This project implements a configurable LoRa communication system using either ESP32 or ESP32-S3 microcontrollers. It features a comprehensive web-based management interface for real-time monitoring, configuration, and logging. The system tracks packet delivery statistics, supports different WiFi operating modes, and provides visual feedback via LED indicators.
Important Note:
Display functionality (ST7735S LCD) is enabled only on ESP32 boards. For ESP32-S3 boards the display is currently disabled only because a second display is not available for testing yet. This is a temporary limitation and may be revisited in future revisions.
- Microcontrollers:
- ESP32 (DOIT ESP32 DEVKIT V1 recommended)
- ESP32-S3 WeAct ESP32-S3-A DevKitC-1
- LoRa Module: SX1278
- Display: ST7735S 1.44" 128x128 LCD (SPI interface)
(Note: Only supported on ESP32 boards. For ESP32-S3 boards, the display is disabled only due to the lack of a second display for testing.) - Charging Module: TP4056
- Battery: Nokia BL-4C
- Case: 3d printed
- Power Options:
- USB power
- Battery power with TP4056 charging module (e.g., Nokia BL-4C)
| SX1278 | ESP32-S3 (GPIO) |
|---|---|
| 3.3V | 3.3V |
| GND | GND |
| NSS | GPIO10 |
| DIO0 | GPIO9 |
| SCK | GPIO12 (default SPI) |
| MISO | GPIO13 (default SPI) |
| MOSI | GPIO11 (default SPI) |
| RST | GPIO14 |
| SX1278 | ESP32 (GPIO) |
|---|---|
| 3.3V | 3.3V |
| GND | GND |
| NSS | GPIO15 |
| DIO0 | GPIO4 |
| SCK | GPIO18 (default SPI) |
| MISO | GPIO19 (default SPI) |
| MOSI | GPIO23 (default SPI) |
| RST | GPIO14 |
| ST7735S | ESP32 (GPIO) |
|---|---|
| VCC | 3.3V |
| GND | GND |
| SCL | GPIO18 (shared SPI SCK) |
| SDA | GPIO23 (shared SPI MOSI) |
| RES | GPIO17 (TFT_RST) |
| DC | GPIO16 (TFT_DC) |
| CS | GPIO5 (TFT_CS) |
| BLK | GPIO22 (TFT_LED) or 3.3V |
Note: There is no display wiring for ESP32-S3 as the LCD display is disabled on that platform.
- Automatic dual-way LoRa packet transmission with acknowledgment system
- Dynamic statistics tracking (total packets, delivery success rate, RSSI)
- Multi-core task management (LoRa operations on Core 1, Web interface on Core 0)
- Configurable system parameters via web interface
- Visual feedback via LED/RGB indicators for system status
- LCD display for real-time information and status monitoring (only on ESP32 boards)
- CPU and memory usage monitoring with detailed task statistics
- Adjustable Spreading Factor (SF7-SF12)
- Configurable Bandwidth (7.8kHz to 500kHz)
- Selectable Coding Rate (4/5 to 4/8)
- Transmission power control (2-20 dBm)
- Maximum transmission attempts setting
- Six main sections: Dashboard, LoRa Status, Logs, Settings, Display, and System Monitor
- Real-time statistics with visual graph of packet delivery success
- Comprehensive system logs with adjustable detail levels
- WiFi configuration supporting three modes: AP, STA, or AP+STA
- Visual indicators for system status and packet delivery success
- Display configuration and control options (Note: Display settings affect only ESP32 boards)
- System resource monitoring and task statistics
- Multiple information pages with automatic scrolling (available only on ESP32 boards)
- Welcome/logo page with version information
- LoRa status page showing current configuration and statistics
- WiFi connection status with signal strength indicator
- System information page with memory usage and uptime
- Recent log entries display
- CPU monitoring page with task statistics
- Status indicators (WiFi, LoRa, battery) in status bar
- Information and error message pop-ups
- Adjustable brightness control
- Power-saving display timeout
- Auto-scroll functionality with configurable interval
- Manual page navigation controls
- Visual status indicators for WiFi and LoRa connections
- Battery level indicator
- Real-time CPU usage statistics
- Per-task CPU usage tracking with visual indicators
- Memory usage and allocation monitoring
- Dynamic stack usage monitoring for all tasks
- Visual indication of resource-intensive tasks
- Comprehensive task state monitoring (running, blocked, ready)
- LoRa - LoRa module control
- Adafruit_NeoPixel - RGB LED control
- WiFi - Wi-Fi management
- LittleFS - File system for ESP32
- GyverDB - Database storage
- GyverDBFile - File-based database
- SettingsESPWS - Web-based UI configuration
- GTimer - For timing operations
- Adafruit_GFX - Graphics library
- Adafruit_ST7735 - ST7735 LCD driver
For proper system monitoring functionality, you need to install the Espressif framework:
- Install Arduino-ESP32 using the official Espressif documentation
- For ESP32 (non-S3), use the "DOIT ESP32 DEVKIT V1" board setting in the Arduino IDE
- Make sure to enable FreeRTOS task statistics in the configuration
- Install all required libraries through the Arduino Library Manager
- Open the project in the Arduino IDE
- Select the appropriate board (ESP32 or ESP32-S3)
