Publish 1.17.1.8 USA Cascade catalogs and firmware picker

docs/firmware_picker.md

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ The picker reads public release metadata from GitHub. It does not upload device
 information. Hardware names, target names, and download links come directly
 from the published firmware assets.
 
-<div class="firmware-picker" data-firmware-picker data-release-repo="mikecarper/MeshCore" data-controls-url="../_data/firmware_controls.json?v=1.17.1.7-runtime-2" data-bootloaders-url="../_data/bootloader_manifest.json?v=20260929-2" data-share-url="https://mikecarper.github.io/MeshCore/firmware_picker/">
+<div class="firmware-picker" data-firmware-picker data-release-repo="mikecarper/MeshCore" data-controls-url="../_data/firmware_controls.json?v=1.17.1.8-runtime-1" data-bootloaders-url="../_data/bootloader_manifest.json?v=20260929-2" data-share-url="https://mikecarper.github.io/MeshCore/firmware_picker/">
   <div class="firmware-picker-intro" role="note">
     <strong>Current release set</strong>
     <p data-role="release-set">Loading release information...</p>
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ partition layout.
 
 Changing between standard and FULL ESP32 layouts requires a partition migration.
 Use the exact-board merged image over USB, or a supported exact board and role
-staged migration ZIP from the [utility release](https://github.com/mikecarper/MeshCore/releases/tag/utility-v1.17.1.7-halo-keymind-cascade-dev-2d03e098).
+staged migration ZIP from the [utility release](https://github.com/mikecarper/MeshCore/releases/tag/utility-v1.17.1.8-halo-keymind-cascade-dev-9053038f).
 Read that ZIP's README before choosing the Wi-Fi or LoRa route. Do not send a
 loose app-only Full `.bin` directly to an older layout: the running application
 cannot move its own active and inactive partitions. Run
@@ -452,16 +452,18 @@ when a complete `<` frame arrives. Enabling logging gives that TTY to the
 plaintext CLI/logger and disables framed USB Companion until logging is turned
 off and the normal ASCII-to-binary mode switch occurs. nRF52 Full Companion
 retains its optional dedicated interface `02`.
-Exact filename search still finds old aliases from earlier releases.
+Exact filename search finds compatibility images included in the selected
+release family. For older releases, open their GitHub release pages.
 
-For same-partition ESP32 infrastructure migrations, the picker similarly
-recommends the ordinary target's exact-identity Full image when it is present.
-The former observer-named Full image remains available through exact filename
-search for deployed devices that still use that mOTA identity; it is not shown
-as a second recommended configuration.
+The 1.17.1.8 public matrix keeps one ESP32 Full image per board and role.
+Some richer images, including Station G2 Full, retain an observer-named OTA
+identity. Exact older identities needed by a partition migration are packaged
+inside that board and role's migration ZIP instead of adding a second ordinary
+Full download. A deliberate target-ID override does not make a different
+partition layout or physical board compatible.
 
 Some normal ESP32 roles begin in the legacy 1.25 MiB dual-OTA layout but have
-a Full image with larger slots. The 1.17.1.7 utility release contains 94 exact
+a Full image with larger slots. The 1.17.1.8 utility release contains 94 exact
 board and role migration ZIPs. Each package checks its source layout and target
 identity, contains the bridge and Full application files for its supported
 routes, and documents what saved data it preserves. Use the package's own Full

docs/index.md

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Welcome to the MeshCore documentation.
 
 Below are a few quick start guides.
 
+- [1.17.1.8 USA Cascade release](./releases/1.17.1.8.md)
 - [1.17.1.5 Markdown audit](./releases/1.17.1.5-doc-audit.md)
 - [1.17.1.5 USA Cascade release](./releases/1.17.1.5.md)
 - [Feature switches by role: Companion, Repeater, Room Server, Sensor](./role_feature_switches.md)

