Outdoor embedded device for exploration
Nomad is a custom outdoor mobile device built around the ESP32-S3. It is designed for explorers, researchers, and outdoor enthusiasts who need reliable positioning, long-range communication, environmental awareness, and practical survival utilities in a compact rugged package. I made this project entirely myself, the idea comes from my passion of making useful objects that help people in specific actions.
Project status: Active development
Last updated: June 2026
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Nomad Zine | Visual project zine and product-style overview |
| Bill of Materials | Complete component list with quantities and specifications |
| Main Schematic | Full board schematic |
| Module Schematic | Supporting module schematic |
- Project Overview
- Key Features
- Technical Architecture
- Hardware Design
- Bill of Materials
- Firmware
- Project Structure
- License
Nomad combines navigation, messaging, sensing, power management, and a custom interface into one portable embedded system.
The device is built for field use, with an emphasis on:
- Knowing where you are through GPS positioning and waypoint tracking.
- Staying connected through long-range LoRa messaging.
- Understanding local conditions through environmental sensing.
- Conserving energy through deep sleep and power-aware firmware.
- Providing simple, fast interaction through buttons and a menu-driven UI.
- Accessing to useful survival tips
| Feature | What it enables |
|---|---|
| GPS navigation | Real-time position, coordinates, and waypoint-oriented navigation |
| LoRa communication | Long-range SOS alerts, coordinate sharing, and lightweight messages |
| Environmental monitoring | Temperature, pressure, and altitude-related readings |
| Menu-driven UI | Multi-level navigation built around a clear state-machine structure |
| Survival tips | Practical outdoor guidance available directly on the device |
| Battery optimization | Deep sleep and intelligent power-management behavior |
| Custom PCB | Purpose-built hardware layout for the full Nomad system |
| Rugged enclosure | 3D-designed case for portable outdoor use |
| Component | Specification | Interface | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCU | ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U | GPIO, UART, SPI, I2C | Main processor running C++ firmware with PlatformIO and Arduino |
| Display | 1.9 in IPS ST7789 display panel via FPC | SPI | Smooth UI rendering with menu/submenu screens and PWM brightness control |
| GPS | u-blox NEO-M8M | UART | High-precision localization using the TinyGPS++ library |
| LoRa | Ebyte E220-900T22S | UART | Long-range messaging for SOS, coordinate sharing, and text packets |
| Environmental sensor | BME280 | I2C | Temperature and atmospheric pressure sensing |
| Input | 5 buttons with PCF8574T GPIO expander | I2C | Robust button handling with interrupt support |
| Fuel gauge | MAX17048G_T10 | I2C | Battery voltage and state-of-charge monitoring |
| Charger IC | MCP73831-2-OT | Power management | Li-Po battery charging management |
| Buck-boost converter | TPS63060 | Power management | Stable regulated power delivery |
| Flashlight | LED | GPIO pin 1 | Controlled illumination for field use |
| Power source | Protected Li-ion battery | Power | Main battery with integrated protection circuit |
| Layer | Tooling |
|---|---|
| Language | C++ |
| Framework | Arduino |
| Build system | PlatformIO |
| IDE | VS Code with the PlatformIO extension |
| Primary firmware target | ESP32-S3 |
