LoRa packet radio

SX1262 ESP32 LoRa wiring, pinout and radio tools

Wire an SX1262 module to ESP32 or ESP32-S3 for raw LoRa packet send and receive, RSSI and CAD checks, frequency scans, LittleFS captures and Meshtastic packet analysis.

This page follows the new ESP32 Bit Pirate LoRa implementation and uses the Waveshare Core1262-HF as a concrete 868/915 MHz reference module. Match the exact RF band, pinout and antenna of the board on your bench before transmitting.

SX1262 pinout
ESP32 wiring
LoRa
Meshtastic analysis

SX1262 wiring recipe LoRa firmware tools

module photos

Core1262 photos and pinout reference

Compare the shield marking, castellated pads, U.FL antenna connector and rear labels with your module. The pictured HF version is matched for 850–930 MHz; other SX1262 boards can use a different pin order, RF switch or oscillator circuit.

Core1262-HF front photo showing the SX1262 shield, 850 to 930 MHz marking, castellated pads and U.FL connector. — **Core1262-HF front**HF shield marking and antenna connector.Source

Angled Core1262-HF SX1262 module photo showing the metal shield, U.FL connector and castellated pads. — **Core1262-HF angle**Board outline and pad orientation.Source

Core1262 module rear photo showing ANT, CS, CLK, MOSI, MISO, RESET, BUSY, RXEN, TXEN, DIO2, DIO1, 3V3 and GND labels. — **Rear pin labels**Physical pad labels before soldering.Source

Core1262 pinout definition showing antenna, SPI, RESET, BUSY, RXEN, TXEN, DIO2, DIO1, power and ground pads. — **Pin definition**Official Core1262 pad map.Source

implementation defaults

SX1262 ESP32 wiring used by LoRa mode

These GPIO numbers come from the supplied implementation. Confirm that they are free on the selected ESP32 board and change the LoRa configuration when its board mapping differs.

Core1262 / SX1262 signal	ESP32 Bit Pirate default	Check before use
3V3	Stable 3.3 V	Use a 3.3 V supply with common ground; do not apply 5 V logic.
GND	Common ground	Connect the ESP32 and radio grounds before signal wires.
CLK / SCK	GPIO5	SPI clock; keep the connection short.
MISO	GPIO6	Radio-to-ESP32 SPI data.
MOSI	GPIO7	ESP32-to-radio SPI data.
CS / NSS	GPIO4	Dedicated active-low chip select.
RESET / NRESET	GPIO3	Active-low hardware reset used during probe and initialization.
BUSY	GPIO2	The host waits for BUSY to return low before radio commands.
DIO1	GPIO1	Interrupt line used for TX, RX, timeout and CAD events.
DIO2 / RF switch	Module-managed	The implementation enables SX1262 DIO2 RF-switch control; a compatible module must route it correctly.
DIO3 / TCXO	Module-managed, 1.8 V default	The implementation enables DIO3 TCXO control when TCXO voltage is above 0 V.
ANT / U.FL	Band-matched antenna	Attach a suitable antenna before transmission and match it to the physical module band.

receive-first workflow

Probe SX1262, inspect the profile, then listen

Start with status, RSSI and CAD checks before any packet transmission. Two nodes must use matching LoRa modem settings to exchange raw packets.

01
Connect a band-matched antenna, then wire 3.3 V, ground, SPI, RESET, BUSY and DIO1.
02
Enter mode lora and complete config with the default pins or the GPIO mapping for your board.
03
Run status to verify the SX1262 probe and review frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor and coding rate.
04
Use rssi or cad, then start receive for a known transmitter using the same profile.
05
Send, record or replay only with owned equipment in an authorized RF test setup and within local band, power and duty-cycle rules.

Example CLI flow

mode lora
config
status
rssi 1000
cad 1000
receive

This receive-first sequence checks detection and channel activity before a controlled packet test.

signal summary

Core SX1262 control lines beyond SPI

SX1262 needs dedicated RESET, BUSY and DIO1 lines in addition to SPI. The selected module must also match the implementation's DIO2 RF-switch and DIO3 TCXO control.

Wiring View

Generated summary for the supplied LoRa implementation. Add stable 3.3 V, common ground and a band-matched antenna.

Physical RF band

The pictured Core1262-HF is specified for 850–930 MHz. Firmware configuration does not retune the module matching network.

TCXO setup

The default profile requests 1.8 V DIO3 TCXO control. Set TCXO to 0 only for compatible XTAL-based hardware.

RF switch

The current driver enables DIO2 antenna-switch control, matching modules such as Core1262 that route DIO2 to their RF switch.

Always attach the correct antenna before transmitting. Follow the frequency, power and duty-cycle limits for your region and keep experimental transmissions to owned, authorized systems.

firmware defaults

Default SX1262 LoRa modem settings

The implementation stores the whole radio profile with a recorded .lora packet so a later load can restore the capture settings before replay.

Setting	Default	Config support in this implementation
Frequency	868.0 MHz	150–960 MHz in the UI; stay inside the physical module and legal regional band.
Bandwidth	125 kHz	125, 250 or 500 kHz.
Spreading factor	SF9	SF6 through SF12.
Coding rate	4/7	4/5 through 4/8.
TX power	14 dBm	-9 through +22 dBm, subject to module and local limits.
Preamble	8 symbols	6 through 65535 symbols.
Packet options	CRC on, normal IQ	CRC and IQ inversion are configurable.
Sync word	Private LoRa register value 0x1424	Configurable; both ends must use compatible values.
Oscillator	1.8 V TCXO	XTAL mode or supported DIO3 TCXO voltages from 1.6 V to 3.3 V.

