MESH NETWORKING · AURIS + INCUS
Communicate only what matters.
Auris is Norden Labs’ local-first communications suite. Incus is our dedicated Reticulum LoRA module. Together they move Tectum intelligence across constrained and changing networks.
01 · EXTENDING TECTUM
When video can’t move, intelligence still does.
Autonomous sensors increasingly operate in denied and degraded environments, where bandwidth cannot support continuous video and connections may be intermittent or unavailable. Tectum’s unified perception pipeline already solves half the problem: it generates text-based intelligence fully on board, at the point of sensing, instead of a video stream that needs a wide link home. Auris and Incus solve the other half, carrying that intelligence over exactly the constrained radio links these environments allow.
01
Analyze
Tectum analyzes scenes and produces compact, text-based intelligence at the point of sensing.
02
Transmit
Incus carries the report over radio when infrastructure is unavailable.
03
Alert
Auris makes alerts based on those reports viewable in the client and can connect them automatically to downstream tools like TAK.
04
Respond
Operators across the mesh can see and respond to those alerts even when bandwidth is below 1 Kbps.
02 · SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
From a sensor in the field to a screen back at base.
Auris packages text-based intelligence and gives operators a single client to view and respond to messages, images, and alerts. Incus is our dedicated, USB-tethered link that gives any autonomous asset a low-cost way to access Auris via Reticulum, an end-to-end encrypted open mesh protocol built for narrow and unreliable connections. Together they carry a compact report in denied scenarios where a video stream never could.
Local operation
Auris runs its backend, Reticulum stack, API, and data stores on the operator’s machine. Standard mesh messaging runs locally, with no commercial cloud service in the loop.
Open by design
Auris and Incus run on Reticulum, an open-source mesh networking protocol. This means compatibility with other Reticulum devices, no vendor lock-in, and end-to-end encryption with secure identities by default.
Interface independence
Reticulum traffic can cross LoRa, serial, TCP, UDP, local discovery, or other interfaces, making establishing a backhaul as easy as plugging an in an internet connection, including Starlink.
03 · INCUS RADIO HARDWARE
MADE IN THE USA
U.S. + ALLIED COMPONENTS
A low-cost LoRA module, built at home.
Incus is a USB-tethered KISS radio built around an ARM Cortex-M4F application processor and an SX1262 LoRa transceiver, presented to Reticulum through the standard RNode interface. It is assembled in the United States from U.S. and allied-sourced major components, at a fraction of the cost of comparable radios.
96 MHz
arm cortex-m4f max clock
1 MB
on-chip flash
384 kB
ram
+22
dBm max transmit power
// INCUS RADIO · USB-C · U.FL · LIPO
RADIO
Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver with DC-DC operation and DIO2-controlled RF switching.
TRANSMISSION BANDS
902–928 MHz (US), 863-870 MHz (EU)
PROCESSOR
32-bit ARM Cortex-M4F
HOST CONNECTION
USB-C power and CH340E USB-to-serial data.
ANTENNA
u.FL connector
Battery OPTIONS
Single-cell LiPo through a 2-pin JST connector. Onboard 500 mA charging circuit.
USB SUPPLY
5 V DC, 1 A.
RADIO CURRENT
143 mA maximum NM180100 LoRa TX current at +22 dBm. 8.8 mA LoRa RX current at 125 kHz bandwidth.
RADIO RAIL POWER
~0.47 W at 3.3 V and 143 mA during maximum radio transmission.
EXPANSION
28 plated-through pins, 21 multifunction GPIO, up to eight 14-bit ADC inputs, PWM, UART, SPI, and I2C access.
MECHANICAL
58.42 x 22.86 mm PCB. Two 4-40-compatible mounting holes.
TRANSPORT
USB serial KISS. BLE support coming Q4 2026.
04 · AURIS OPERATOR CLIENT
A local communications client built around Reticulum.
Auris is Norden Labs’ local communications client built for easy operator use and flexibility, with full GUI and CLI for integration into a broader tech stack. The open-source, encryption-first Reticulum protocol handles identity, messaging, paths, resources, receipts, calls, interfaces, and local storage.
// AURIS COMMAND CONSOLE
Messaging
Direct and propagated LXMF text, replies, reactions, folders, pinned threads, and delivery status.
Files and resources
Images, audio, and files, with cancellation controls and Reticulum resource transfer.
Identity
Creation, import, export, switching, scoped local storage, backup, and recovery.
Contacts and voice
LXST calling, voicemail, history, recordings, and contact policy.
Network tools
Interfaces, announces, path inspection, ping, and topology visualization.
Maps and field data
Map views and Reticulum-carried GeoJSON, KML, and KMZ data packs.
Graphical client
Responsive browser UI plus a packaged Electron desktop application.
Headless service
The Python backend serves its local API and built frontend for managed or remote-host operation.
Operational CLI
List contacts, send LXMF by contact or destination hash, inspect assets, and compose MAVLink commands.
05 · GROUND TO UAS
MAVLink command and control between ground and UAS.
On Linux, Auris supervises paired Ground and UAS roles through the Auris MAVLink bridge. Each role (ground station and UAS) stores its own private configuration. The ground station command surface accepts official dialect entries and any unsigned 16-bit private command ID.
Dialect-driven composition
Named values, units, enum choices, and command-specific fields come from the compiled MAVLink dialect catalog. Raw mode accepts any unsigned 16-bit command ID and parameters 1 through 7.
Command acknowledgements
A received COMMAND_ACK turns into a returned acknowledgement state in Auris' command surface.
06 · DEPLOYMENT
Deploy where your team already works.
FULL CAPABILITY
Linux
Full Reticulum + LXMF, Incus over RNode interface, the Auris GUI via Electron or browser, the operational CLI, and the Ground-to-UAS bridge.
Android
Full Reticulum + LXMF and a native Auris wrapper. Incus and CLI support depend on host configuration.
Browser / Headless
Full Reticulum + LXMF through a browser or a headless host. Incus, CLI, and Ground-to-UAS support depend on the host.