spec(routing): align path-learning with upstream and document PATH_RETURN delay

Two changes:

1. CORRECTION. The path-learning subsection previously described the
   reference implementation's path-replacement as "replace only if
   the new path's hash size is not smaller and SNR is not materially
   worse" — but upstream's BaseChatMesh::onContactPathRecv() does an
   UNCONDITIONAL replace, with an inline comment flagging hash-size/
   SNR selection as future work. The spec now reflects upstream's
   actual behavior and notes that quality heuristics are an
   implementation extension, not a reference-implementation behavior.
   Likewise, removed the implication that the reference implementation
   has a cached-path TTL — it doesn't.

2. ADDITION. Document PATH_RETURN scheduling delay
   (TXT_ACK_DELAY=200ms default in upstream BaseChatMesh.cpp:9), with
   the rationale of spacing PATH_RETURN, ACK, and reply across
   distinct slots.

Validated against upstream meshcore-dev/MeshCore @ 1a7b361
(BaseChatMesh.cpp:304-307 unconditional replace; cpp:228, 255
TXT_ACK_DELAY-spaced PATH_RETURN emission).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>

spec/17-routing.md

@@ -112,14 +112,20 @@ parameters (timeouts, queue sizes, retry counts) are implementation-defined.
   `path` field records the hops the packet traversed. The receiving node
   SHOULD cache the **reversed** path keyed by the peer's source hash and
   subsequently use that cached path to send direct-routed traffic back.
-- When multiple paths are observed for the same peer, implementations SHOULD
+- When multiple paths are observed for the same peer, the **reference
-  prefer the higher-quality path. The reference implementation's heuristic is
+  implementation unconditionally replaces** the cached path with the most
-  to replace the cached path only if the new path's hash size is not smaller
+  recently observed one (`BaseChatMesh::onContactPathRecv()` in
-  and its SNR is not materially worse than the cached path's SNR. The exact
+  `src/helpers/BaseChatMesh.cpp` — its source comment explicitly flags
-  threshold is implementation-defined.
+  hash-size or SNR-based selection as future work). Implementations MAY
-- Cached paths SHOULD expire after a period of inactivity; they MAY be
+  layer a quality heuristic on top (e.g., prefer larger hash sizes or
-  refreshed whenever a new packet is observed from the same peer. The
+  better SNR margin) if they store and compare multiple candidate paths,
-  reference implementation does not persist paths across reboots.
+  but this is not part of the reference behavior and the exact policy is
+  implementation-defined.
+- Cached paths in the reference implementation do **not** expire on a
+  timer; they live as long as the contact entry, and are overwritten
+  whenever a fresher path is observed. Implementations MAY add a TTL or
+  age-based eviction policy as an extension. The reference implementation
+  does not persist paths across reboots.
 
 #### PATH_RETURN
 
@@ -130,6 +136,12 @@ sender learn a direct return path before its first reply, converting
 subsequent traffic from flood to direct routing. See
 `BaseChatMesh::onPeerDataRecv()` and `Mesh::createPathReturn()`.
 
+The reference implementation schedules the PATH_RETURN transmission with a
+small delay (`TXT_ACK_DELAY`, default 200 ms) to avoid colliding with other
+packets the receiver is about to emit. Exact timing is
+implementation-defined; the goal is to space PATH_RETURN, ACK, and any
+application reply across distinct on-air slots.
+
 #### Flood Fallback and Retries
 
 - A sender SHOULD track outstanding DMs by their expected `ack_crc`