Unleashing the BCRHammer: E22 LoRa Communication

Welcome to the BCRHammer

The BCRHammer board is your all-in-one solution for long-range wireless projects, packing an ESP32 and an EBYTE E22 LoRa module (SX1262-based) into a single, ready-to-use package. Whether you’re building IoT sensors, remote controls, or a custom mesh network, this guide will show you how to program it with an Arduino sketch to send and receive messages. No extra wiring needed—just plug it in, code it up, and start communicating. Let’s dive into the magic of LoRa with the BCRHammer!

What You’ll Need

The BCRHammer has everything built-in, so your setup is simple:

  • BCRHammer Board: Available in our shop—includes the ESP32 and E22 LoRa module.
  • USB Cable: For programming and powering the board.
  • Arduino IDE: Grab it from arduino.cc.

That’s it—the BCRHammer is pre-wired and ready to roll!

Understanding the Pins

The E22 LoRa module on the BCRHammer uses the ESP32’s VSPI bus and specific control pins. You don’t need to connect anything—these are the internal connections we’ve set up for you:

E22 Pin ESP32 Pin Role
SCK 5 SPI Clock—syncs data transfer.
MISO 19 SPI Master In Slave Out—data from E22.
MOSI 27 SPI Master Out Slave In—data to E22.
CS (NSS) 18 Chip Select—activates the E22.
RESET 23 Reset—reboots the E22 if needed.
DIO1 33 Interrupt—signals TX/RX events.
DIO2 (BUSY) 32 Busy—shows when E22 is processing.

Why It’s Easy: No jumper wires or breadboards—the BCRHammer’s E22 is hardwired to these pins, so you can jump straight to coding!

Setting Up Your Arduino IDE

To talk to the E22’s SX1262 chipset, we use the RadioLib library. Here’s how to get it:

  1. Download and install the Arduino IDE from arduino.cc.
  2. Open it and go to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries.
  3. Search “RadioLib” by Jan Gromeš.
  4. Click “Install” on the latest version.
  5. Done—RadioLib will handle all the LoRa magic!

The BCRHammer LoRa Sketch

Here’s a fully commented sketch to make your BCRHammer send and receive LoRa messages. Open the Arduino IDE, paste this in, and let’s break it down:

// BCRHammer E22 LoRa Send/Receive Sketch
#include   // Library for SX1262 (E22’s chipset)

// BCRHammer’s fixed pinout for E22
#define LORA_SCK    5   // SPI Clock—data timing heartbeat
#define LORA_MISO   19  // Master In Slave Out—E22 talks back
#define LORA_MOSI   27  // Master Out Slave In—ESP32 sends data
#define LORA_CS     18  // Chip Select—wakes up the E22
#define LORA_RESET  23  // Reset pin—restarts the module
#define LORA_DIO1   33  // Interrupt—flags TX/RX completion
#define LORA_BUSY   32  // Busy—E22’s “I’m working” signal

// Set up the SX1262 object with BCRHammer pins
SX1262 radio = SX1262(new Module(LORA_CS, LORA_DIO1, LORA_RESET, LORA_BUSY));

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);  // Fire up Serial at 115200 baud
  while (!Serial);       // Wait for Serial to connect

  // Start SPI with BCRHammer’s VSPI pins
  SPI.begin(LORA_SCK, LORA_MISO, LORA_MOSI, LORA_CS);

  // Initialize E22 at 915 MHz (adjust for your region)
  int state = radio.begin(915.0);
  if (state == RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
    Serial.println("BCRHammer E22 LoRa ready!");
  } else {
    Serial.print("E22 init failed, code: ");
    Serial.println(state);
    while (true);  // Halt—check your board!
  }

  // Configure LoRa for range and speed
  radio.setOutputPower(22);      // Full power: 22 dBm
  radio.setBandwidth(125.0);     // 125 kHz—good balance
  radio.setSpreadingFactor(7);   // SF7—fast with decent range
  radio.setCodingRate(5);        // CR 4/5—reliable data
}

void loop() {
  // Send a message every 5 seconds
  String msg = "Hello from BCRHammer!";
  Serial.print("Sending: ");
  Serial.println(msg);
  int state = radio.transmit(msg);

  // Did it send?
  if (state == RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
    Serial.println("Sent successfully!");
  } else {
    Serial.print("Send failed, code: ");
    Serial.println(state);
  }

  // Listen for incoming messages
  String received;
  state = radio.receive(received);
  if (state == RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
    Serial.print("Received: ");
    Serial.println(received);
  } else if (state != RADIOLIB_ERR_RX_TIMEOUT) {
    Serial.print("Receive failed, code: ");
    Serial.println(state);
  }

  delay(5000);  // Chill for 5 seconds
}

Quick Start: Plug your BCRHammer into USB, paste this into the Arduino IDE, hit Upload, and open the Serial Monitor (115200 baud) to watch it work!

