WanderCO — Family Architecture Spec (v1.0-candidate)
Product family: WanderCO — combination CO + smoke + (Pro: CO2 + radon-ready) detector with mesh integration to the WanderAlert system. Revision: v1.0-candidate Date: 2026-04-24 SOP: v2.4
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1. Why this exists
CO and smoke alarms are the most universally-deployed life-safety device in the residential and small-commercial world — and the most universally-treated as a chirping commodity. Households disable them, tear them off the ceiling, ignore the 10-year sealed-battery EOL chirp, and miss the actual life-threatening event when it comes.
The category has had two decades of iteration on cost-down and almost zero iteration on the part that matters: alert design that survivors of trauma can live with, mesh integration that wakes more than just the room the alarm is in, and an air-quality story (CO + smoke + CO2 + radon-ready) that respects the modern reality of weather-tight homes + remote work + LGBTQ+ housing precarity.
WanderCO is the WanderVerse air-safety detector. It is UL 217 (smoke) + UL 2034 (CO) cert-gated because nothing else is acceptable for sale in this category — and we ship it as part of the WanderAlert mesh fleet so that a CO event in a basement bedroom wakes the whole household, not just the basement.
WanderCO Pro adds CO2 NDIR + a radon-ready socket so households that want the IAQ story (poor ventilation in tight homes; offgassing; radon-belt geographies) get one device family covering the four hazards, with the same UL pedigree underneath.
The product thesis is concrete: a detector that wakes the whole house, that the survivor of a violent home fire / DV-fire-as-coercion can opt into a covert visual-only mode for, and that ships with the kind of trauma-informed advisory rigor we apply to WanderAlert.
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2. Product family overview
| Tier | Device ID | Form factor | Hero feature | Retail | Ship target |
|---|
| **WanderCO Standard** | `WV-CO-STD` | Ceiling-mountable disc 130 mm × 35 mm | UL 217 + UL 2034 listed; CO + smoke; ESP32-S3 mesh participation; 10-year sealed primary battery (Ambassador-serviceable) | **$89** | 2027-Q3 |
| **WanderCO Pro** | `WV-CO-PRO` | Same chassis 130 mm × 35 mm + extended sensor stack | Standard + Sensirion SCD41 CO2 NDIR + radon-ready socket + WanderAlert Level-1 trigger | **$149** | 2027-Q4 |
Hero image alignment
The hero render shows a circular ceiling-mountable detector, 130 mm diameter × 35 mm thick, matte cream anodized aluminum body, with:
- Perforated mesh face revealing the CO electrochemical (Figaro TGS5042) + photoelectric smoke chamber underneath
- Saffron LED ring around the perimeter (state-of-device + alert escalation visual cue)
- Saffron pinstripe on the outer bezel (family-wide visual standard; matches WanderAlert + Security Trio + WanderDash)
- Recessed test button at the center face (single tactile input — Test on press; Hush on hold; pairs to mesh on long-press)
The chassis is identical between Standard and Pro — Pro adds the SCD41 + radon-ready socket on the interior PCBA, with no exterior visual delta. This is intentional: ambassadors should be able to upgrade Standard to Pro via a board-swap send-back without the household ever needing a different ceiling fitting.
Visual identity preserved across the family: matte cream anodized aluminum chassis (matches WanderAlert Base Station cream + WanderDash cream-aluminum surface), saffron LED ring + pinstripe (family-wide), perforated mesh face (sensor visibility — also category-resonant: the Nest Protect / X-Sense / Kidde devices all use perforated faces).
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3. The four hazards (Pro-tier coverage)
3.1 Carbon monoxide (CO) — UL 2034
- Sensor: Figaro TGS5042 electrochemical CO sensor (NEW for parts library)
- Range: 0-1000 ppm; alarm thresholds per UL 2034:
- 70 ppm sustained for 60-240 min
- 150 ppm sustained for 10-50 min
- 400 ppm sustained for 4-15 min
- Lifetime: 10 years rated (matches sealed-battery sunset)
- Self-test: monthly auto-self-test + user-test button verifies sensor response
3.2 Smoke — UL 217 + (commercial) UL 268
- Sensor: photoelectric smoke chamber (NEW for parts library; sourced from chamber-OEM Ningbo Sunshow / Hanwei equivalent)
- Detection: photoelectric scattering at 940 nm IR LED + photodiode pair, ≥0.5%/ft obscuration trigger per UL 217
- Response time: ≤4 min for typical UL 217 fire test profiles (smoldering polyurethane, flaming wood crib, etc.)
