Product FAQs
What is Thread®?
Thread® is an open mesh networking protocol released by the Thread Group. Particle Mesh uses OpenThread, an open source implementation of Thread® released by Nest, as the foundation of Particle Mesh, our mesh networking technology.
How many devices can each network support?
Mesh networks are generally limited in size by RAM availability. The Nordic nRF52840 has a generous 256kb RAM and promises to support larger Thread® networks than were previously possible with other chipsets. However, until we’ve completed software development for the Argon, Boron, and Xenon, we won’t know for sure how many children each device can support. You can safely assume that each repeater and gateway will support at least 10-20 devices, making networks of 50+ devices possible.
Do I have to pay anything to use Particle Mesh hardware?
Particle Mesh pricing builds on existing Wi-Fi and cellular Device Cloud pricing. All Particle customers get 10 free gateway upgrades to support prototyping and evaluation of Particle Mesh. After the first 10 upgrades, Particle will charge an additional monthly fee beyond baseline Device Cloud pricing for Argon and Boron devices acting as gateways within a Particle Mesh network. Adding mesh-only devices (Xenons) to your network and all local communications between mesh devices are free.
With 10 free gateway upgrades you could build
- One giant network of 100+ devices
- Ten different networks of 10+ devices
- Five different networks with redundant gateways (Ethernet + Cellular backup, for example)
Is Particle Mesh hardware compatible with my existing Particle accessories?
Particle’s third generation hardware features a new hardware footprint that is compatible with Adafruit’s Feather specification, so our new dev kits not compatible with Particle Classic accessories. We’ve created the Particle Classic Accessory Adapter, which we’re making available for a low cost ($5) to enable compatibility between new Particle Mesh hardware and existing Particle hardware accessories (like the Relay Shield and Asset Tracker).
Why do the photos of the Argon feature an Espressif’s ESP8285 SIP, but the tech specs say ESP32-S0WD?
Ah, very observant of you. We made a last minute call (between product photos and launch) to upgrade the Espressif Wi-Fi coprocessor to the newest variant of their ESP32 product family, the ESP32-S0WD. The ESP32-S0WD is a single core variant of the very popular ESP32, and is better supported than the ESP8285 with a fully open source developer SDK. Even better, we managed to incorporate that upgrade without any impact to the retail price point. How great is that?
What's the range of Mesh?
You should expect that point to point range of the mesh network, which operates at 2.4GHz, to be roughly
comparable to bluetooth (tens of meters). It is also designed to co-exist with Wi-Fi in order to maximize range.
The great part about mesh, however, is that the endpoints do not all have to connect to a central network gateway like with Wi-Fi. So, the effective range of the network can be extended greatly by daisy-chaining endpoints together which allows messages to hop between mesh devices until it reaches a network gateway.
Preorder FAQs
When will I receive my Gen 3 hardware preorder?
Gen 3 hardware preorders are expected to deliver September 2018.
How do referrals work?
We’ve created an awesome referrals program to reward our customers for spreading the word. Upon completing checkout, you’ll find a unique referral link that you can share with friends to win awesome rewards. The more friends you refer, the more prizes you win! Have a problem or question about the referral program? Send us an email at support@particle.io to chat with our support team.
When will my credit card be charged?
Your credit card will not be charged until we successfully ship your order in July 2018. Before we charge your card, we’ll send a follow-up email in the weeks before shipping to confirm the details of your credit card and delivery address.
Can I change the details of my order?
Our goal is to make it easy to review, edit, cancel, and add to your existing order all the way until delivery in July. You’ll find tools for editing and adding to your order on the order confirmation page for your preorder. If you run into a problem or need helping modifying your order details, send us a note at support@particle.io.
Cellular FAQs
How much does cellular data cost?
Every Boron comes with 3MB of data included as a part of its Device Cloud subscription. The first 3 months of Device Cloud are included for free with every new Boron (both LTE and 2G/3G) registered to your account. Pricing for cellular overages beyond 3MB are listed here.
Should I choose Boron LTE or Boron 2G/3G?
If you live in the United States or Mexico, we recommend the Boron LTE which features cutting edge LTE CAT-M1 cellular technology for IoT devices. If you live outside of the US or Mexico, we recommend the Boron 2G/3G. We will add LTE support for international markets throughout 2018 and 2019 carriers complete commercial deployments for LTE M1 and NB1 around the world.
Why is LTE M1 only available in US and Mexico?
Although many international carriers have deployed test networks for LTE M1/NB1 around the world, there are very few carriers who have completed deployments, are certifying devices, and supporting widespread commercial deployments on their network. As of today, Particle has partnered to provide initial LTE support in the US and Mexico via AT&T, and will be adding additional carriers to our MVNO throughout 2018 and 2019.
What countries will the Boron work in?
- Boron LTE - US and Mexico
- Boron 2G/3G - See list below:
Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico, Republic of Moldova , Republic of Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Republic of Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia
Enterprise FAQs
Will Particle Mesh hardware be available in mass production form factors like the E-Series?
Yes! More details to come – Particle will release our plans for mass production form factors for Particle Mesh hardware before preorder delivery in July 2018.
What is happening to the Photon and Electron?
Nothing! We will continue to sell Photon, P-Series (P0/P1), Electron, and E-Series SKUs indefinitely until further notice.