2 layers77.5 × 120.5 mm
Gameboy v1
yashlohar20/gameboy-v1
DIY handheld game console — custom PCB, STM32 firmware, full hardware stack
39 parts
2 layers60 × 80 mm
Galaxy A5 dual node
DerRKDCB/meshphone5meshtastic Samsung Galaxy A5 standalone offline dual node
- Size
- 60 × 80 mm
- Copper layers
- 2
- Thickness
- 1.6 mm
- Parts
- 87
- Nets
- 113
- Pads
- 355
- Tracks, vias
- 564, 80
- Pours
- 2
- Routed
- Yes
- KiCad
- KiCad 10.0 (file 20260206)
- Created
- 30 Apr 2026
- Updated
- 3 May 2026
Overview
Galaxy A5 dual node is an open-source printed circuit board by DerRKDCB, from the DerRKDCB/meshphone repository on GitHub. It is a 2-layer board of 60 × 80 mm with 87 parts on 113 nets, routed with 564 tracks and 80 vias.
It is built around the RAK4630, TPS62203DBV and CH334R, with the DW01, FS8205A and TP4056-42-ESOP8 among its other parts. Its parts include 22 resistors, 18 capacitors, 7 ICs, 7 diodes and 5 connectors. It belongs with the radio and wireless boards of this library.
Main components
8RAK4630
SMDSMD RF Modules ROHSRAKwirelessGlobal Sourcing Parts
TPS62203DBV
SOT-23-5-40℃~+85℃@(TA) 1 15uA 1MHz 2.5V~6V 3.3V 300mA Buck Buck Built-in Fixed Yes SOT-23-5 DC-DC Converters ROHSTexas InstrumentsDC-DC Converters
CH334R
QSOP-16-150mil-40℃~+85℃ 0.4mA 3.3V、5V 4 480Mbps 85mA Hub I2C USB 2.0 QSOP-16-150mil USB HUB Controllers ROHSWCH (Nanjing Qinheng Microelectronics)USB HUB Controllers
DW01
SOT-23-6-40℃~+85℃ 1 1.5V~8V 2.4V 4.3V 4uA Lithium Battery Not supported Overcharge protection、Over-discharge protection、Overcurrent Protection、Short-Circuit Protection Protection IC Support SOT-23-6 Battery Management ROHSGuangdong HottechBattery ManagementFS8205A
SOT-23-6-55℃~+150℃ 1.2V 1.5W 2 N-Channel 20V 31.5mΩ@2.5V 466pF 5.7nC@4.5V 58pF 65pF 6A SOT-23-6 MOSFETs ROHSTECH PUBLICMOSFETs
TP4056-42-ESOP8
ESOP-8-40℃~+85℃ 1 1A 2uA 4.2V 4V~8V Charging IC Lithium Battery Support ESOP-8 Battery Management ROHSTOPPOWERBattery Management
DTC143Z
TO-92(TO-226)TO-92(TO-226) Bipolar (BJT)onsemiBipolar (BJT)
GT-USB-7055BB
SMD-40℃~+85℃ 1 10,000 Cycles 16P 24V 5A 6.45mm Black Female Surface Mount,Vertical Type-C USB 2.0 SMD USB Connectors ROHSG-SwitchUSB Connectors
README
README.mdMeshphone
A standalone dual-node Meshtastic/MeshCore device built into a Samsung Galaxy A5 form factor.
Overview
Meshphone is a custom dual-node Meshtastic device featuring:
- Two RAK4630 modules for simultaneous operation with different presets/protocols
- Integrated USB hub for clean connectivity
- 8000mAh 4P 18650 LiPo battery (~48h runtime)
- Samsung Galaxy A5 chassis (€20 eBay find)
Why Build This?
Off-the-shelf standalone devices like the T-Deck lack the full feature set available in Meshtastic/MeshCore. By making it a dual-node device, I can run two different configurations simultaneously. The nodes connect through a USB hub IC - a cleaner solution than Bluetooth coupling with potential radio interference over short distances.
Design
Chassis
The Galaxy A5's internal battery was removed and replaced with external power from the PCB via cables. This allows complete disconnection via switch and increased battery capacity. The phone sits in a cheap TPU case, with 3D printed PLA housing for the nodes and batteries, secured with hot glue.
