LoRa - Long-Range Radio for IoT | Arduino, ESP32, RPI Pico

LoRa is a low-cost, license-free method of sending short data bursts over long distances. It’s perfect for IoT sensors and remote control projects. Today, we’ll see how easy it is to use LoRa in our projects.
Article with code: dronebotworkshop.com/lora
More articles and tutorials: dronebotworkshop.com
Join the conversation on the forum: forum.dronebotworkshop.com
Subscribe to the newsletter and stay in touch: dronebotworkshop.com/subscribe/
If you need to send small amounts of data, such as sensor readings, over long distances, then LoRa (Long Range) radio is the technology for you. You can achieve incredible distances using low-cost modules and basic antennas. You can measure these distances in miles or kilometers with the right equipment.
Today, we will experiment with two readily available, low-cost LoRa modules: the HopeRF RFM95W and the Adafruit RFM9x. They are essentially the same module, with the Adafruit device having onboard voltage regulation and logic-level conversion, making it compatible with both 5-volt and 3.3-volt microcontrollers. The Adafruit offering is also easier to handle, as the HopeRF module is not breadboard-friendly.
We will use these modules with an Arduino Uno, a Raspberry Pi Pico, and an ESP32. We’ll program with both C++ in the Arduino IDE and MicroPython using the Thonny IDE.
Here is the Table of Contents for today's video:
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 - LoRa Primer
07:38 - HopeRF RFM95W & Adafruit RFM9x
11:08 - LoRa Antennas
13:06 - Seeedstudio LoRa-E5
14:35 - Heltec ESP32-LoRa
16:09 - Installing & Using the LoRa Library
18:32 - Adafruit RFM9x Hookup
21:24 - Demo 1 - Simple data transmission
25:43 - Demo 2 - One-way remote control
30:34 - Demo 3 - Callback & Two-way remote control
36:43 - Raspberry Pi Pico MicroPython & Hookup
39:13 - LoRa with MicroPython Code & Demo
45:39 - Data Gathering Project Intro
46:35 - Data Gathering Hookup & Operation
53:11 - Data Gathering Code
1:02:45 - Data Gathering Demos
1:05:07 - Conclusion
While this is a long video, it barely scratches the surface of what you can accomplish using LoRa. You’ll be seeing more LoRa-related projects and tutorials here soon, including one on LoRaWAN.
Hope you enjoy the video!
Bill

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Hi everyone - It's come to my attention that there has been someone masquerading as myself, responding to some comments here with a link to a Telegram chat to win a prize from me. THIS IS A SCAM, I am not holding a contest, nor do I have a Telegram account. PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THESE MESSAGES!! It's happening on a lot of my videos, I'm taking steps to remove them manually, but as I have 162 videos, it will take some time. If you do run across a suspicious comment, I would appreciate you letting me know at [e-mail]. Thanks! Bill (The real one!)

[@braselectron]

Just got a message about the Telegram SCAM on youtube notification bell.

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Originally I was going to do a video about LoRa & LoRaWAN, however it was far too much for one video. I'll have a follow-up LoRaWAN video out very soon.

[@raymondmichael4987]

Thanks buddy; Thirdly would love to learn mesh network with those modules, mostly I see star configuration 😢. You’re doing such a good work

[@auxz2jz158]

Please do, do a follow-up with LoRaWAN I would love to make my own

[@mikeosx2009]

Very interested in a Pi Pico LoRaWAN video.

[@willgilliam9053]

looking forward your meshtastic video :)

[@fernandoandaluz2281]

Thank you very much Sir.

[@pareshmhatre4019]

Why don't we people say thanks to library makers! Who makes our code so easy!

[@simonmasters3295]

Well said

[@MuzixMaker]

Thanks!

[@mikesalmon434]

A huge thank you

[@sgtbrown4273]

Yup yup 😊

[@JasonDurrett]

Bill, you have created some amazing content over the years and have helped me quite a bit., and I am sure so many microcontroller enthusiasts. I love how thorough you are and the pace you teach at, it is perfect for me! Please keep up the great work. A sincere Thank you is in order!

[@1_HighDuke]

Hear! Hear!

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you Jason, that is very kind of you!

[@dannymanor1]

I was waiting for this video after reading your news letter and it didn't disappoint. A BIG thank you for including MicroPython in your video. This really helps me with my microcontroller journey. 📡

[@RupertBruce]

I like the way you explain the hardware and software so clearly without getting bogged down with explaining the familiar patterns.