- Hush: 60-second hush button per UL 217; visual indicator that hush is active
3.3 CO2 — Pro tier only
- Sensor: Sensirion SCD41 NDIR CO2 sensor (reused from WanderSense Family + WanderBreath)
- Range: 400-5000 ppm; thresholds:
- 1000 ppm sustained ≥30 min → indicator amber (advisory ventilate)
- 2000 ppm sustained ≥10 min → Level 1 mesh advisory (saffron strobe slow + companion-app push)
- Use case: ventilation indicator for tight homes / remote-work bedrooms / dorms / sleep-environment ventilation; non-life-safety classification (advisory only)
3.4 Radon — Pro tier socket; populated 2028+
- Socket: I²C + 3.3 V supply on PCBA reserved for daughter-card radon sensor
- Candidate sensor: RD200M or equivalent Pearson-Geophysical-class alpha-track / pulsed-ion radon module
- Status: NOT in v1.0 BOM. Socket only. v1.1 / v2 candidate. Documented because the radon belt + Pro tier framing demands it; we don't ship vapor.
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4. The 10-year sealed battery reconciliation (Stage 0 hard reconcile)
WanderVerse Standard 4 mandates 7-year parts at cost+10% via Ambassador network. CO + smoke alarm convention is a 10-year sealed primary battery (CR123A or LiSOCl2) because the cell chemistry for these chemistries is one-shot — once the cell dies, the alarm chirps end-of-life and the unit is replaced.
These conflict on the surface. Resolution:
4.1 Cell choice + spec
- Primary cell: Tadiran TLI-1550A (LiSOCl2, 3.6 V nominal, 1.5 Ah, 10-year shelf-life, -40 to +85 °C operating)
- Alternate: Saft LS14500 (LiSOCl2, equivalent spec) for dual-source
- Why LiSOCl2: 10-year self-discharge <1%/year; high energy density; runs the ESP32-S3 + sensors + mesh-listen + chirp circuit through the 10-year UL-cert window
- Why NOT 9 V alkaline (industry default low-end): 9V alkaline self-discharges in 5-7 years, drives the chirping-EOL UX everyone hates, and forces user-swap which violates UL 2034's sealed-battery convention
4.2 7-year parts compliance
- The device is Ambassador-serviceable for 7 years (chassis, electronics, sensors-replaceable as upgrade kit, smoke chamber clean / replace, CO sensor refresh)
- The battery ships as a 10-year sealed primary, but it is designated a serviceable consumable in the Ambassador network — replacement TLI-1550A cells are stocked at cost+10% through year 10 (mandated UL EOL window) and through year 12 as a buffer for late-arrival units
- No conflict with Standard 4 — parts are available; the device just expects the cell to last the cert window without service intervention. If a customer wants to extend past year 10, Ambassador refresh service swaps the cell + re-runs UL 2034 self-test to confirm calibration drift is within spec
4.3 What this looks like for the user
- Ship state: sealed cell, 10-year EOL warning chirp at year 9.5
- Year 9.5: app + on-device chirp says "send back for refresh, or replace per UL recommendation"
- Year 10: device begins chirping nightly between 22:00-06:00 (UL 2034 EOL spec)
- Year 10+: Ambassador refresh = $35 service + new TLI-1550A cell + smoke chamber clean + CO sensor recalibration → another 10-year cert window
This is the explicit Stage 0 reconciliation between WanderVerse 7-year-parts standard and CO/smoke-alarm 10-year-sealed-battery industry convention. Document referenced in DECISIONS.md D-CO-001.
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5. Identity-aware operation (D-CO-008 — covert mode)
Per Standard 0 (survivor / identity-aware modes):
5.1 Covert mode (silent visual-only alert) — controversial; gated
This is a controversial feature in a life-safety device. Documented at DECISIONS.md D-CO-008 with explicit user-acknowledgment + advisory-panel review gating.
