Hi,
Could someone please help me interpret what all the pins on this board do. I would like to connect it to an ESP32 and it would great if you could guide me on how to do this so that I can program the radio module/ESP32.
Link to the listing below:
Did you ask the on-line chat for documentation on the board?
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Click on the product page Guide Book icon for the getting started guides and data sheets.
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Make sure 433MHz LoRa is legal without a license in your country. Different countries allow for different frequencies. In the US we have to use 915MHz. Here it requires an amateur radio license to use 433MHz. The other one is 868MHz. It also requires a license in the US.
Most places allow one of the three but not all.
The US as with other countries have what is called ISM frequencies that all kinds of stuff use, like weather stations. Almost all ISM frequencies are also in the amateur radio bands. They require extremely low power, limited antennas and infrequent transmissions. ISM means "industrial", Scientific" and "medical" uses. No licenses needed. But if you do have an amateur radio license, you are not limited to low power, tiny antennas and digital transmission.
Yes. That's what I am talking about. The range that's open for this type of use in ISM is different in the different ITU regions. Depending on where you are you either want 433, 868, or 915 MHz LoRa. I think Asia/Australia is 433, Europe is 868 and the Americas are 915 but don't quote me on that.
The whole reason I went and started with my Tech license was so I could crank up the wattage on LoRa transmissions at 915. Man did that ever snowball on me.
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Dont buy it.
Its not a LoRa module.
" This LoRa (Long Range) Module uses the Silicon Labs' Si4432 wireless transceiver chip"
The Si4432 is an FSK only tranceiver as used in the RFM22 etc. It can be used for real long distance stuff, but only really practical in the Amateur bands.
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Can someone please tell me what all the pins do. That's the only reason I'm lost, I've already bought the module but require basic knowledge to use it. Thank you,
Hello robustram36
Take some time read and study the data sheet and the applications notes of the hardware selected.
Have a nice day and enjoy coding in C++.
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how do I do that, sorry I'm a complete beginner.
Then its far easier to start with a module thats well known and with lots of tutorials.
If the company selling the module does not even know what type it is, who knows if the module actually works or the documentation is correct. You might spend weeks trying to get it to work.
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I found what all the pins do, it was on the product page, I just wad to scroll down. Thanks to everyone who contributed tho. Now I'm just palming my fore
head.
Did you look at the "Guide Book"?
It looks to me like they could be just direct connections to the Silicon Labs Si4432 chip ?
I wasn't aware that Si Labs had LoRa support? 
EDIT: Sorry - too late.
Perhaps the OP can tell us what the intended application is for the module, if they wanted a LoRa module for real long range, then clearly the one bought wont be up to the job.
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Their portfolio:
No mention of LoRa under "LPWAM":
Added:
This says NO:
AFAIK, ST is the only one to have licensed LoRa onto their own chips?
EDIT - See post #23: HopeRF do seem to have something...
See the LoRaWAN Regional Parameters document for permitted frequencies, on-air time, etc, etc, ...
I also bought the same module recently, the main thing I am trying to figure out is how I can get the radio module to communicate with an esp32 so I can transmit data, as well as receive it on a different pair.
Have you tried searching "Arduino Si4432" ?
The Si4432 is used in the Hope RFM22 and the Arduino Radiohead library has support for that device.
Hope use LoRa devices in thier RFM9X modules.
The ICs are labeled RF96 for example. Whether Hope RF are given the silicon details or Semtech are re-labeling the ICs, I dont know.
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