Technical overview

Supported hardware and firmware.

This is the technical list of hardware for which Bakvind provides firmware, the roles available to each platform, and how firmware can be installed and upgraded.

The regular Hardware page presents a selection of components we recommend. This page also includes supported alternatives that are not necessarily recommended for new installations.

First-time setupThe method used when complete Bakvind firmware is installed for the first time.

UpgradeThe methods available after the correct Bakvind firmware is already installed.

OTAAn upgrade without a USB cable. Bluetooth requires the Bakvind app. ESP32 LoRa gateways can also pull the selected firmware over the internet using Wi-Fi OTA.

nRF52840-based nodes

Battery- and solar-powered devices that receive WS90 data over Bluetooth and forward it over LoRa or a cellular network.

3 platforms

Hardware	Roles	First-time setup	Upgrade	USB cable from PC	Bluetooth OTA from app	Remote OTA over Wi-Fi
XIAO nRF52840 + Wio-SX1262`node-xiao-lora`XIAO LoRa / Meshtastic kit	Node LoRaRepeater	USB / UF2	USB / UF2	Yes	No	No
SenseCAP Solar Node`node-solar`Seeed Studio / SenseCAP Solar Node	Node LoRaRepeater	USB / UF2	USB or Bluetooth OTA	Yes	Yes	No
RAK4631 WisBlock`node-rak4631`RAK4631 on a RAK19003 or RAK19007 base	Node LoRaRepeaterMobile node*	USB serial DFU or UF2	USB or Bluetooth OTA	Yes	Yes	No

ESP32 LoRa gateways

Permanently powered gateways that receive LoRa and send data to Bakvind over Wi-Fi.

4 platforms

Hardware	Roles	First-time setup	Upgrade	USB cable from PC	Bluetooth OTA from app	Remote OTA over Wi-Fi
Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3`node-gateway-heltec-v3`ESP32-S3 with SX1262 and OLED	Wi-Fi gateway	USB / Webflasher	USB, Bluetooth OTA or Wi-Fi OTA	Yes	Yes	Yes
XIAO ESP32-S3 + Wio-SX1262`node-gateway-xiao-esp32s3`Compact gateway without OLED	Wi-Fi gateway	USB / Webflasher	USB, Bluetooth OTA or Wi-Fi OTA	Yes	Yes	Yes
Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V4`node-gateway-heltec-v4`ESP32-S3 with SX1262 and OLED	Wi-Fi gateway	USB / Webflasher	USB, Bluetooth OTA or Wi-Fi OTA	Yes	Yes	Yes
LILYGO T3-S3`node-gateway-t3s3`V1.2/V1.3, SX1262 868 MHz and OLED	Wi-Fi gateway	USB / Webflasher	USB, Bluetooth OTA or Wi-Fi OTA	Yes	Yes	Yes

ESP32 for Ecowitt GW2000

A separate adapter family for installations that read weather data from an Ecowitt GW2000 on the local network.

1 platform

Hardware	Roles	First-time setup	Upgrade	USB cable from PC	Bluetooth OTA from app	Remote OTA over Wi-Fi
ESP32 for Ecowitt GW2000`node-gateway-ecowitt`NodeMCU-32S is the default. Heltec V3 and ICBuy ESP32-C6-N4 are alternative builds.	Gateway for GW2000	USB / Webflasher	USB	Yes	No	No

Bluetooth OTA

The phone must be within Bluetooth range of the device. The Bakvind app can download the correct firmware from the server in advance and transfer it locally to the device.

Wi-Fi OTA

ESP32 LoRa gateways pull the firmware version selected for that node in the portal. Changing the selection, or publishing a new public build of the same version, makes the gateway download and install on the next check. The pull client must be installed once over USB, Bluetooth, or the gateway LAN page.

RAK4631 + SIM7080G pinout

The tested Mobile node setup uses UART at 115200 8N1. TX and RX must be crossed as shown below.

RAK4631 signal	SIM7080G breakout	Use in Bakvind
`TXD1 / P0.16`	`RX`	Serial1 TX
`RXD1 / P0.15`	`TX`	Serial1 RX
`SDA / P0.13`	`PWRKEY`	HIGH pulse, then LOW
`SCL / P0.14`	`DTR`	HIGH awake; LOW permits sleep
`GND`	`GND`	Common ground

Power the modem from a separate suitable supply and connect common ground. The RAK base is not used as the modem power supply in the verified setup.

The PWRKEY and DTR levels below apply to the tested breakout board. The bare SIM7080G uses active-low PWRKEY, so verify the circuitry on other breakout boards before connecting them.

Manufacturer references: RAK4631 datasheet SIM7080G documentation

* Mobile node is currently supported only on RAK4631 with an external SIM7080G modem. It is not a standard configuration for the ready-made nodes.
Historical profiles without LoRa, reserved profiles, and internal test builds are not listed as supported field hardware.

Choose hardware for the job.

See the regular Hardware page for the components Bakvind recommends for new installations, or continue to Get started for planning and setup.