- Default: WanderCO operates standard UL 217 + UL 2034 audible-alarm mode (≥85 dB at 3 m sounder; cannot be silenced except via 60-s hush)
- Covert mode (opt-in, dual-confirmation):
- User explicitly enables via companion app + signs an in-app risk acknowledgment ("I understand that disabling the audible alarm reduces my chance of waking from a CO/smoke event. I am enabling this mode for [DV/safehouse/PTSD-rouse-trauma] reasons. WanderCO will continue to: alert via mesh to other WanderVerse devices in the household; alert via push notification to my paired phone(s); fire saffron strobe full-on; trigger WanderAlert Pager if present.")
- Mode applies to Level 1 (CO2 advisory) by default; Level 2 (CO/smoke warning) can also be silenced with second-tier acknowledgment
- Level 3 — sustained UL alarm condition (CO ≥400 ppm + ≥4 min OR smoke chamber active): audible CANNOT be silenced. UL spec + life-safety-override hard rule. Covert mode does NOT silence the canonical UL alarm event.
- Why this matters: survivors of DV who experienced fires-as-coercion / abusive-partner-arson have strong PTSD-rouse responses to smoke-alarm tones. Standard alarms can re-traumatize. The mesh path (saffron strobe + paired phone push + WanderAlert Pager vibrate) provides equivalent rouse without the trauma-tone.
- Advisory review: covert-mode framing requires DV advocate + LGBTQ+ DV survivor + UL human-factors expert advisory review pre-EVT. See
GATE.md Stage-10 blocker #4.
- Marketing language: NEVER mentioned in promotional copy without survivor-advocate veto right. Documented in
DECISIONS.md D-CO-008.
5.2 Trust-contact-only routing
- Mesh + cellular-via-WanderAlert-Base + WiFi alerts route only to pre-shared trust contacts at the household level
- Never to a public API, social feed, or analytics endpoint
- WanderNode Hub admin assigns trust contacts at install
5.3 Survivor-pattern flag
- User can flag at order time: "this is a DV-safehouse / undocumented-population / sensitive deployment"
- WWP-side review applies; Ambassador pre-configures device with covert-mode-eligible profile
- Default WanderCO ships with covert mode disabled (user must opt-in post-install)
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6. Architecture
6.1 Family platform (shared across both tiers)
| Block | Part | Notes |
|---|
| MCU module | Raytac MDBT50Q-S3 (ESP32-S3 + WiFi 6 + BLE 5.3) | FCC modular passthrough; reused from Security Trio + WanderAlert |
| LoRa radio | Semtech SX1262 | 915/868 MHz; mesh participation in WanderAlert fleet |
| Saffron LED ring | Cree CLM3C-AKA (saffron) | 12 × LEDs around perimeter; reused from Security Trio family |
| LED driver | TI TPS92518 | multi-channel PWM; reused from Security Trio + WanderAlert |
| Secure element | NXP SE051 | role token + signed mesh participation; reused |
| Flash NOR | Macronix MX25R 8 MB | per-tier sized |
| CO sensor | Figaro TGS5042 electrochemical | NEW for parts library; UL 2034 path |
| Smoke chamber | Photoelectric IR scattering chamber | NEW; sourced from Ningbo Sunshow / Hanwei equivalent |
| Piezo siren | DB Unlimited or Mallory MAL-LC class ≥85 dB @ 3 m | UL 217 + UL 2034 audible spec |
| Test button | Recessed center-face button (Alps SKRH + cap) | Test / Hush / pair-mesh |
| Battery | Tadiran TLI-1550A LiSOCl2 (3.6 V / 1.5 Ah) | NEW for parts library; 10-year primary; 2 in parallel for headroom |
| Antenna LoRa | Taoglas FXP14 PCB-mount | internal coil |
6.2 WanderCO Pro — additions
| Block | Part | Notes |
|---|
| CO2 NDIR | Sensirion SCD41 | reused from WanderSense Family + WanderBreath |
| Radon socket | Reserved I²C + 3.3 V daughter-card | NOT populated in v1.0; socket-only |
| Flash NOR | Macronix MX25R 16 MB (vs 8 MB Standard) | extra storage for IAQ trends |
6.3 What WanderCO does NOT have
- No display. The face is mesh + perforated for sensor access. State communicated via saffron LED ring colors + voice-chirp + companion app.