LoRa shell

SX1262 packet, scan and analysis commands

The new mode covers raw packet work, RF observation, capture files and a dedicated Meshtastic analysis shell. Payloads are limited to 255 bytes by the SX1262 service.

Packet send and receive

send accepts text or hex{ AA } payloads. receive prints payload bytes with ASCII, RSSI and SNR; spam repeats controlled test payloads.

Observe channel activity

Use rssi, ear, scan, waterfall and cad to inspect energy and LoRa activity with the selected modem profile.

Capture and replay

record writes a received packet and its profile to a LittleFS .lora file. load validates the file, restores the profile and transmits its payload.

Profile and airtime

config changes pins and modem parameters, setfreq changes frequency, status summarizes the active setup and airtime estimates packet time-on-air.

Meshtastic analysis

meshtastic opens preset, key and packet-inspection tools for compatible frames, including decoded text, position, node information, telemetry and routing metadata.

Controlled RF testing

The shell also includes bounded continuous-wave and repeated-transmit lab functions. Use them only in an isolated or shielded authorized setup; they can interfere with nearby radio services.

guided workflow

Build and validate a complete LoRa lab path

Follow the six tasks in order: prove the electrical connection, establish a profile, validate receive and transmit, observe the band, then preserve a repeatable packet fixture.

1. Wire the SX1262

Connect SPI, RESET, BUSY and DIO1, then confirm State: ready.

2. Configure the LoRa profile

Match frequency, BW, SF, CR, packet options and oscillator settings.

3. Receive a LoRa packet

Progress from RSSI to CAD, then inspect payload, RSSI and SNR.

4. Send one LoRa packet

Estimate airtime and verify a controlled text or binary payload on a known peer.

5. Scan frequency activity

Interpret RSSI hits and use the on-device waterfall without confusing energy with decoding.

6. Record and load a packet

Preserve profile, metrics and payload in a validated LittleFS .lora file.

what it is

What SX1262 LoRa mode is used for

SX1262 is a Sub-GHz LoRa and (G)FSK transceiver. This ESP32 Bit Pirate mode focuses on raw LoRa modem configuration, packet exchange, signal observation and capture analysis. Raw LoRa packets are not automatically LoRaWAN: joining a network, managing session keys and talking to a LoRaWAN network server require a separate LoRaWAN stack.

practical value

Why use SX1262 with ESP32 Bit Pirate

The LoRa shell puts wiring, radio profiles, receive metrics, frequency scans, CAD, LittleFS packet files, airtime estimates and Meshtastic inspection behind one CLI. That makes it useful for repeatable bench diagnostics without hiding the modem settings that determine whether two LoRa nodes can communicate.

common symptoms

Common SX1262 LoRa module problems

Most failures come from the wrong RF variant, mismatched modem profiles, BUSY/DIO1 wiring, the wrong TCXO mode or transmitting without a suitable antenna.

Probe fails

Check 3.3 V, common ground, SCK/MOSI/MISO, CS, RESET and BUSY. The implementation resets the radio and verifies its LoRa sync-word registers.

No packets received

Match frequency, bandwidth, spreading factor, coding rate, sync word, CRC and IQ mode on both nodes, then verify DIO1 and the antenna.

Weak or unstable link

Confirm the antenna and module match the selected band, shorten digital wiring, use a stable supply and select the correct TCXO or XTAL mode.

pages and sources

Useful SX1262 next pages

Continue with the LoRa protocol overview, practical recipes, the SPI reference, a supported ESP32-S3 board, browser serial access or the official module documentation.

LoRa protocol

Connect the SX1262 hardware to packet, signal, capture and Meshtastic analysis workflows.

Vision Master T190

Use the board-specific guide for its display, buttons and optional onboard SX1262 radio mapping.

All recipes

Find this LoRa batch alongside the complete practical recipe library.

SPI protocol

Bus reference for SCK, MOSI, MISO and chip-select checks.

ESP32-S3 DevKit

Board page for checking available GPIO before LoRa wiring.

Web Serial Terminal

Drive the LoRa shell from a compatible browser over serial.

Web Flasher

Install a current ESP32 Bit Pirate build from the browser.

Core1262 wiki

Official pinout, RF-band, TCXO and RF-switch information.

Semtech SX1262

Official transceiver product and documentation entry point.

Hardware ecosystem

Adapters, voltage notes and physical bench context.

All modules

Return to the ESP32 Bit Pirate module directory.

module-specific answers

SX1262 LoRa module FAQ

Quick answers about compatibility, default ESP32 pins, physical RF bands, raw LoRa versus LoRaWAN and Meshtastic analysis.

Can ESP32 Bit Pirate use an SX1262 LoRa module?

Yes. The LoRa mode in the current implementation targets SX1262 hardware over SPI and uses RESET, BUSY and DIO1 control lines.

Which ESP32 pins does the default LoRa configuration use?

The defaults are SCK GPIO5, MISO GPIO6, MOSI GPIO7, CS GPIO4, RESET GPIO3, BUSY GPIO2 and DIO1 GPIO1.

Is raw LoRa packet mode the same as LoRaWAN?

No. Raw LoRa packet send and receive does not perform LoRaWAN joining, session management or network-server communication.

Can a Core1262-HF module be used at 433 MHz?

No. The pictured Core1262-HF RF matching is specified for 850–930 MHz. A firmware frequency setting cannot change the module RF matching; select a module and antenna built for the intended regional band.

What does the Meshtastic command do?

It opens an analysis and interoperability shell with Meshtastic modem presets and packet inspection. It does not turn raw LoRa mode into a managed Meshtastic node automatically.

project

SX1262 LoRa inside ESP32 Bit Pirate.

This module page connects the new LoRa firmware implementation to concrete Core1262 wiring, radio-profile checks, packet captures and controlled RF analysis.