RAKwireless Launches the Meshtastic Designer for Rapid In-Browser WisBlock Project Design

RAKwireless has launched a new tool designed to make it easier to put together your own custom Meshtastic device designs — using, of course, the company's own modular component ecosystem: Meshtastic Designer.

"Meshtastic Designer [is] a powerful online tool designed to eliminate guesswork and empower users to confidently build IoT [Internet of Things] solutions that meet their requirements," the company claims of its latest software release. "Meshtastic Designer goes beyond being a product configuration tool; it is an end-to-end platform that empowers users to design, customize, and manufacture IoT solutions tailored to their needs."

Meshtastic Designer is, as the name implies, targets devices connecting over Meshtastic, a community-driven open-source LoRa-based wireless mesh platform designed to run on low-power devices — including RAKwireless' own. Using Meshtastic Designer, the company explains, it's possible to quickly find compatible WisBlock parts and put together a production-ready design using the in-browser cloud-powered toolkit developed in partnership with Infinitive.

"Meshtastic, initially a messaging platform, has evolved into a powerful tool for sending data, enabling applications like remote sensor management, environmental monitoring, and innovative communication networks," RAKwireless claims. "The flexibility of WisBlock modules within the Meshtastic ecosystem has already inspired countless creative projects. One popular example is the ability to build Meshtastic solar node setups, ideal for off-grid deployments and environmental monitoring."

The browser-based software provides a list of Meshtastic-compatible WisBlock modules, warning if selected components can't be used together, and provides an enclosure design suitable for the selected parts. The design can be viewed in a three-dimensional rendering, and then shared and exported for production — and, of course, it's possible to order the parts you'll need direct from RAKwireless.

"While Meshtastic Designer is currently dedicated to empowering the Meshtastic ecosystem, it represents just the beginning of our vision," the company claims. "Imagine a future where the same intuitive and seamless design experience extends to the entire WisBlock collection—allowing users to develop and implement any IoT solution they envision. Our ultimate goal is to build a WisBlock Designer that expands on selection and visualization with more advanced features."

Meshtastic Designer is available to try now on the RAKwireless website; CNX Software's Jean-Luc Aufranc has published a walkthrough that ends with a Meshtastic-connected air quality monitor with on-board display.