- No NOAA / cellular receiver. WanderCO is a leaf node in the WanderAlert mesh — it relays through Base Station for those four sources. WanderCO Standard fires its own siren on local CO/smoke regardless of mesh.
- No camera. Categorically out of scope; UL 217 + UL 2034 do not require it; privacy implications.
- No microphone. Same.
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7. Coverage architecture (mesh integration)
| Source | WanderCO Standard | WanderCO Pro |
|---|
| Local CO sensor (Figaro TGS5042) | RX + ORIGINATE Level 2 (UL 2034 alarm) | RX + ORIGINATE Level 2 |
| Local smoke chamber | RX + ORIGINATE Level 2 (UL 217 alarm) | RX + ORIGINATE Level 2 |
| Local CO2 sensor (SCD41) | — | RX + ORIGINATE Level 1 (advisory only) |
| Local radon (when populated) | — | RX + ORIGINATE Level 1 (advisory only) — v1.1+ |
| WanderAlert mesh receive (NOAA / cellular WEA / IPAWS) | RX-only listener | RX-only listener |
| LoRa mesh re-broadcast | full re-broadcast | full re-broadcast |
Coverage gate: WanderCO is a complete UL 217 + UL 2034 listed alarm in standalone mode. Mesh integration with WanderAlert is additive, not required. A household with no Base Station gets a fully functional CO + smoke alarm with phone push (via paired-phone BLE). Mesh integration upgrades the experience: a CO event in the basement fires the WanderAlert Base Station + Outdoor Pole + every Cabin Unit upstairs.
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8. 3-tier alert escalation (mapped to WanderAlert family)
Level 1 — Advisory
- Local trigger: CO2 ≥1000 ppm sustained 30 min (Pro only); radon ≥4 pCi/L 24 h average (Pro v1.1+)
- Audible: none (advisory)
- Visual: saffron LED ring slow pulse (1 Hz)
- Mesh: Level 1 advisory — companion app push; no WanderAlert siren propagation
- Use case: ventilate the bedroom; consider radon-mitigation system
Level 2 — Warning (UL alarm condition)
- Local trigger: CO ≥70/150/400 ppm per UL 2034 timing; smoke chamber active per UL 217
- Audible: ≥85 dB @ 3 m sounder (UL 217 + UL 2034 cert spec) — sustained per UL pattern (CO: 4 short / 1 long; smoke: 3 short / 1 long; voice annunciation if user-config enables)
- Visual: saffron LED ring fast pulse (5 Hz)
- Mesh: Level 1 trigger to WanderAlert (per task spec — Pro integrates with WanderAlert mesh as Level 1 trigger; Standard sends mesh advisory but does not auto-propagate to Level 2 by default; admin-configurable)
- Use case: UL CO/smoke alarm event — household must evacuate / ventilate / call 911
Level 3 — Sustained / catastrophic
- Local trigger: CO ≥400 ppm sustained ≥15 min OR smoke chamber active ≥10 min (sustained UL alarm)
- Audible: continued UL pattern; no degradation possible (life-safety override; covert mode does NOT silence Level 3)
- Visual: saffron LED ring full-on
- Mesh: Level 2 trigger to WanderAlert (escalates the household-wide alert) — admin configurable per
CONFIGURATOR.md
- Use case: sustained life-threatening event — household has not responded to Level 2; mesh wakes neighbors / WanderAlert fleet
Mesh-trigger discipline: WanderCO does NOT auto-fire WanderAlert Level 2/3. WanderCO mesh-originates as Level 1 advisory by default. WanderAlert Base Station's alert policy decides whether to escalate. Two reasons: 1. UL 2034's 70 ppm / 60-240 min trigger has known false-positive scenarios (gas range startup; idling vehicle in attached garage). Auto-firing the entire WanderAlert mesh on every WanderCO Level 2 creates alert fatigue. 2. The household admin sets the policy at install via Base Station setup wizard (per GUIDE.md).