Note: If using ESP32-S3, be aware that the LCD display functionality is currently unavailable due to the absence of a second display for testing. - Compile and upload the code to your device
- The device creates a WiFi access point named "ESP32_LoRa" with password "12345678" by default
- Connect to this network with your computer or smartphone
- Open a web browser and navigate to http://192.168.4.1
- Use the web interface to configure the device
- Shows system status (WiFi connection, uptime, free memory)
- Displays LoRa statistics (packets sent, delivered, success rate)
- Real-time graph of delivery success rate over time
- Current LoRa configuration parameters
- Transmission statistics (total packets, success rate)
- RSSI information
- System event logs with timestamp
- Support for different log levels (info, warning, error, debug)
- Log clearing functionality
- WiFi configuration (mode selection, credentials)
- LoRa parameters configuration
- Device restart option
- Toggle display on/off
- Adjust display brightness
- Set display timeout for power saving
- Enable/disable automatic page scrolling
- Set auto-scroll interval
- Buttons for manual page selection
Note: These display controls are active only on ESP32 boards.
- Real-time CPU and memory usage statistics
- Detailed task list with:
- Task state (running, blocked, ready)
- Priority
- Stack usage
- CPU usage percentage
- Color-coded indicators for resource usage levels
The LCD display cycles through several information pages (only on ESP32 boards):
- Logo page - Displays project name and version
- LoRa Status - Shows current LoRa parameters and statistics
- WiFi Status - Shows current WiFi mode and connection details
- System Info - Displays uptime, memory usage, and CPU load
- Logs - Shows most recent system log entries
The display includes:
- Status bar at the top with WiFi and LoRa indicators
- Page indicator dots at the bottom
- Pages auto-scroll by default (configurable in settings)
- ESP32-S3: Uses an RGB NeoPixel LED with color coding:
- Red: Packet transmission
- Green: Packet received
- Blue: Acknowledgment received
- ESP32: Built-in LED blinks to indicate activity
The system implements a simple packet exchange protocol:
- Device sends "HLO:[packet_id]" messages at random intervals
- Receiving device responds with "ACK:[packet_id]"
- Statistics are updated based on successful acknowledgments
- Multi-task design using FreeRTOS
- Mutex protection for LoRa module access
- Separate tasks for sending, receiving, web interface, and display updates
- Stack monitoring for system health
- CPU load monitoring with per-task statistics
- If the device fails to boot or LoRa initialization fails, the LED will blink indefinitely
- Check serial output at 115200 baud for diagnostic information
- Web interface logs provide detailed system status and error information
- If WiFi connection is unstable, check the configured credentials in Settings
- LED/RGB indicators show device status:
- Red blinks: Transmitting packet
- Green blinks: Received packet
- Blue blinks: Acknowledgement received
- Display Issues:
- For ESP32 boards, if the display is not working, check its connections (especially CS, DC, and RST pins) and verify display settings in the web interface.
- For ESP32-S3 boards, note that the display functionality is currently disabled due to the unavailability of a second display for testing.
-
LoRa Settings:
- Frequency: 433MHz
- Spreading Factor: SF12
- Bandwidth: 31.25kHz
- Coding Rate: 4/8
- TX Power: 10dBm
- Max Attempts: 5
-
WiFi Settings:
- Default AP SSID: "ESP32_LoRa"
- Default AP Password: "12345678"
-
Display Settings: (Effective only on ESP32 boards)
- Enabled by default
- Brightness: 100%
- Auto-scroll: Enabled
- Scroll interval: 5 seconds
- Timeout: 60 seconds
- Adjust LoRa parameters based on your range and reliability requirements
- For longer battery life, increase transmission intervals
- For higher throughput, reduce Spreading Factor and increase Bandwidth
- Reduce display brightness or increase timeout to save power
- Monitor CPU usage in the System Monitor tab to identify resource-intensive tasks
- Power saving modes for extended battery life
- OTA (Over-The-Air) firmware updates
- Additional sensor integration
- Data logging to SD card or cloud services
- Support for mesh networking with multiple LoRa nodes
- Enhanced display interfaces with touch support
- Graphical representation of RSSI and signal quality over time
- The system includes comprehensive logging
- Stack usage monitoring helps identify memory issues
- LED/RGB indicators provide visual feedback on system status
- CPU and task monitoring helps identify performance bottlenecks
- System Monitor tab provides detailed resource usage statistics
Open source - feel free to modify and distribute with proper attribution.