How To Setup Canned (Pre-Defined) Messages With Rotary & Knob Button For Your Meshtastic Node

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In this guide, we'll walk you through adding a rotary & knob button to your existing Heltec V3 Lora Meshtastic Node to send canned messages (Pre-Defined Messages). This guide will work also for any ESP32-based board like DIY ESP32 Lora, TTGo, or T-Beam but slight changes might be required to the selected pin. For ESP32 make sure you choose empty pins and adjust the settings to the pins chosen.

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Hardware

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

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Assembly

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

EC11 Digital Potentiometer - Heltec V3 Lora Meshtastic Node

EC11 Digital Potentiometer - Heltec v3 Lora Meshtastic Node
  • Switch-> PIN 42
  • A ->46
  • B - > 45
  • GND -> GND
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The EC11 Digital Potentiometer Module presents a unique challenge with its non-standard pin configuration, requiring careful attention when connecting jumper cables, users may need to resort to soldering cables in place
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If you're using a different ESP32-based board like DIY ESP32 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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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

On the Sensor Device

  1. Open Meshtastic App (IOS for this guide)
  2. Go to the Settings page
  3. In the module configuration section go to Canned Messages
  4. Toggle the switch to enable Enable
  5. Set your messages separated by ' | '
  6. Set PIN A to 46
  7. Set PIN B to 45
  8. Set PIN Press to 42
  9. Leave Key Mapping as default or change it if you want to customize the control
  10. Lastly, press Save

Now you can scroll up and down through your canned (pre-defined) messages and simply press the rotart button down to send a message.


In conclusion, this guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough for enhancing your Meshtastic Node by adding a rotary knob button to facilitate the sending of pre-defined messages. The simplicity of scrolling through pre-defined messages and sending them with a press of the rotary knob button provides a user-friendly and intuitive way to communicate essential information. This can be particularly beneficial in emergency situations, where you don't have access to your phone.