docs/releases/1.17.1.8.md

@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+# MeshCore 1.17.1.8 USA Cascade
+
+This release uses 910.525 MHz, 62.5 kHz bandwidth, SF7, and CR5 with Cascade defaults. Saved radio settings take precedence. The firmware source is `9053038ffa7f481e4b0af2bb8382210683a2c317`.
+
+The release family contains 536 qualified firmware profiles on 5 GitHub release pages. The [Companion page](https://github.com/mikecarper/MeshCore/releases/tag/v1.17.1.8-halo-keymind-cascade-dev-9053038f) is GitHub's Latest release; supporting pages have the same version suffix. The [firmware picker](../firmware_picker.md) and Mesh America catalogs select this family.
+
+## Changes since 1.17.1.7
+
+- Full Companion Wi-Fi settings use the official app's commands. WebConfig uses gzip assets and includes the older Android Chrome startup fix. Full builds check these capabilities during qualification.
+- Companion `get radio` keeps upstream's four-field CSV response without a preamble field. CLI availability still depends on the image and the app's protocol support; a version number alone does not enable commands.
+- nRF52 builds preserve SoftDevice memory side effects under LTO. Full Companion BLE subscriptions persist across reboot. Optional USB-exported Bluetooth diagnostics are available for investigation and are disabled in ordinary release builds.
+- OTA relays restore temporary hop limits and radio settings, with corrected relayed retries and guarded legacy RAK3401 recovery.
+- Companion alerts add vibration, sound, LED, screen and GPIO controls, contact/channel rules, and trusted DM or room `!notify` requests. Preview audio keeps its opening notes.
+- Consent-gated private messaging can start with one known public key. Held-message queues preserve contact priority.
+- GPS power saving and RTC backup changes improve supported tracker wake-up behavior. Configurable nRF52 battery profiles include LiFePO4 cutoff settings; software does not change a board's charger voltage.
+- Upstream dev changes include the MAC block-alignment safety fix, ESP32 reset-time handling, Heltec T1 RTC detection and additional board support.
+- The ordinary public matrix keeps one ESP32 Full image per board and role. Exact older partition identities are included inside migration packages when required.
+
+## Installation and partition expansion
+
+- Match the exact board, radio, display and storage hardware.
+- An ESP32 merged `.bin` installs the bootloader, partition table and application over USB. An app-only `.bin` requires an already compatible partition layout and cannot expand partitions.
+- For an existing ESP32 that needs the expanded Full layout, use its exact board and role migration ZIP from the [utility release](https://github.com/mikecarper/MeshCore/releases/tag/utility-v1.17.1.8-halo-keymind-cascade-dev-9053038f). All 94 individual packages and the complete bundle are included. Read the package README before choosing its Wi-Fi or LoRa route. The bridge writes the partition table; loss of power during that write can require cable recovery. Back up identity and settings first. Use the Full application supplied inside that migration package after its bridge.
+- Run `get storage.layout` on the installed firmware when supported. It reports live partitions; firmware version alone cannot confirm the layout. For older firmware, see the [partition lookup guide](../esp32_partition_catalog.md).
+- nRF52 UF2 and native DFU ZIP files contain application firmware, not a bootloader update. The picker links exact available [OTAFIX bootloader files](../firmware_picker.md). OTAFIX 2.4.10 supports the documented matched routes. Standard RAK `3401_DFU` / `4631_DFU` bootloaders can receive a matching signed bootloader `.mota` with a compatible OTA application; older `*_AUTO_DFU` identities require the documented local recovery bridge first.
+- Four 256 KiB STM32WL USB Companion images (RAK 3x72, Tiny Relay, Wio-E5 Mini and Wio-E5) retain USB Companion transport and 32 KiB LittleFS. They omit packet diagnostics to stay within flash.
+
+## Verification and known limits
+
+The original matrix passed 526 targets and failed ten. The 526 passing packages were preserved byte-for-byte; only the ten failures were rebuilt using corrected build configurations. Five ESP32 Full Companions use 100 contacts. Generic ESP-NOW and Heltec V3 retain 256-frame queues; CT62, Tracker V2 and XIAO C3 use 224-frame queues. Their Full transports remain enabled. Two Indicator LoRa Full images retain 350 contacts and 512 queued messages, with a 320x320 internal render canvas scaled to the 480x480 panel. Three STM32 USB Companions use branch-based switch code generation to fit the existing app boundary. The downloadable REPAIR-PROVENANCE.json records each repair and its tooling commit.
+
+All published firmware passed capability, flash size and runtime memory qualification. nRF52 UF2 files passed address/format checks. All 94 ESP32 migration archives passed package integrity checks. Each release page includes target manifests and SHA-256 checksums. The [unit-test workflow for this source](https://github.com/mikecarper/MeshCore/actions/runs/36843178065) passed.
+
+Qualification does not establish physical compatibility on every supported board. Review the exact image's capability and memory manifests, especially sensor and contact-capacity reductions. Reduced nRF52 LoRa OTA profiles retain only their documented sensor set.
+
+The reported T1000-E/iPhone Bluetooth state where iOS shows a connection but the app keeps waiting has not been conclusively reproduced or resolved. This release includes the verified Bluetooth fixes above; it does not claim that report is fully fixed.