SN50V3-MS General-Purpose Mesh Node

1. Introduction

1.1 What is the SN50V3-MS General-Purpose Mesh Node?

SN50V3-MS is a Dragino general-purpose Mesh Node for outdoor IoT applications requiring long range, low power consumption, and multi-hop coverage.

The standard SN50V3-MS reports its battery and operating status and is not configured for a specific external sensor. Its hardware provides multiple I/O resources that can be used with model-specific firmware to connect supported sensors or external devices.

1.2 Features

• LoRa Mesh communication with multi-hop relaying between nodes.
• STM32WLE5 low-power wireless MCU.
• S-type outdoor enclosure, solar panel, and 3000 mAh rechargeable lithium battery.
• Battery voltage, battery level, and operating-status reporting.
• Digital I/O, UART, I2C, OneWire, and controlled power-output resources.
• Firmware upgrades through USB serial or PC BLE.
• Automatic scheduled reporting followed by low-power sleep.

1.3 Specifications

Common DC characteristics

Item	Specification
Main unit operating voltage	Approximately 2.5 V to 3.6 V
Main unit operating temperature	-40 °C to 85 °C; battery operating temperature is subject to the battery specification

I/O interfaces

Hardware resource	Description
BAT output	Connected directly to the battery; voltage varies with battery condition, approximately 2.6 V to 3.6 V
Controlled 5 V output	Provides a controlled power supply for an external sensor
Digital I/O	Up to 3 interrupt or digital input/output hardware resources
OneWire	Up to 3 OneWire hardware resources
UART	1 external UART hardware resource
I2C	1 external I2C hardware resource

The I/O resources are multiplexed. Their usable combination depends on the installed firmware and target sensor.

Mesh main unit

Item	Specification
MCU	STM32WLE5, 48 MHz ARM Cortex-M4
Flash	256 KB
RAM	64 KB
Radio	STM32WLE5 integrated sub-GHz LoRa radio
Power supply	Solar panel + 3000 mAh rechargeable lithium battery
Local interfaces	3.3 V UART, BLE
Antenna	Sub-GHz LoRa antenna matching the shipping Region

1.4 Applications

• Remote device access for agriculture, parks, and outdoor facilities.
• Low-power monitoring projects where site power and cabling are difficult.
• Areas requiring relaying through other Mesh Nodes.
• Custom projects using digital inputs, serial interfaces, I2C, or OneWire devices.
• Long-term outdoor deployments requiring solar power.

1.5 Sleep Mode and Working Mode

In the sleep state, the node disables most functions and remains in low-power standby until its next scheduled wake-up or a user action wakes it.

After enrollment, the standard working cycle is:

Reach scheduled time -> Wake up -> Prepare device or supported sensor data
                     -> Send data to the Mesh gateway
                     -> Wait for a short communication window -> Sleep

A device with sensor-specific firmware powers, reads, and reports its supported sensor during the active cycle.

1.6 Button Operations and LED Status

Button operations and LED indications are common to Dragino Mesh Nodes. See 3.1 Button Operations and LED Status in the Mesh Quick Start for everyday operations. For factory reset, manual sleep, and Bootloader entry, see How to Use Advanced Button Operations.

1.7 BLE and Local Interfaces

SN50V3-MS provides 3.3 V UART and BLE local interfaces. BLE can be used for normal APP firmware updates from a PC through PC BLE in FirmwareUpdateUtility.

The mobile upgrade workflow is still under development.

1.8 Pin, Enclosure, and Mechanical Reference

The following figures show the LA66S Mesh module pin definitions, solar enclosure dimensions, mounting points, cable outlets, and cable-gland size options used by SN50V3-MS.

Pin definitions

note

On the LSN50V3 base board, some silkscreen pin names differ from the STM32 pin names used in firmware. See How Board Pins Map to STM32 Pins Used in Firmware.

Solar enclosure dimensions and mounting reference

Cable-gland dimensions and size options

1.9 External-Device Compatibility

Wiring an external sensor does not automatically produce sensor data. The installed SN50V3-MS firmware and Mesh gateway must support the target sensor and its fields.

