Support for New Device
Before You Request Support for a New Device
Before asking for support of a specific board or device in the Tracker or Digi/iGate firmware, please consider the following. Adding support for a new device requires development time and (more important!) ongoing maintenance. Not every request makes practical and economical sense.
Use the Right Device for the Right Purpose
Each LoRa APRS project is designed with a general specific use case in mind:
- Tracker - a portable, battery-powered device with GPS for position reporting
- Digi/iGate - a stationary device for digipeating and/or internet gateway functionality, without GPS
If you have a device that was designed as a tracker (e.g. with built-in GPS and battery holder) and you want to run iGate software on it - that doesn’t make sense. The hardware was built for a different purpose. Similarly, trying to use a stationary iGate board as a portable tracker is not a good idea.
Use the device for what it was designed to do.
Your Device Is Broken? Fix It First
If you have a device like a Lilygo T-Beam with a broken GPS module, the solution is to repair or replace the broken component - not to request a firmware variant that works without GPS. A tracker without GPS is not a tracker.
The same applies to other broken components. Fix the hardware issue and continue using the device as intended.
When Does Adding a New Device Make Sense?
Adding support for a new board makes sense when:
- A significant number of people will benefit - for example, a local club or a large group of operators want to use the same board
- The device is (commercially) available and popular - not a one-off custom build
- The hardware is suitable for the intended purpose - a tracker board for Tracker firmware, a stationary board for Digi/iGate firmware
Adding support does not make sense when:
- You have one specific device and want custom firmware just for yourself
- The device is not designed for the intended use case
- You want to work around a hardware defect instead of fixing it
For a single unique device, the development and maintenance effort of an individual implementation is simply not justified.
DIY Option
There are ready-made DIY variants available with a defined pinout. If you want to build your own device, simply wire it according to the pinout specified in the variant and it will just work:
Each variant defines a specific combination of processor and LoRa module (e.g. ESP32 + SX1278, ESP32-C3 + SX1262, etc.) with a fixed pin configuration. You pick the variant that matches your components and build your hardware accordingly - you do not modify the pinout to match your custom wiring.
Currently Supported Boards
Check the list of officially supported boards for each project:
If your board is already on the list, no additional support request is needed.