Unpacking the Code: A Deep Dive

Let’s explore every piece of this sketch so you can master your BCRHammer’s LoRa powers.

1. Bringing in RadioLib

// Load RadioLib for SX1262 control
#include

RadioLib is your LoRa lifeline—it talks to the E22’s SX1262 chipset over SPI, managing everything from frequency to data packets. One include, endless possibilities.

2. Mapping the BCRHammer Pins

// BCRHammer’s built-in E22 pinout
#define LORA_SCK    5   // SPI Clock—data rhythm keeper
#define LORA_MISO   19  // E22 sends data back
#define LORA_MOSI   27  // ESP32 sends data out
#define LORA_CS     18  // Chip Select—E22’s “on” switch
#define LORA_RESET  23  // Reset—fresh start button
#define LORA_DIO1   33  // Interrupt—TX/RX done flag
#define LORA_BUSY   32  // Busy—E22’s “hold on” light

These are the BCRHammer’s internal connections—no wiring needed! The ESP32’s VSPI bus (SCK, MISO, MOSI, CS) handles SPI, while RESET, DIO1, and BUSY manage the E22’s operations.

3. Setting Up the Radio

SX1262 radio = SX1262(new Module(LORA_CS, LORA_DIO1, LORA_RESET, LORA_BUSY));

The `SX1262` object ties the E22 to RadioLib’s `Module` class, using CS to select it, DIO1 for interrupts, RESET to reboot, and BUSY to check status. It’s pre-wired on the BCRHammer—plug and play!

4. Initializing in Setup

void setup() {
  Serial.begin(115200);  // Start Serial for feedback
  while (!Serial);       // Wait for connection

  SPI.begin(LORA_SCK, LORA_MISO, LORA_MOSI, LORA_CS);  // Kick off SPI

  // Start E22 at 915 MHz (your region may vary)
  int state = radio.begin(915.0);
  if (state == RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
    Serial.println("BCRHammer E22 LoRa ready!");
  } else {
    Serial.print("E22 init failed, code: ");
    Serial.println(state);
    while (true);
  }

  radio.setOutputPower(22);      // Max blast: 22 dBm
  radio.setBandwidth(125.0);     // 125 kHz—speed vs. range
  radio.setSpreadingFactor(7);   // SF7—quick and far
  radio.setCodingRate(5);        // CR 4/5—data safety
}
  • Serial: Opens a debug channel at 115200 baud—watch in the Serial Monitor.
  • SPI.begin: Fires up VSPI with the BCRHammer’s pins—data flows here.
  • radio.begin: Boots the E22 at 915 MHz (North America). Swap to 433 MHz (Asia) or 868 MHz (Europe) if needed. Errors halt with a code (e.g., -2 for SPI issues).
  • Settings: 22 dBm maxes range, 125 kHz balances speed, SF7 keeps it snappy, CR 4/5 ensures reliability.

5. Looping: Send and Receive

void loop() {
  String msg = "Hello from BCRHammer!";
  Serial.print("Sending: ");
  Serial.println(msg);
  int state = radio.transmit(msg);

  if (state == RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
    Serial.println("Sent successfully!");
  } else {
    Serial.print("Send failed, code: ");
    Serial.println(state);
  }

  String received;
  state = radio.receive(received);
  if (state == RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
    Serial.print("Received: ");
    Serial.println(received);
  } else if (state != RADIOLIB_ERR_RX_TIMEOUT) {
    Serial.print("Receive failed, code: ");
    Serial.println(state);
  }

  delay(5000);
}
  • Sending: Fires off “Hello from BCRHammer!” every 5 seconds. Success is celebrated; failures get a code.
  • Receiving: Listens for replies, printing them if received. Timeouts are normal; other errors flag issues.
  • Delay: 5-second pause—adjust to speed things up!

Level Up Your BCRHammer

Ready to push it further? Try these:

  • Frequency Swap: Change radio.begin(915.0) to 433 or 868 MHz for your region.
  • Button Trigger: Add a button to pin 13—replace delay(5000) with if (digitalRead(13) == HIGH) { radio.transmit(msg); }.
  • Max Range: Bump setSpreadingFactor to 10—slower but reaches farther.
  • Chat Time: Flash two BCRHammers—one sends, one receives—and see them talk!

Grab Yours: Get the BCRHammer from our shop and start your LoRa adventure. Questions? Hit us up—we’re here to help!