In the OWL ecosystem, Duck devices come in different roles. Below is a breakdown of the types you can choose in the WebFlasher tool. Each has a specific purpose and behavior depending on its configuration.
MamaDuck
MamaDucks are both the edge and relay nodes. Sensors and chips can be integrated with the MamaDuck to extend the capabilities of the nodes.
Basic MamaDuck
Every MamaDuck device sends two system packets every 10 minutes (can be configured):
- ✅ Health Packet
- Contains telemetry about the Duck’s onboard systems (T-Beam specific):
- Battery Voltage (if battery is connected)
- Charging Status (Yes/No)
- Power Chip Temperature
- 📶 Status Packet
- Used to verify that the device is alive and running:
- Counter — increments with every interval
- Free Memory — helps detect memory issues or crashes
GPS-Enabled MamaDuck
This version of the MamaDuck also includes location reporting.
- Sends GPS messages containing the Duck’s latitude and longitude.
- You can define the GPS interval during flashing.
- Note: If GPS fix is not available (e.g. no satellite lock), no GPS packet is sent.
This is useful for mobile, open-sky deployments where location tracking is important.
Humidity-Enabled MamaDuck (DHT11 Sensor)
Ideal for air quality or indoor environmental monitoring. Adds environmental sensing to your MamaDuck using a DHT11 sensor.
- Sensor data: Temperature and Humidity.
- Sends both GPS and Sensor data.
- You can configure both the GPS and Sensor send intervals during flashing.
- Pin Info: DHT11 is expected on Pin 0 of the T-Beam.
- If the DHT11 is not connected, the Duck will still function and send other data, but skip the sensor packet.
PapaDuck
A PapaDuck acts as the gateway between OWL mesh network and the cloud (OWL DMS). It receives packets from other Ducks and uploads them to the OWL platform.
- When you add a PapaDuck via the
/networkpage in the DMS, it auto-generates a set of credentials. These credentials are embedded into the firmware when you flash the device.
📡 Wi-Fi Setup
- You must provide 2.4GHz Wi-Fi credentials during flashing.
- These are used to connect the PapaDuck to the internet and send data to the OWL cloud.
- Changing Wi-Fi Later
- If the Wi-Fi network changes, connect to the PapaDuck's Wi-Fi Access Point (its SSID will match the device name).
- Open a browser and go to
192.168.1.1/wifi - There you can enter a new SSID and password to update the network connection.