External-device compatibility

Before connecting an external device, confirm its supply voltage, peak and standby current, polarity, signal levels, wiring, interface requirements, firmware support, and expected gateway fields.

Check the following:

1. The external device meets the electrical requirements of the selected interface.
2. The installed firmware supports the sensor or device.
3. The selected I/O resources are available in that firmware.
4. Outdoor wiring has suitable waterproofing and insulation.
5. The external device's power consumption is suitable for the site's solar and battery conditions.

1.10 Installation

Use a cable gland that matches the external cable diameter. Keep unused cable openings sealed and install the enclosure with its cable outlets facing downward. Provide a drip loop so water does not run along a cable toward the enclosure.

After wiring an external device, test it above ground. Confirm that the sensor powers correctly, the node remains online, and the expected fields appear on the Mesh gateway before sealing the enclosure and completing the field installation.

2. Use SN50V3-MS with a Mesh Gateway

2.1 How It Works

The node can communicate directly with a Mesh gateway or relay its data through other awake Mesh Nodes.

The standard SN50V3-MS sends:

• Battery level.
• Battery voltage.
• Device online and operating status.
• Data update time.

The standard model has no fixed external-sensor data. When sensor-specific firmware is installed, the node collects and sends the corresponding supported fields.

2.2 Quick Guide to Connect SN50V3-MS to a Mesh Gateway

2.2.1 Preparation

1. Confirm that the product label shows SN50V3-MS.
2. Install the LoRa antenna before powering or waking the node.
3. Place the solar panel where it receives stable, unobstructed sunlight.
4. Keep unused cable outlets sealed.
5. Place the node near the Mesh gateway for the first network test.

2.2.2 Enrollment and First Report

For the complete enrollment procedure, see 2. Enroll and Verify the Node.

1. Confirm that the node and Mesh gateway use the same shipping Region.
2. Add the node to the gateway with its Dev EUI and App Key.
3. Wake or restart the node so that it sends enrollment requests.
4. Confirm that the Mesh gateway lists the node as enrolled.
5. Trigger a manual report.
6. Confirm that battery voltage, battery level, operating status, and update time appear.

2.2.3 External Sensor and Final Installation

1. Complete the compatibility checks in Section 1.9.
2. Wire and test the external sensor above ground.
3. Confirm that the installed firmware and gateway display the expected sensor fields.
4. Seal and mount the enclosure according to Section 1.10.
5. Trigger another report and verify the installation.

2.3 Mesh Payload

SN50V3-MS sends its business payload to the Mesh gateway on Mesh application port 290. Port 287 is used for configuration and administration messages and is not part of this payload.

The common 14-byte header is documented in 2.4 Mesh Business Data. This section defines the DATA layouts for SN50V3-MS.

Shared DATA prefix

The four MOD profiles start with the same 9-byte DATA prefix. Profile-specific sensor fields begin at DATA offset 9.

DATA offset	Field	Format	Description
0–1	battery_mv	uint16 LE	Battery voltage in mV; 0 = invalid
2	battery_percent	uint8	Battery level 0–100; 0xFF = invalid
3	report_reason	uint8	Reason bit mask
4–5	valid_mask	uint16 LE	Sensor validity bit mask
6	state_mask	uint8	Current digital-input states
7	trigger_mask	uint8	Inputs that triggered this report
8	overflow_mask	uint8	Event-counter overflow flags

The mask values are:

• Report reason: 0x01 periodic, 0x02 sensor event, 0x04 manual, 0x08 gateway request, 0x10 factory, and 0x80 unknown.
• Valid sensors: 0x0001 DS18B20 #1, 0x0002 DS18B20 #2, 0x0004 DS18B20 #3, and 0x0008 SHT3x.
• Digital inputs: 0x01 PB3, 0x02 PB4, and 0x04 PB15. These values apply to state_mask, trigger_mask, and overflow_mask.