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9. Compliance summary (per `COMPLIANCE.md`)
| Cert | Status | Notes |
|---|
| **UL 217 (smoke alarms)** | red blocker | HARD GATE — required for sale; no waiver. Cert ~$30-45k per tier |
| **UL 2034 (CO alarms)** | red blocker | HARD GATE — required for sale. Cert ~$30-45k per tier |
| **ANSI/UL 268 (commercial fire-alarm-system smoke detector)** | yellow | Optional v1.1 — required if going into commercial / multi-family / school category. Cert +$45-60k. Not in v1 unless distribution channel demands it. |
| **CSA 6.19 (Canadian CO)** | yellow | Bundle with UL 2034 lab visit |
| **NFPA 720 (CO compliance for installation)** | green | Inherits from UL 2034 |
| **FCC Part 15 B/C** | green | Raytac MDBT50Q-S3 + SX1262 modular passthrough |
| **CE / UKCA** | green | EN 50291 (CO) + EN 14604 (smoke) — bundle with FCC test data |
| **EN 50291 (European CO alarm)** | yellow | Required for EU sale; bundled with CE RED |
| **EN 14604 (European smoke alarm)** | yellow | Required for EU sale |
| **IP44** | green | Kitchen + bathroom-adjacent install per task spec |
| **Bluetooth SIG** | green | BLE 5.3 |
| **RoHS / REACH** | green | declared |
Total cert v1: ~$60-90k (per task brief). Standard tier: ~$45-65k UL 217 + UL 2034 + FCC + CE + IP44. Pro tier: shared cert lab visits + delta on EN 50291 / EN 14604 EU bundle.
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10. Manufacturing + service summary
Ambassador assembly (Standard 1)
- Tier-2 for both WanderCO SKUs (UL self-test verification per-unit + smoke chamber alignment + CO sensor seasoning)
- Per-unit Ambassador time:
- Standard: ~14 min/unit (~30 units / 8-hr day)
- Pro: ~18 min/unit (~25 units)
- Ambassador signature: etched aluminum tag inside service panel (per family standard); paired to unit serial in WanderOS
Per-unit production tests
- 18 tests per unit (see
DFM-DFA-DFT.md)
- Includes UL 2034 CO injection test (calibrated 250 ppm CO chamber → trigger time + dB SPL verified at 3 m)
- UL 217 smoke chamber test (synthetic smoke aerosol → trigger time + dB SPL)
- Battery cell impedance + voltage QC
7-year-parts-with-10-year-battery-reconciliation (per §4)
- Spare cells (Tadiran TLI-1550A) stocked through year 12
- Spare smoke chambers (full assembly, replaceable as a kit) stocked through year 7
- Spare CO sensors (Figaro TGS5042; replaceable kit) stocked through year 7
- Year 8: STL + schematic + firmware-source release CC BY-SA 4.0 (STLs) / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 (firmware)
Service plan (per `SERVICE-FLOW.md`)
- 2-year standard warranty + 10-year UL-cert window guarantee + extended warranty options
- DIY: chassis dust-clean, ceiling re-mount, app re-pair
- Ambassador send-back: cell refresh + smoke chamber clean + CO sensor swap (year 9-10 service)
- Factory: chassis re-finish, mainboard swap, UL cert re-test if substantial repair
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11. Revenue + social-impact integration
60/30/10 Community Pool flow (Standard 5)
Per canonical revenue split:
- 60% → Ambassador wages (1099 → W-2 at revenue trigger)
- 10% → PrideFund (Ambassador HYSA)
- 30% → WWP Community Pool (Layer 1 ops ≤65%, Layer 2 Ambassador-voted ≥35%)
Donor-sponsored kits (HAVEN safehouse + Title-I housing)
- Donor channel for DV-safehouse + Title-I-equivalent rural-housing sponsorship
- Match: WWP grant-matches up to 1:1 from Community Pool
- Eligibility: 501(c)(3) DV shelters + LGBTQ-housing nonprofits + Native youth housing + Tribal-enrolled rural housing programs
Grant-fundable
- HUD Lead-Hazard Reduction + Healthy Homes (CO + smoke + radon-ready maps to Healthy Homes program criteria directly)
- EPA Indoor Air Quality grant pool (CO2 + radon framing for Pro tier)
- HHS ASPR (institutional CO/smoke compliance for community health centers)
- State-level CO-alarm-mandate grant pools (NY, IL, CA, MA all have post-2010 CO-alarm-mandate appropriations for low-income compliance)
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12. Feature inventory (Stage 0 sweep)
Hardware features
- UL 217 (smoke) + UL 2034 (CO) listed (HARD GATE — no shipping without these)
- Saffron LED ring around perimeter — family-wide visual standard
- ≥85 dB @ 3 m piezo siren (UL spec)