Core Components
RAK4630 Modules - Chosen for:
- Low power consumption
- Minimal peripheral components
- Integrated USB
Reference designs: RAK4631 and RAK19003 modules.
Note: The RAK USB port requires 5V on VBUS to initialize - learned this during integration and had to bodge it. Fixed in the PCB design.
Status LEDs (7 total):
- Charging indicator
- Fully charged indicator
- ON/3.3V OK
- 2x Status Node 1
- 2x Status Node 2
Light channels made from clear PETG filament - works awesome!
Battery Management:
- TP4056 + DW01 for charging and protection (classic LiPo charging circuit)
- USB-C charging port on bottom (power only, no data)
USB Hub - CH334P:
- First USB project for me
- Chosen for cost and simple reference schematic
- Upstream port centered on PCB
- Phone connects via right-angle USB-C cable
- Pluggable design allows connecting other devices for firmware updates, etc.
- Differential pair routing where possible - USB worked first try!
3.3V Supply: TI TPS62203DBVT low-power buck converter
Fixes & Issues
Bodged during build:
- USB port didn't activate - forgot 5.1k resistors on CC1/CC2 (fixed in PCB)
- RAK VBUS 5V supply (fixed in PCB)
- Bootloader flash via SWD required for USB drive mode (double-click reset) - used WisCore RAK4631 Bootloader
Remaining issue: When switching on either node, the hub disconnects and reconnects completely, making it impossible to differentiate which node is which USB device. Not sure why this happens, but it's manageable.
Documentation
Final Thoughts
This project was an awesome learning experience and I love the result. For future versions I'd do some things differently - most likely keeping the battery in the phone and supplying the whole PCB from the phone's USB port.
Images
by DerRKDCB
Parts
87| Qty | Value | Footprint | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 100nF | Capacitor_SMD:C_0805_2012Metric | C1, C4, C6, C9, C11, C13, C14, C16, C18 |
| 8 | 1k | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R1, R2, R3, R7, R8, R14, R17, R18 |
| 6 | 10uF | Capacitor_SMD:C_0805_2012Metric | C2, C7, C10, C12, C15, C17 |
| 4 | 4.7k | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R11, R12, R15, R16 |
| 4 | 5.1k | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R19, R20, R21, R22 |
| 4 | DTC143Z | Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-23 | Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 |
| 4 | MountingHole_Pad | MountingHole:MountingHole_2.2mm_M2_DIN965_Pad_TopBottom | H1, H2, H3, H4 |
| 3 | LEDB | LED_SMD:LED_0805_2012Metric | D2, D4, D5 |
| 3 | LEDG | LED_SMD:LED_0805_2012Metric | D3, D6, D7 |
| 2 | 10k | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R6, R13 |
| 2 | Conn | Connector_PinHeader_2.54mm:PinHeader_1x08_P2.54mm_Vertical | J1, J2 |
| 2 | Conn_01x02_Socket | Connector_JST:JST_XH_B2B-XH-A_1x02_P2.50mm_Vertical | J4, J5 |
| 2 | DE0 | TestPoint:TestPoint_Pad_D1.5mm | TP7, TP11 |
| 2 | DE1 | TestPoint:TestPoint_Pad_D1.5mm | TP4, TP8 |
| 2 | RAK4630 | galaxy_a5_node:rak4630 | U6, U7 |
| 2 | RX0 | TestPoint:TestPoint_Pad_D1.5mm | TP5, TP9 |
| 2 | SW_RST | Button_Switch_THT:SW_PUSH_6mm_H5mm | SW4, SW5 |
| 2 | TX0 | TestPoint:TestPoint_Pad_D1.5mm | TP6, TP10 |
| 1 | 1.2k | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R5 |
| 1 | 1.5M | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R10 |
| 1 | 100 | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R4 |
| 1 | 10uF | Capacitor_Tantalum_SMD:CP_EIA-3216-12_Kemet-S | C5 |
