XNODE puts the tactical picture on your wrist.
XNODE turns the LilyGO T-Watch S3 into a field-ready companion for XTOC and XCOM: offline watch maps, synced tactical markers, pushed alerts, and one-tap Meshtastic SOS or CheckIn packets.
Why XNODE exists
Phones and tablets are powerful, but they are not always the fastest tool in a moving operation. XNODE gives the operator a wearable tactical surface: check the map, see TOC alerts, send a routine position check-in, or trigger a high-priority SOS without digging out another device.
Watch-ready common operating picture
XTOC and XCOM can install the active raster map onto the watch and sync overlay markers for team members, mesh nodes, CHECKINs, SITREPs, CONTACTs, TASKs, assets, routes, zones, and more.
Two-tap field reporting
The watch can transmit clear XTOC packet text over its Meshtastic radio for Manual SOS and CheckIn flows, using the configured roster Unit ID and current watch location.
Local-first by design
Maps and overlay data live on the device. Synced overlays persist in watch flash and reload when the tactical map opens or the watch reboots.
Real watch screens, not vaporware.
The current firmware builds for the T-Watch S3, flashes to the ESP32-S3 target, exposes the XNODE BLE bridge, installs a compact basemap, displays operational overlays, and keeps alerts visible on the watch.
Built for the X Suite workflow
XNODE is not another disconnected gadget. It is the wearable edge of the X Suite: XTOC drives the command picture, XCOM supports field communications, and XNODE carries the essentials on the operator’s wrist.
What XNODE does in the field
Tactical map on watch flash
- Installs the active XTOC/XCOM raster basemap into SPIFFS.
- Persists center, zoom, and projection metadata.
- Scales the installed image while keeping markers aligned.
- Supports panning, zoom controls, and recenter behavior.
Overlay sync that survives reboot
- Stores synced markers in
/spiffs/osmmap/overlays.jsonl. - Reloads overlays when the map opens or the watch restarts.
- Uses transactional replacement so partial syncs do not wipe the live picture.
- Keeps up to 96 overlay marker slots on the watch.
SOS over mesh
- Creates a clear XTOC
SITREPpacket. - Uses the watch Unit ID, SOS destination, priority
P1, statusHELP, and current lat/lon. - Sends over the watch Meshtastic service on the active channel.
Routine CheckIn
- Creates a clear XTOC
CHECKIN/LOCpacket. - Reports Unit ID,
OKstatus, current lat/lon, and timestamp. - Gives operators a fast accountability signal without opening a phone or tablet.
Source, build, and ecosystem links
GitHub source
Firmware source, board config, PlatformIO environment, watch photos, and current implementation notes.
Key code areas
BLE bridge | watch map app | support tools
Useful for developers who want to audit how maps, overlays, and packet shortcuts are wired.
Hardware target
LILYGO T-Watch S3 hardware listing
ESP32-S3 watch target with 16 MB flash, PSRAM, touch display, and SX1262 LoRa hardware path.
Complete the stack
XTOC
Command-center software for SITREPs, TASKs, CHECKIN/LOC, map overlays, zones, SATCOM, ATAK/KML/CoT workflows, and packet-based field coordination.
XCOM
Offline-first radio and mapping toolkit with packet workflows, repeaters, mesh, Reticulum, APRS/D-STAR, field maps, and XNODE watch integration.
XCORE + XINTEL
Add a local AI analyst and a radio-intel watch layer for teams that need monitoring, summaries, anomaly scans, and operational escalation.
Operational note
XNODE is a firmware project for a specific watch target and a companion workflow for the X Suite. The current watch-flash map mode is intentionally compact: one installed raster basemap with synced overlays, not a full multi-tile slippy map engine. That tradeoff is what makes the watch useful inside tight flash, RAM, battery, and screen constraints.
FAQ
Does XNODE replace XTOC or XCOM?
No. XNODE is the wearable edge. XTOC and XCOM remain the larger planning, mapping, packet, and radio workflow tools.
Does XNODE work offline?
The watch can display the installed basemap and persisted overlays from flash. Syncing new maps, markers, unit settings, and pushed alerts happens through the companion XTOC/XCOM bridge.
Does the SOS button send through the phone?
No. Manual SOS builds a clear XTOC SITREP packet and hands it to the watch Meshtastic service for transmission on the active mesh channel.
Is it open source?
The active firmware source is published at github.com/MKme/xnode.