- Mesh participation as WanderAlert leaf node (LoRa SX1262 + ESP32-S3)
- 10-year sealed primary battery (Tadiran LiSOCl2) — Ambassador-serviceable per §4 reconciliation
- WanderCO Pro adds Sensirion SCD41 CO2 NDIR + radon-ready socket
- Identity-aware: covert mode (silent Level 1/2; never silences UL Level 3 alarm)
- IP44 (kitchen + bathroom-adjacent install)
- Recessed test button (Test / Hush / pair-mesh)
- 7-year parts (with 10-year battery reconciliation)
- Ambassador-assembled
- CC BY-SA 4.0 STLs
Software features
- ESP32-S3 + LoRa SX1262 driver stack on Zephyr (deep-sleep optimized; 10-year battery requires aggressive power management)
- Figaro TGS5042 CO driver + UL 2034 timing-curve compliance
- Photoelectric smoke chamber driver + UL 217 obscuration-curve compliance
- Sensirion SCD41 CO2 driver (Pro)
- WanderAlert mesh integration (Level 1 advisory by default; admin-configurable escalation)
- BLE companion app pairing (iOS Critical Alerts + Android Public Alerts)
- WanderNode Hub admin web UI (trust contacts, alert policy, household roster)
- Secure-element role token enforcement (NXP SE051)
- OTA via WiFi (when household has WiFi paired) / BLE / mesh-fragment fallback
- Voice annunciation (English + Spanish baseline; user-configurable language pack — UL 217 + UL 2034 voice pattern compliance)
- Survivor-aware language templates + customizable alert messages
- WanderOS service history per unit (Ambassador + serial + UL cert ref + battery cell lot + service events)
Operational features
- Household single-unit + multi-unit deployment (default 1 per floor + 1 outside each sleeping area per NFPA 72 Sec 9.6.1.3)
- Donor-sponsored DV-safehouse / LGBTQ-housing kits via WWP Community Pool match
- HUD Healthy Homes + EPA IAQ grant deployment pipeline
- Survivor-aware advisory review (DV advocate + LGBTQ+ DV survivor + UL human-factors expert panels) —
GATE.md Stage-10 blocker
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13. Risk register
| # | Risk | Severity | Mitigation |
|---|
| 1 | UL 217 + UL 2034 cert delays beyond 2027-Q2 | red | Lab booking 2026-Q4; reference unit ready EVT |
| 2 | Covert-mode framing rejected by survivor advisory | red | DV-advocate + LGBTQ+ DV-survivor + UL human-factors panel veto rights pre-EVT |
| 3 | 10-year battery reconciliation rejected by WanderVerse-7-year-parts purist review | yellow | §4 explicit reconciliation; Ambassador refresh path documented |
| 4 | Figaro TGS5042 supply disrupted (single-source-class CO sensor) | yellow | Alternate: SGX Sensortech 4CO + Alphasense alternates qualified at DVT |
| 5 | Photoelectric smoke chamber sourcing instability (multi-OEM space) | yellow | Multi-OEM RFQ at engineering hire; Ningbo Sunshow + Hanwei + Yulan + GoldenWell qualified |
| 6 | False-alarm rate exceeds household tolerance (CO false-positives from gas-range startup) | yellow | UL 2034 timing-curve + filter-window firmware; 0/30/30/60 burn-in seasoning at Ambassador station |
| 7 | Tadiran LiSOCl2 cell availability through year 12 | yellow | Saft LS14500 dual-source qualified at DVT |
| 8 | Mesh participation creates unintended escalation to WanderAlert siren on every WanderCO Level 2 | yellow | Level-1-by-default mesh-originate; admin-configurable escalation policy |
| 9 | UL 268 (commercial) demand from multi-family / school distribution | yellow | v1.1 path open; v1 ships UL 217 + UL 2034 only (residential / small-commercial scope) |
| 10 | Engineering hire timeline slips | red | Shared engineering pool with WanderAlert + WanderSense; pipeline started 2026-Q3 |
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14. Conflict register
Resolved per DECISIONS.md D-CO-001 through D-CO-010. Key conflicts:
- D-CO-001: 10-year sealed battery vs WanderVerse 7-year parts — RECONCILED per §4 (Ambassador-serviceable; cells stocked through year 12; standard remains 7-year for non-cell parts)
- D-CO-005: Figaro TGS5042 NEW for parts library — added at this spec session
- D-CO-008: Covert mode (silent visual-only Level 1/2) — controversial; advisory-panel-gated with explicit user-acknowledgment; Level 3 UL alarm CANNOT be silenced (life-safety override hard rule)
- D-CO-010: UL 268 commercial path NOT pursued in v1 — explicit non-claim; v2 candidate
No software conflicts with existing WanderVerse specs.