| 1 | 10uH | Inductor_SMD:L_APV_ANR4018 | L1 |
| 1 | 1M | Resistor_SMD:R_0805_2012Metric | R9 |
| 1 | 1uF | Capacitor_SMD:C_0805_2012Metric | C8 |
| 1 | 4.7uF | Capacitor_SMD:C_0805_2012Metric | C3 |
| 1 | 500mA | Fuse:Fuse_1812_4532Metric_Pad1.30x3.40mm_HandSolder | F1 |
| 1 | CH334R | Package_SO:QSOP-16_3.9x4.9mm_P0.635mm | U5 |
| 1 | Crystal 12MHz | Crystal:Crystal_SMD_3225-4Pin_3.2x2.5mm_HandSoldering | Y1 |
| 1 | DW01 | Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-23-6 | U2 |
| 1 | FS8205A | Package_SO:TSSOP-8_4.4x3mm_P0.65mm | U3 |
| 1 | GT-USB-7055BB | lcsc:USB-C-TH_GT-USB-7055BB | USB1 |
| 1 | LEDR | LED_SMD:LED_0805_2012Metric | D1 |
| 1 | SW_MAIN | Button_Switch_THT:SW_Slide_SPDT_Angled_CK_OS102011MA1Q | SW1 |
| 1 | SW_RAK1 | Button_Switch_THT:SW_Slide_SPDT_Angled_CK_OS102011MA1Q | SW2 |
| 1 | SW_RAK2 | Button_Switch_THT:SW_Slide_SPDT_Angled_CK_OS102011MA1Q | SW3 |
| 1 | TP4056-42-ESOP8 | Package_SO:SOIC-8-1EP_3.9x4.9mm_P1.27mm_EP2.41x3.3mm_ThermalVias | U1 |
| 1 | TPS62203DBV | Package_TO_SOT_SMD:SOT-23-5 | U4 |
| 1 | USB_C_Receptacle_PowerOnly_6P | Connector_USB:USB_C_Receptacle_GCT_USB4125-xx-x_6P_TopMnt_Horizontal | J3 |
| 1 | VBAT | TestPoint:TestPoint_Pad_D1.5mm | TP2 |
| 1 | VCHRG | TestPoint:TestPoint_Pad_D1.5mm | TP1 |
| 1 | VDD | TestPoint:TestPoint_Pad_D1.5mm | TP3 |
Questions
How big is the Galaxy A5 dual node PCB?
It measures 60 × 80 mm and has 2 copper layers, 1.6 mm thick.
What parts does the Galaxy A5 dual node use?
87 parts, built around the RAK4630, TPS62203DBV, CH334R and DW01. The full list of its parts is on this page, with links to each part's symbol and footprint where PCBKit's library has them.
Where can I download the Galaxy A5 dual node KiCad files?
From the DerRKDCB/meshphone repository on GitHub, at the commit this page was made from: the board is kicad/galaxy_A5_dual_node/galaxy_A5_dual_node.kicad_pcb and its schematic kicad/galaxy_A5_dual_node/galaxy_A5_dual_node.kicad_sch. PCBKit opens the board in the browser, with nothing to install.
Can I use the Galaxy A5 dual node design in my own project?
Its repository states no licence, so its author keeps all rights: ask DerRKDCB before reusing the design.
Similar boards
- 4 layers154.5 × 112.9 mm
LibrePLC32
AndreiVladescu/LibrePLC32
The goal of the project is to create a compact, hackable, and well-documented PLC platform for industrial automation experiments, prototyping, education, and open hardware development.
295 parts14CERN-OHL-P-2.0 - 2 layers81.2 × 71.6 mm
EveningStar
ciaassured/eveningstar-hardware
Hardware design for the Eveningstar ESP32-based Morningstar MeterBus interface.
153 parts4AGPL-3.0 - 6 layers107 × 51 mm
LoRa Pinze Sent
ISS-Lab-Unibo/Agro_LoRaInductiveFruitGauge
An open-source, low-cost and low-power LoRaWAN sensor node for continuous, non-destructive monitoring of fruit growth directly on the tree, together with the high-resolution inductive fruit gauges (pliers) it reads.
255 parts - 4 layers39 × 74.5 mm
- 4 layers340.8 × 104.6 mm
Niphar
mornepousse/Niphargus
Niphargus — a slim, indestructible wireless split keyboard. ESP32 + nRF24, wired fallback, and an emergency kit hidden behind the USB port. The successor to the Rouge-Gorge.
287 parts4MIT - 2 layers
- 2 layers84 × 98 mm
Joule Chief
fishPointer/Joule-Thief
I teach myself new skills by designing projects that require to develop the skills I want in order to complete them.
93 parts25MIT