Tactical LoRa mesh node · Rev2, current

IMPR-RAD-01

A mesh radio node that keeps a team on one ATAK picture where there is no tower, server or internet. Two revisions, both field tested.

Field tested
IMPR-RAD-01 Rev2 mesh radio node, 3D model
Field tested
IMPR-RAD-01 Rev2 — 3D model from the board design

One node, built to expand

Rev2 keeps the field-tested ESP32-S3 core and adds three expansion ports, a 1 A power rail with headroom for the modules on them, and a current-generation SX1262 LoRa radio.

Designed and built in-house: hardware, mesh firmware, ATAK integration and telemetry.

Teaser

One mesh, every mission.

Earthquake response, wildfires and tactical teams working in ATAK.

Inside Rev2

Radio, core and expansion on one board

Board Telemetry
Render ModeStatic Preview
Board≈ 88 × 63 mm
Stack-up4-layer
AssemblyTwo-sided
Component Stack
01. ESP32-S3
8 MB flash · 8 MB PSRAM
02. SX1262
LoRa radio · 868 MHz
03. AP7361C
1 A 3.3 V regulator
04. DF12 × 3
Expansion ports · 1 top, 2 bottom
IMPR-RAD-01 Rev2 3D model
Board Profile
PowerUSB-C / POW-R
AntennaPCB / U.FL
MountingM2.5 grid
RunsMesh · ATAK
ESP32-S3 / SX1262 / DF12 × 3
IMPR-RAD-01 Rev2
LoRa mesh node with three expansion ports.
  1. 01 An ESP32-S3 runs the mesh firmware across LoRa, Bluetooth LE, ESP-NOW and Wi-Fi.
  2. 02 An SX1262 LoRa radio, with an on-board PCB antenna or a U.FL connector for an external one, set at assembly.
  3. 03 A 1 A 3.3 V rail with bulk reserve for transmit bursts and the modules stacked on the node.
  4. 04 Three 20-pin expansion ports: one on top, two underneath.

Specifications

Radio & power

Transceiver
SX1262 LoRa
Band
868 MHz
Antenna
On-board PCB or U.FL external
3.3 V rail
1 A, with burst reserve
Power input
USB-C or IMPR-POW-R-01

Core

MCU
ESP32-S3 · 8 MB flash · 8 MB PSRAM
Links
LoRa · BLE · ESP-NOW · Wi-Fi
Clock
32.768 kHz crystal
Debug
USB · JTAG
Buttons
Reset · boot · user

Mechanics & expansion

Outline
≈ 88 × 63 mm
Stack-up
4-layer PCB
Assembly
Two-sided
Expansion
3 × 20-pin DF12 · 1 top, 2 bottom
Mounting
M2.5, shared across the stack
Revisions

Two revisions. Both field tested.

Rev1 is a complete, field-tested node. Rev2 keeps the same core and adds room to grow: expansion ports, a larger power budget for the modules on them, and a newer LoRa radio chosen for its lifecycle.

Rev1 → Rev2· This page
Core ESP32-S3 · 8 + 8 MB Same core
LoRa radio SX1276 · 868 MHz SX1262 · 868 MHz, for long-term availability
Antenna On-board, with RF connector On-board PCB or U.FL external, set at assembly
3.3 V rail 600 mA 1 A, sized for expansion modules
Expansion Two 14-pin headers Three 20-pin ports · 1 top, 2 bottom
Assembly Single-sided Two-sided, M2.5 grid shared by the stack
Power input USB-C USB-C or IMPR-POW-R-01
Status Field tested Field tested
Expansion

Built to expand.

Rev2’s three ports turn the node into a platform: add a screen on top or extend it underneath, without replacing the radio.

Top port In field test

IMPR-DISP-01

Display and controls: a status screen, four buttons, an 80 dB buzzer and status LEDs.

View IMPR-DISP-01
Bottom ports In design

RAD-01 Extension

Extends the node underneath. Planned: GNSS positioning, storage and a real-time clock.

Register Interest
Any port Designed for you

Your custom module

Need a sensor, power or I/O module for your program? We design custom modules to the same connectors, so they stack on a fielded node.

Discuss a Custom Module
In the field

ATAK over the mesh.

Works with ATAK-CIV 5.5+

This is how we run RAD-01: each operator’s phone pairs with a node, and the team keeps working in ATAK as usual. The mesh carries the shared picture where there is no tower, server or internet.

Phone to node over Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi; node to node over LoRa.

Over LoRa today
  • Positions
  • Markers
  • Drawings
  • Routes
  • Chat
Over HaLow, with IMPR-VOX
  • Images
  • Voice
  • Video
  • One picture for the whole team

    Positions, markers, drawings and routes reach every node on the mesh, so everyone works from the same map.

  • Chat built for gaps

    Messages for someone out of reach wait in the mesh and go through when they come back in range.

  • Several phones per node

    Phones connect over Bluetooth LE or Wi-Fi, so one node can serve several operators.

  • Nothing new to learn

    The mesh works underneath ATAK. Operators keep the map, chat and markers they already use.

Images, voice and video need more bandwidth than LoRa gives. They move to the HaLow link of IMPR-VOX, now in field test.

Discuss a Mesh Deployment
What’s next In design
IMPR-PRIMARCH

A software-defined radio with 2×2 MIMO.

A modular Linux and FPGA radio core that will carry the same TAK traffic over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, LoRa and HaLow, with a replaceable 2×2 SDR card for a higher-throughput mobile mesh. It runs our existing VOX and DISP-01 modules.

Ask About PRIMARCH
SDR card
2×2 coherent: two transmit and receive chains
Tuning range
325 MHz – 3.8 GHz
Bands
868/915 MHz, L band and part of S band
Channel width
Up to 20 MHz
MIMO roadmap
Diversity (STBC) first, then spatial multiplexing
Upgrades
Swappable radio cards for other bands

In design: performance figures will be published only once measured.

Need a mesh node like this for your program?

Ask about RAD-01 and its modules, or have the team that built them design yours. Mutual NDA first; a full proposal with budget and timeline before any work starts.