# Mestre > An open-source control head for software-defined radios — built on the Xiegu X6200. ## What is Mestre? Mestre turns a [Xiegu X6200](https://www.xiegu.eu/) into a dedicated, tactile remote control head for any networked SDR transceiver, starting with the [Hermes-Lite 2](http://www.hermeslite.com/). The motivation is simple. Concepts like FlexRadio's Maestro prove that a dedicated piece of hardware — real VFO knob, real buttons, no laptop — gives the operating experience that touchscreens and mouse-driven SDR consoles don't. But Maestro is closed, expensive, and locked to the FlexRadio ecosystem. Mestre uses a radio you may already own (the X6200) and turns its physical controls into a Maestro-class experience for radios you may already own (HL2, ANAN, anything HPSDR-compatible). Open hardware, open software, open protocol. ``` ┌─────────────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐ │ X6200 │ │ Hermes-Lite 2 │ │ ┌───────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ Knobs, buttons │ │ │ (or any HPSDR rig) │ │ │ Touchscreen, LCD │ │ │ │ │ └─────────┬─────────┘ │ └──────────┬───────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ ┌─────────▼─────────┐ │ Network (HPSDR) │ │ │ Mestre service │ │ │ │ │ (evdev → MIDI) │ │ │ │ └─────────┬─────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌─────────▼─────────┐ │ │ │ │ piHPSDR │◄─┼───────────────────────────┘ │ └───────────────────┘ │ └─────────────────────────┘ ``` ## Mestre vs Virtuoso The project is **Mestre** — the build system, services, and software stack. The product name **Virtuoso** is reserved for when (if!) Mestre actually delivers a Maestro-class experience. It must be earned. ## Project Status 🚧 **Early development.** Building the foundation. | # | Milestone | Status | |---|----------------------------------------------------------------------|--------| | 1 | Boot a recent Buildroot LTS on the X6200 (serial console) | ✅ 2026-05-03 | | 2 | Working audio stack | ✅ 2026-05-06 | | 3 | WiFi and Bluetooth keyboard and mouse | ✅ 2026-05-09 | | 4 | Forward-port LCD panel driver — full display output | ✅ 2026-05-03 | | 5 | piHPSDR running on X6200, controlled by mouse and keyboard | ⚪ Planned | | 6 | piHPSDR audio — HL2 audio via SoC speaker | ⚪ Planned | | 7 | `mestre` service: evdev → ALSA virtual MIDI bridge | ⚪ Planned | | 8 | End-to-end: X6200 controlling Hermes-Lite 2 as a control head | ⚪ Planned | | 9 | First-boot wizard, settings persistence, polished UX | ⚪ Planned | | ∞ | Earn the right to call it Virtuoso | ⚪ TBD | ## Architecture Mestre is built as a Buildroot-based Linux distribution for the X6200. The system runs three cooperating components: - **piHPSDR** — handles the SDR protocol, audio, waterfall, and overall radio UI on the X6200's LCD. Connects over the network to the actual transceiver hardware (HL2 or other HPSDR rig). - **mestre service** — a small daemon that reads the X6200's physical knobs and buttons via `/dev/input/eventX` and translates them into MIDI control change messages on a virtual ALSA MIDI port. - **piHPSDR's MIDI mapper** — already built into piHPSDR. Subscribes to the virtual MIDI port and acts on the controls. The architecture is deliberately patch-free: piHPSDR is used as-is, and the MIDI protocol is the well-known, stable contract between the two halves. ## Hardware - **Control head**: [Xiegu X6200](https://www.xiegu.eu/) (Allwinner R16 / sun8i-a33, 480×800 LCD, knobs, buttons, internal speaker) - **Transceiver**: [Hermes-Lite 2](http://www.hermeslite.com/) (open-hardware HF SDR), or any HPSDR-protocol radio supported by piHPSDR ## Building > ⚠️ **Pre-1.0**: actively developed. Core build works; some milestones still in progress. ### Prerequisites A recent Linux host with the [Buildroot prerequisites](https://buildroot.org/downloads/manual/manual.html#requirement) installed. Building inside the provided container is also supported. ### Quickstart ```bash git clone --recurse-submodules mestre cd mestre ./scripts/build.sh ``` The resulting `sdcard.img` will appear under `build/images/`. Flash it to a microSD card with `dd` or your tool of choice and boot the X6200 from it. ### Buildroot version Mestre is pinned to **Buildroot 2025.02 LTS** for stability — the LTS line is supported with security and bugfix updates for three years. Bumping is a deliberate, documented choice, not a continuous treadmill. ## Repository layout ``` mestre/ ├── buildroot/ # submodule → Buildroot 2025.02.x ├── br2_external/ # all our Buildroot customisations │ ├── configs/ # defconfig │ ├── board/x6200/ # linux config, U-Boot config, DTS, overlay │ └── package/ # custom packages (mestre service, etc.) ├── docs/ # design notes, hardware notes ├── scripts/ # build wrappers ├── README.md # this file └── DESIGN.md # architectural decisions ``` ## Credits & Prior Art Mestre stands on the shoulders of others. In particular: - **[gdyuldin/AetherX6200Buildroot](https://github.com/gdyuldin/AetherX6200Buildroot)** — the Aether project, from which Mestre inherits the X6200 device tree, U-Boot configuration, and LCD panel driver. Aether's project goal (improving the X6200 as a transceiver) differs from Mestre's (using the X6200 as a control head), but Aether's hardware enablement work made Mestre feasible from day one. Vendored files retain their original copyright headers. - **apritzel** (#linux-sunxi @ OFTC) — device-tree guidance for the X6200, acknowledged in the DTS source. - **Rui Oliveira** and **Oleg Belousov** — original authors of the Jinglitai JLT4013A panel driver, forward-ported here for use with current mainline kernels. - **The piHPSDR project** — the SDR console Mestre wraps. Mestre would not exist without piHPSDR's existing MIDI control infrastructure, which lets us avoid patching the console itself. - **The OpenHPSDR community** and **Steve Haynal (N0EJV / Hermes-Lite 2)** — for keeping open-protocol SDR alive. ## License GPL-2.0-or-later, matching the kernel-derived components Mestre vendors. Userland components written specifically for Mestre may be re-licensed (e.g. to MIT) on a per-component basis where doing so doesn't conflict with this overall license; such cases will be marked clearly in the relevant subdirectory.