Coverage

Predicted coverage

Meshview can display a predicted coverage boundary for a node. This is a model estimate, not a guarantee of real-world performance.

How it works

The coverage boundary is computed using the Longley-Rice / ITM area mode propagation model. Area mode estimates average path loss over generic terrain and does not use a terrain profile. This means it captures general distance effects, but does not account for terrain shadows, buildings, or foliage.

What you are seeing

The UI draws a perimeter (not a heatmap) that represents the furthest distance where predicted signal strength is above a threshold (default -120 dBm). The model is run radially from the node in multiple directions, and the last point above the threshold forms the outline.

Key parameters

Frequency: default 907 MHz
Transmit power: default 20 dBm
Antenna heights: default 5 m (TX) and 1.5 m (RX)
Reliability: default 0.5 (median)
Terrain irregularity: default 90 m (average terrain)

Limitations

No terrain or building data is used (area mode only).
Results are sensitive to power, height, and threshold.
Environmental factors can cause large real-world deviations.
Observed coverage depends on gateway locations and recent traffic volume.

Observed coverage (real data)

Meshview can also draw an observed coverage perimeter based on real packet sightings. This uses packets from the node and the gateways that heard them. We filter to direct/1-hop sightings (hop_start - hop_limit <= 1) and then:

Compute distance + bearing from the sender to each gateway with location.
Bucket by bearing (default 5°).
Keep the farthest gateway in each bearing bucket.
Connect those points into a perimeter polygon.

This gives a real-world envelope that reflects terrain, antenna placement, and environment. It improves over time as more packets are observed.

Tuning knobs:

max_hops (default 1)
bearing_step (default 10°)
packets_limit (default 50 most recent packets)

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