Profile summary

Profile	data_type	DATA size	Total size
Base	0x00	3	17
MOD1	0x10	21	35
MOD2	0x11	21	35
MOD3	0x12	17	31
MOD4	0x13	25	39

The Base profile contains only battery voltage and battery percentage. The four MOD profiles use the shared prefix above followed by these profile-specific fields:

Field	MOD1	MOD2	MOD3	MOD4	Format
DS18B20 #1	9–10	9–10	9–10	9–10	int16 LE / 16 °C
DS18B20 #2	—	11–12	—	—	int16 LE / 16 °C
DS18B20 #3	—	13–14	—	—	int16 LE / 16 °C
ADC	11–12	15–16	11–12	11–12	Filtered 12-bit value
SHT3x temperature	13–14	—	—	—	int16 LE / 10 °C
SHT3x humidity	15–16	—	—	—	uint16 LE / 10 % RH
PB3 event sequence	17–20	17–20	—	13–16	uint32 LE
Pulse count	—	—	13–16	—	uint32 LE
PB4 event sequence	—	—	—	17–20	uint32 LE
PB15 event sequence	—	—	—	21–24	uint32 LE

In MOD4, battery measurement is unavailable because the external ADC uses the battery-measurement input. The payload therefore uses battery_mv = 0 and battery_percent = 0xFF.

3. Configure SN50V3-MS

3.1 Configuration Method

Common Mesh configuration is managed through the Mesh gateway. Use the Mesh Quick Start for the current configuration and enrollment workflow.

Product-specific behavior depends on the installed firmware and supported external sensor.

3.2 Region and Radio Parameters

Each unit ships with a fixed Region and LoRa parameters set during manufacturing. The Mesh gateway and node must use the same Region.

3.3 Scheduled and Manual Reporting

After enrollment, the node follows the wake-up and reporting schedule provided by the Mesh gateway.

To request an immediate update:

1. Wake the node if it is sleeping.
2. While it is active, hold the button and release it within 1 to 3 seconds.
3. Allow the supported device or sensor operation to finish.
4. Confirm that the new data and update time appear on the Mesh gateway.

4. Battery & Power Consumption

Battery performance depends on the reporting interval, Mesh coverage, relay conditions, external-sensor operating and standby current, sunlight, solar-panel orientation, ambient temperature, and battery condition.

Short reporting intervals, long active periods, or high-power external devices increase power consumption. SN50V3-MS uses a solar panel and a 3000 mAh rechargeable lithium battery.

Battery Info & Power Consumption Analyze.

5. Firmware Update

Use only APP firmware built for SN50V3-MS, the intended external-sensor support, and the device's shipping Region.

For the firmware preparation and upload procedure, see 2. How to upload the firmware.

The mobile upgrade feature is still under development.

6. FAQ

6.1 Can any external sensor be connected to SN50V3-MS?

No. The sensor must meet the electrical requirements of an available interface, and the installed firmware and Mesh gateway must support that sensor. Complete the checks in Section 1.9 before connecting it.

6.2 Why does the node report battery data but no external-sensor data?

The standard SN50V3-MS is not configured for a specific external sensor. Confirm that the installed firmware supports the connected sensor and that the gateway supports its fields.

6.3 Why does the node reset or become unstable after a sensor is connected?

Disconnect the sensor and check its supply voltage, peak current, polarity, signal levels, wiring, and selected I/O resources before reconnecting it.

6.4 How should an outdoor installation be maintained?

• Inspect the antenna, enclosure mounting, cable glands, wiring, insulation, and drip loop.
• Keep the solar panel clean and unobstructed.
• Check for moisture or corrosion inside the enclosure.
• When replacing an external sensor, repeat the compatibility and above-ground verification before resealing the enclosure.

For enrollment, Region, gateway connectivity, general power, or firmware-update questions, see the general Mesh FAQ.

7. Order Info

Ordering details and Region-specific part numbers for SN50V3-MS will be added when the product options are finalized.

8. Packing Info

Package contents, cable-hole options, dimensions, and weights for SN50V3-MS will be added in a future documentation update.

9. Support

Dragino support is available Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 GMT+8. When requesting assistance, provide the product model, firmware identification, connected sensor, wiring information, Region, and the steps required to reproduce the problem.

Contact: Support@dragino.cc