How To Add Vibration Motor Module To Your Meshtastic Node

In this guide, we'll walk you through adding a vibration motor module to your existing ESP32 Lora Meshtastic Node. This guide will work also for any other ESP32-based board like Heltec V3 Lora, TTGo, or T-Beam but slight changes might be required.

Hardware

Now let's get started with the hardware you need:

1x Vibration Motor Module- AliExpress Price: 0.79 USD | Amazon US Price 6.79USD
2x Female to Female Pin Connector AliExpress Price: 0.42USD | Amazon US Price 5.49USD

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The item is priced at $0.79 but the shipping fee is 3.68$. Please be aware that if you request a refund, the shipping fee is non-refundable. This is a common tactic used by AliExpress sellers to avoid issuing refunds.

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When ordering from AliExpress, consider consolidating your purchases from a single seller to maximize savings. For instance, if you're purchasing an antenna from seller X, check if they also offer an IPEX to SMA-K cable. By sourcing all your items from one seller, you can significantly reduce shipping costs.

Assembly

The hardware is all ready and set now to the wiring. For this, we will follow the following Schematics.

Vibration Motor Module 3.3V- DIY ESP32 Meshtastic Node

Vibration Motor Module 5V- DIY ESP32 Meshtastic Node

IN-> GPIO 15
GND-> GND
VCC/VIN -> 3V3 / 5V

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If you're using a different ESP32-based board like Heltec V3 Lora, TTGo, or T-Beam, simply select an available GPIO pin that accepts digital signals, supports pull-up or pull-down resistors, and isn't already in use. Then, follow the guide using the chosen pin, disregarding the specific pin number mentioned in the instructions

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The Vibration Motor Module Might Not Work On 5V With a Battery, It Works Only With USB

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Capacitors are good practice for decoupling one part of a circuit from another

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It's Important To Note That The Order Of The Connections Might Vary. Follow The Labels And Io Ports On Your Specific Components And The Provided Schematics To Ensure Accurate Wiring. Paying Attention To These Details Ensures That You Establish The Correct Connections And Avoid Potential Issues or Damaging Your Components

Once all the wiring is completed. Double-check your connections and ensure they match the suggested layout before proceeding to the next steps.

Meshtastic Settings

Open Meshtastic App (IOS for this guide)
Go to the Settings page
In the module configuration section go to External Notification
Toggle the switch to enable Enable, Alert when receiving a message, Use PWM Buzzer (Optional Follow Note)
Scroll down then Primary GPIO toggle Active then set the Output Pin GPIO to Pin 15
Save, the node then will restart

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Optional: If you'd like your device to vibrate in a specific pattern, go to the Settings page and select Ringtone. From there, paste the RTTTL code to set your desired ringtone and customize the vibration pattern to your liking.

Here is an example

Halloween:d=4,o=5,b=180:8d6,8g,8g,8d6,8g,8g,8d6,8g,8d#6,8g,
8d6,8g,8g,8d6,8g,8g,8d6,8g,8d#6,8g,8c#6,8f#,8f#,8c#6,8f#,8f#,
8c#6,8f#,8d6,8f#,8c#6,8f#,8f#,8c#6,8f#,8f#,8c#6,8f#,8d6,8f#

In conclusion, adding a new notification module to your DIY ESP32 Meshtastic Node with a vibration motor module is a simple process. By carefully following the provided guide, which includes a list of required hardware and step-by-step instructions, you can seamlessly integrate a vibration motor module into your existing setup.