• LoRa
  • Beginner
  • 10 min
  • Serial CLI

Recipe · Beginner · LoRa

How to wire an SX1262 LoRa module

Connect SPI plus RESET, BUSY and DIO1, then let ESP32 Bit Pirate probe the radio before changing any modem settings.

SX1262 LoRa module sending chirp packets.
The SX1262 needs three control lines beyond SPI: RESET, BUSY and DIO1.

Wiring View

SX1262ESP32 default SCK / MOSI / MISOGPIO5 / 7 / 6 CS / NSSGPIO4 RESETGPIO3 BUSYGPIO2 DIO1GPIO1
Default mapping from the supplied LoRa implementation. Change it during configuration when these GPIO are not free on your board.

Power and antenna first

  • 3V3 → stable 3.3 V supply
  • GND → ESP32 common ground
  • ANT / U.FL → antenna matched to the physical module band
  • DIO2 → module RF switch, not a host GPIO in this setup
  • DIO3 → module TCXO control, 1.8 V by default

Physical band still matters

The pictured Core1262-HF is matched for 850–930 MHz. A firmware frequency prompt cannot make an HF module suitable for 433 MHz.

Step 1

Enter LoRa mode

Entering the mode starts the pin prompts when the radio is not already configured. Accept the defaults only when they match free GPIO on your ESP32 board.

Step 2

Confirm the detected radio and pins

What success looks like

State: ready confirms that reset, BUSY and the SPI probe completed. Status also repeats the saved GPIO map before you continue.

Troubleshooting

  • BUSY stayed high: recheck 3.3 V, common ground, RESET, BUSY and the module oscillator setup.
  • No valid radio response: check CS, SCK, MOSI and MISO, then shorten the SPI wiring.
  • Protected-pin prompt: select free GPIO for the actual board instead of forcing the DevKit defaults.
  • Unstable probe: verify the TCXO voltage expected by the module; use XTAL mode only on compatible hardware.

Next steps

  • Configure a known LoRa modem profile and verify it with status.
  • Use RSSI and CAD before opening continuous packet receive.
  • Keep all radio work inside the legal band, power and duty-cycle limits for your region.

SX1262 wiring FAQ

Which GPIO pins does the default setup use?

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

What does BUSY stayed high mean?

The firmware could not see BUSY return low during the SX1262 probe. Check power, ground, BUSY, RESET and the TCXO setup.

Do DIO2 and DIO3 connect to the ESP32?

Not with this Core1262-style setup. The driver uses DIO2 for the module RF switch and DIO3 for TCXO control; the host interrupt connection is DIO1.

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