:

dist/rsdeck-full.zip
dist/rsdeck-standalone.zip
dist/rsdeck-rnode.zip
dist/rsdeck-standalone-m5launcher.bin
dist/rsdeck-rnode-m5launcher.bin

Use the .zip files with the Ratspeak web flasher. The *-m5launcher.bin files are app images for M5Launcher/M5Burner-style launchers that boot Standalone or RNode directly from SD.

License

rsDeck standalone firmware, launcher, partition tables, and packaging tools are licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 or later. See LICENSE.

Vendored third-party code keeps its own license notices, including vendor/rnode_firmware/ and lib/Crypto.