[@neilcampbell6026]

Thanks Bill. I was finally able to get some Lora modules working AND I really appreciate that you covered Arduino/C/C++ , MicroPython , and the 3 different microcontrollers. Hope you can continue to do that with all your projects moving forward.

[@brucebowman9087]

Whenever I am looking for a clear explanation of new development tech I always come to the DroneBot Man. My favorite nerd!

[@kylereed3577]

Thanks! Once again you have inspired me. Great video I’ve been wanting to know more about LoRa and you filled all the blanks for me. Can’t wait for the LoRaWan video.

[@Dronebotworkshop]

And thank you as well! I'm glad you enjoyed the video.

[@Algardraug]

Your videos are so well thought out, thorough and easy to grasp. Well done!

[@mussher1]

Fantastic video! I'm currently building a soil moisture monitor using PicoW+Lora E5+capactive soil moisture sensor+microPython+ Home Assistant with MQTT+InfluxDB+Grafana to make decisions on irrigation for growing feed crops.

[@wesley00042]

A group of us did a 100+ node LoRa Meshtastic cluster at DEF CON this year. I love this technology.

[@veryfinedankn3187]

I'm really looking forward to defcon 2024, is it pretty hard for a newbie to get involved in something like this? I'd love to hear more about how this turned out. Well who knows with any luck maybe I'll run into some kind folks that are willing to help someone who has a very basic understanding of all of this. Literally just got my first pico w in the mail and I was trying to decide what project to take on, and it looks like I found one! Now off to order arduino uno etc. Much love and respect to the community at large! Shareware + decentralization = endless possibilities ❤ tz222zt

[@brucebowman9087]

This Super Thanks thing is new to me. I'm glad to have an easy way to reward great content creators like you. My students call you the DroneBot Man.

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank You from the Dronebot Man!

[@nextwave5164]

Been using LoRa for a while now with most my devices.. i love it

[@DelTapparo]

Your presentations are just fantastic. All your preparation and diagrams make a complex subject very easy to understand.

[@MichaelWillems]

As a radio ham (VA3MVW) I really liked this particular issue of your vlog, Bill. Super stuff!

[@1larrydom1]

Andreas Spiess is the king of anything LORA related. He's got terrific knowledge and has done some incredible things with it. A simple search for his channel will find him. The guy with the Swiss accent!

[@simonmasters3295]

He has interesting stuff I agree

[@DaleDix]

He is the person that is in this forum who people think knows the most.

[@RommudohDev]

Very nice video! An excellent introduction to LoRa with a lot of background information. I can't wait to see the follow-ups, too!

[@greppurtorfason4216]

I just love your videos. Top-notch professionalism in every regard. Thank you so much for your effort.

[@MaxMustermann-sm4qu]

Incredible technology. 🤯 Thank you so much for this well made and informative video. 🙏 Can not wait to see the follow ups. 😊

[@1_HighDuke]

Awesome explanations and demos as usual. Thank you very much! Looking forward to the LoRaWAN video.

[@garypaulson5202]

Super video, learned more about LoRa in this one video than in several others on other channels

[@chriswalker4596]

Many thanks for this video, so accurated and well prepared that is better of an university lesson ! One hour is gone so fast and I was glued to the screen all the time, thank you.

[@dirtypedestrian]

Thanks for doing a video on this! I was just thinking about trying some of these modules out!

[@manojithalder7448]

This is gem. You explain everything in depth and beautifully. 🎉❤

[@Moonlight0551]

Wow, you covered a lot of ground today. Wish I'd seen this a couple of years ago. Good info and well explained.

[@baldrickdaisy8982]

Great video Bill… very informative 👌 I’m looking forward to your next videos on LoRa & LoRaWAN 😀

[@bsvenss2]

Wow! I just discovered this channel and it is amazing. Exactly what you need to know in a very professional and explanatory way. Instant subscriber. Thank you!

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you so much, and Welcome to the Workshop!

[@gabrielgaby5840]

Good ain't.., next step into our Movement of Electrons..🎉❤

[@brigosx]

Amazing video Bill. You're a professor my friend. Looking forward for your next video.

[@jackhope45]

I have learnt so much in your videos that i can start now my own small projects. I'm very thankful and i wish you all the best 🙏👍👍👍 kind regards from Germany 🍀

[@2012SUSE]

Vielen herzlichen Dank für die super Erklärungen und Beispiele! Thank you very much for the great explanations and examples!

[@GertBowker]

I''ve built two of these using LoRa RFM95W, wow super impressed by it, thanks for sharing

[@paulforester6996]

After I get settled into my move, I plan on a project to connect to my car to upload diagnostic info to my house. Thanks for the info.

