T-Deck vs T-Deck Plus
The T-Deck and T-Deck Plus run identical firmware. The only hardware difference is the GPS module on the Plus. Everything else — display, keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, USB, SD card, speaker, audio — is the same.
Comparison
| Feature | T-Deck | T-Deck Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Display (320×240 ST7789) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Physical QWERTY keyboard | ✅ | ✅ |
| WiFi 2.4 GHz | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bluetooth 5 (BLE) | ✅ | ✅ |
| I2S speaker + audio | ✅ | ✅ |
| LoRa SX1262 | ✅ | ✅ |
| microSD slot | ✅ | ✅ |
| USB-C (flashing + USB gadget) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Trackball | ✅ | ✅ |
| Battery (with charge circuit) | ✅ | ✅ |
| GPS module (L76K / u-blox M10Q) | ✗ | ✅ |
What GPS Unlocks
GPS affects only two commands:
trackme — Tracking Detection
| Capability | T-Deck | T-Deck Plus |
|---|---|---|
| BLE advertisement scanning | ✅ | ✅ |
| Baseline learning period | ✅ | ✅ |
| Behaviour scoring (Gate 2) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Time-path confirmation (Gate 3) — 5+ min, RSSI > −80 dBm | ✅ | ✅ |
| GPS movement gate (Gate 3) — 200m physical movement | ✗ | ✅ |
| WiFi probe sniff | ✗ | ✅ |
On the standard T-Deck, trackme still works and can reach WARNING/ALERT — it just uses the time-path for Gate 3 instead of GPS movement. The GPS path is faster and more reliable in a moving scenario.
GPS Commands
| Command | T-Deck | T-Deck Plus |
|---|---|---|
gps on — GPS background task + live status | ✗ | ✅ |
gps off — stop GPS task | ✗ | ✅ |
gps test — one-shot coordinate read | ✗ | ✅ |
Build Configuration
| T-Deck | T-Deck Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| PlatformIO environment | env:T-Deck | env:T-Deck-Plus |
| Compile flag | — | -DBOARD_TDECK_PLUS=1 |
The BOARD_TDECK_PLUS flag gates only the GPS task init and the WiFi probe-sniff phase of trackme. All other code compiles and runs identically on both.
GPS Cold Start
The GPS module needs approximately 4 minutes outdoors for a cold fix (first fix after a power cycle or long idle). Once fixed it stays warm for the session.
Recommended workflow for T-Deck Plus users:
CMD> gps on # start GPS task before doing anything else
Leave it running in the background. By the time you finish scanning WiFi and want to run trackme, the fix is already acquired — trackme will skip its own warm-up and start immediately.
The satellite icon in the status bar shows the state:
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Grey | GPS off |
| Yellow | Searching (no fix yet) |
| Green | Fix acquired — location available |