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15. Marketing language gate
Words we DO use:
- "UL 217 + UL 2034 listed combination CO + smoke alarm"
- "Mesh-integrated CO + smoke detector"
- "10-year sealed battery (per UL convention) with Ambassador-serviceable refresh"
- "Combination CO + smoke + (Pro) CO2 + radon-ready"
- "Wakes the whole household when one alarm fires"
- "Identity-aware operation for survivors who need it"
Words we do NOT use:
- "Replaces your existing CO/smoke alarm" — we ARE a UL CO/smoke alarm; we don't position as a supplement
- "Smarter than Nest Protect" — comparative claims need substantiation + invite reverse claims
- "Cheap CO alarm replacement" — undercuts category framing
- "Silent CO alarm" — covert mode is a survivor-mode opt-in, not a marketed feature; mention only with advisory consent
- "Detects gas leaks" — we do NOT detect natural gas / propane / methane; out of scope; explicit disclaimer in install guide
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16. Ship discipline
- v1.0 launch: 2027-Q3 Standard → 2027-Q4 Pro — both gated by UL 217 + UL 2034 + advisory review
- v1.1 (3 months post-ship): UX polish; companion app feature depth; first survivor-user-feedback integration; voice-pack expansion (Tagalog, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Hindi-Urdu)
- v1.2 (6 months post-ship): UL 268 commercial cert evaluation if multi-family / school distribution channel demands it; radon module v1 release for Pro tier socket
- v2 (2028-2029, conditional): UL 268 commercial path; RF mesh interop with non-WanderAlert Z-Wave / Matter mesh networks; integrated weatherization-grant data feed for HUD Healthy Homes program
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17. Ambassador + Community Pool integration
(verbatim from _TEMPLATES/_community-pool.md + _ambassador-signature.md + _seven-year-parts.md):
How the money flows
Every sale of a WanderCO SKU is divided three ways:
- 60% pays the Ambassador who assembled the unit — a living wage for skilled hardware-assembly work
- 10% seeds PrideFund — community-held HYSA accruing for Ambassador-voted initiatives
- 30% funds the WWP Community Pool — the 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Subject to 65/35 charter rule (Layer 1 ops ≤65%; Layer 2 Ambassador-voted ≥35%)
Ambassador signature mark
Every WanderCO unit carries an etched aluminum tag inside the service panel:
- Ambassador ID (pseudo-random alphanumeric)
- Assembly date
- Unit serial number
- UL cert reference (UL 217 + UL 2034 listing number)
- Battery lot (Tadiran TLI-1550A serial range)
At refurbishment (year 9-10 cell refresh), a second signature is added beneath the first. Provenance accumulates.
Seven-year parts (with 10-year battery reconciliation)
Every spare part for WanderCO is available for 7 years from ship date, via Ambassador network, at cost + 10%. Battery cells (Tadiran TLI-1550A) are stocked through year 12 to honor the UL 2034 sealed-battery convention. Year 8: every manufacturing file is published (STLs CC BY-SA 4.0; firmware source CC BY-NC-SA 4.0; schematics + assembly instructions).
