Operating Modes

Overview

The Aegis-Beacon has five operating modes, each designed for specific scenarios. Use the MODE button to switch between BEACON and SEARCH. LISTEN is entered via serial or the config portal boot mode setting.

BEACON Mode

Operation

1. Disables WiFi and Bluetooth (~120 mA saved)
2. Reads buttons for live VOL/WPM updates
3. Builds Morse payload (base + name + GPS)
4. Iterates through all configured frequencies
5. Initializes SX1262 in CW mode
6. Transmits full payload (repeated N times)
7. Emits Morse click tones through GPIO 25
8. Updates OLED with frequency and progress
9. Enters deep sleep for configured interval
10. Wakes and repeats

Morse Timing (PARIS Standard)

Element	Duration
Dot	1200 / WPM ms
Dash	3 x dot ms
Intra-character gap	1 x dot ms
Inter-character gap	3 x dot ms
Word gap	7 x dot ms

Example at 13 WPM: dot = 92 ms, dash = 277 ms

Payload	Duration
SOS	~2.7 s
SOS DE MARIO ROSSI	~15 s
SOS PSN N4553 E01230	~18 s
SOS DE MARIO ROSSI PSN N4553 E01230	~45 s

LED Indicator

Red LED blinks during transmission.

SEARCH Mode

Operation

1. Disables WiFi and Bluetooth
2. Loops through all frequencies indefinitely
3. Opens FSK receive window
4. Measures peak RSSI over dwell period
5. Emits rising-pitch audio tone
6. Updates OLED with RSSI bar
7. Logs detections to RTC RAM
8. Blinks blue LED on detection

Audio Alert

Signal Strength	Tone
No signal	Silence
Weak (-90 to -80 dBm)	440 Hz rising
Medium (-80 to -60 dBm)	~880 Hz
Strong (>= -60 dBm)	up to 2200 Hz

LED Indicator

Blue LED blinks slowly during scan, fast on detection.

LISTEN Mode

Operation

1. Disables WiFi and Bluetooth
2. Opens continuous receive on the first configured frequency
3. Decodes incoming Morse using the configured WPM (PARIS timing)
4. Shows RSSI strip-chart, threshold, and the last 42 decoded characters
5. Streams each character over USB serial as AEGIS:CW:<char>
6. Emits variable-pitch audio (same rising tone as SEARCH)

Controls

Button	Action
MODE short	Return to BEACON
MODE long (2 s)	Enter EMERGENCY
SEL short	Toggle VOL / WPM adjustment target
SEL long (3 s)	Enter CONFIG
UP / DN	Adjust the selected parameter live

LED Indicator

Blue LED blinks on each decoded character.

See LISTEN Mode for the full screen layout and serial output format.

CONFIG Mode

Operation

1. Starts WiFi AP (AegisBeacon, open)
2. DNS redirects all domains to 192.168.4.1
3. Serves full dashboard at http://192.168.4.1
4. OLED shows SSID, IP, and instructions
5. Captive portal appears on phones
6. After saving, reboots into selected mode
7. Auto-reverts after 5 minutes if no client

Access

1. Hold SEL button for 3 seconds
2. Connect to AegisBeacon WiFi
3. Open http://192.168.4.1
4. Configure and save

LED Indicator

Both LEDs blink alternately.

EMERGENCY Mode

Operation

• Maximum TX power (+22 dBm / +30 dBm with PA)
• Message repeated 3x per frequency
• Full payload always transmitted
• No deep sleep — continuous transmission
• OLED shows alternating inverse SOS
• Continuous audio tone at 1760 Hz
• Flag persisted in RTC RAM

Activation

1. Hold MODE button for 2 seconds, OR
2. Use Emergency button in CONFIG dashboard

Deactivation

Enter CONFIG mode and save — clears the emergency flag.

LED Indicator

Red LED blinks fast.

Mode Comparison

Mode	Power	Sleep	Audio	GPS
BEACON	+17 dBm	Yes (10-300s)	Morse clicks	Optional
SEARCH	Rx only	No	Rising tone	No
LISTEN	Rx only	No	Rising tone	No
CONFIG	WiFi AP	No	Silent	No
EMERGENCY	+22/+30 dBm	No	Continuous	Yes

Battery Life by Mode

Mode	Sleep	GPS	Runtime
BEACON	10s	Off	~65 hours
BEACON	10s	On	~45 hours
BEACON	30s	Off	~130 hours
SEARCH	Continuous	Off	~44 hours
LISTEN	Continuous	Off	~44 hours
EMERGENCY	Continuous	On	~12 hours