What "parts" includes:
- Mechanical assemblies (chassis, mounts, ceiling-clip, perforated mesh face, saffron LED ring assembly)
- All sub-boards + modules (sensor PCBA, mainboard, mesh radio, secure element)
- Sensor kits (CO sensor refresh, smoke chamber refresh, SCD41 swap for Pro)
- Battery cells (Tadiran TLI-1550A; Saft LS14500 alternate)
What "parts" does NOT include:
- Standard fasteners (M3 screws — sourceable from any aftermarket)
- Ceiling-mount drywall anchors (industry-standard)
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This spec is the source of truth for the WanderCO family. Companion docs (DECISIONS.md, BOM-platform.csv, BOM-modules.csv, BOM-normalized.csv, CONFIGURATOR.md, COMPATIBILITY.md, SOURCING.csv, DFM-DFA-DFT.md, THERMAL-EMC.md, COMPLIANCE.md, GUIDE.md, HW-FW.md, SERVICE-FLOW.md, GATE.md, STL-OPEN-FILES/README.md, _VALIDATION-AND-SENSOR-EXPANSION.md, _COMPETITIVE-AUDIT-2026-04-24.md, _MANIFEST.md) elaborate; this spec governs.
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Radio architecture v2 — LR2021 migration (2026-04-25)
Primary radio: Semtech LR2021 (LoRa Gen 4 / LoRa Plus). Replaces previous multi-chip radio architecture (SX1262 + nRF52840 + CC2652R7 collapsed to one).
What this unlocks
- 40× throughput — 62.5 kbps → 2.6 Mbps via FLRC modulation. Enables: image snapshots over LoRa, voice / walkie-talkie, AI-edge inference output streaming, audio classification.
- Multi-PHY in one chip — LoRaWAN + Sidewalk + Meshtastic + Z-Wave + Wi-SUN + BLE + Thread/Zigbee. Single global SKU; no regional variants required.
- Direct-to-satellite (S-band 1.9–2.5 GHz NTN) — phone home from anywhere on Earth, no cell tower. Game-significant for at-risk-user use cases (DV-survivor escape from anywhere, wilderness emergency).
- -142 dBm sensitivity — best-in-class link budget (vs SX1262 -137 dBm).
Migration strategy: hybrid
This product is Tier-1 critical (life-safety / DV-survivor flagship / global-supply-chain anchor). Hybrid alt-source path retained:
- Founding-tier SKU: SX1262 + nRF52840 (proven dual-source). No FLRC voice, no satellite. Lower cost, regional-variant-required.
- Pro / Global SKU: LR2021 single-chip multi-PHY + S-band NTN. FLRC voice, satellite emergency, AI-edge inference, single global SKU.
Customer chooses at purchase. Spec tables list both with cross-references.
Cert path additions
- FCC Part 25 NTN earth-station registration — required for S-band satellite operation. Engagement budget ~$30–60k via TÜV SÜD or Element. Pro tier only.
- FCC Part 15 Subpart C — sub-GHz + 2.4 GHz emissions (existing cert covers; verify LR2021 module FCC ID propagates).
- CE / UKCA / IC / AS-NZS — international filings updated to reference LR2021 module.
Capability bullets for marketing copy
- Phone home from anywhere — direct-to-satellite, no cell tower (Pro tier)
- Multi-protocol mesh — LoRaWAN, Amazon Sidewalk, Meshtastic, Z-Wave, BLE, Thread, Wi-SUN
- Single global SKU — no US/EU regional variants
- 40× faster radio than the previous generation, in the same power envelope
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**Note (Perplexity-validated 2026-04-25):** When this doc says LR2021 supports multi-PHY in one chip, the *hardware* is multi-PHY-capable, but full protocol stacks (LoRaWAN, Amazon Sidewalk, Meshtastic, Z-Wave, Wi-SUN, BLE, Thread/Zigbee) integrate via firmware layers, not all bundled native. We ship pre-built stacks for the active set per product. See `PERPLEXITY-VALIDATION-2026-04-25.md` in `_WANDERVERSE-LIBRARY/`.