[@GiC7]

Master, love your teaching.

[@mumbles1justin]

Thanks for producing great informative content and sharing your knowledge with the rest of us. Happy Holidays!🎄

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you!

[@grayhatfailure2428]

The dronebot workshop intro music is a key part of my childhood memories.

[@philipzeo273]

Thanks Bill! You always provide clear and useful information. Keep it up...

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you so much Philip. I'm glad that you find the content useful.

[@anurasenarathna1703]

As always very well explained. An excellent video. Thank you very much.

[@mgoodson44]

Such a well timed video as I ordered my first RFM95 devices last week to try out LoRa. Very simple to follow, thorough and informative, as always. Thank you

[@klif_n]

Thanks for the great info. This is really very helpful. I've used the Radiohead rfm95 library before, but the one you mentioned seems to be even easier to use.

[@limrithy5495]

Greate Video sir, I'm waiting for this video for a long times.

[@bensonmakau2077]

Thank you very much...the article is nice and well presented...

[@williamrose3191]

Awesome video. You put a lot of effort into this. Thank you for sharing!

[@dominiquep9880]

Thank you, as usual very clear and detailed video.

[@michaelalex5235]

This was fantastic, as are all of your videos. Thank you!

[@garycotz563]

BRAVO! Really good show! Thank you for pulling ALL THIS together... ($ THANKS) punched

[@braselectron]

Excellent tutorial. Thank you for sharing so many details.

[@garypaulson5202]

A real eye opener, thank you!

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@mr.adamson8675]

Awesome! I just recently heard of this tech thru chatgpt of all things, but I never really looked into actually using it myself until now. Very interesting.

[@WACkZerden]

Love your videos, and their presentation

[@Intense_Cloud]

Super fckn awesome! Great instructional and informative video. Great presenter!

[@Ducerobot]

I just caught this I haven't been feeling well lately but I'm back up cool video 😁👍

[@Tims_Projects]

Fantastic. As always very well explained. Something I will be looking into. A good cheap way to keep track of something would be to connect a GPS module as well.

[@mr.bianchirider8126]

As usual , a great video !

[@rinokentie8653]

Very interesting, as always!

[@marklewus5468]

Great video, but I do have a suggestion. The way you are using millis() for timeout will fail due to rollover. millis() is an 32 bit uint. When it exceeds 0xffffffff it rolls over to 0x0, causing the timeout check to fail after ~49 days. This is obviously not a problem for testing but if someone leaves it running, it will be. You can check by determining if new millis() < old millis(), if so then elapsed time=(0xffffffff-old) + new.

[@johneagle4384]

Wow. This is impressive. Thank you very much.

[@uibsen]

Great Tutorial !!!

[@Thomas_Grusz]

Great video, thanks!

[@glynncleaver7398]

Funny how I just ordered two Lora boards and this video popped up. Interested in more pico phyton projects

[@clixium]

I'm transmitting and receiving data 3.2 km away with a simple spring antenna that came with modules, no clean LOS but still works great, -105 avg dBm so signal is pretty strong. I've just assembled 3rd device that I'll use for reserve and distance testing so I may update this post soon. Lora is amazing

[@MathewPanicker1010]

What kind of data rates are you able to achieve?

[@tin2001]

That's handy to know. That's about the max distance I'd need to run any sensors.

[@Tom_Seeker]

Very good introduction I was just looking for 👏 Can you expand the series to discuss security topics? How to protect communication from intercept by others?

[@ashiningtechnology]

Great video. For the wireless transmission part, you chose RFM9X with SPI interface. Have you considered other modules with other interfaces, such as UART or RS485. Maybe, then It can transfer further, like LOS10~20km.

[@mumbles1justin]

Think you for great examples and explanation of LoRa. Im really anxious to see your video on LoRaWAN. I haven’t done any LoRa projects yet. Right now Im trying to figure out what exactly what equipment Im going to order. Encrypted MQTT over LoRa accessible via a cloud broker is my end goal. I hope some MQTT examples my be part of your LoRaWAN video.

[@gregorymccoy6797]

Great video, Sir.

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[@pauldeheij8350]

Thanks a lot Bill for all your great work. I learn so much! Question: what about doing a video on integrating some of your projects into Home Assistant?

[@Dronebotworkshop]

Thank you. I have been planning at least one home assistant video.

[@khawlabenkadida8629]

Really helpful! Thanks

[@Pio-YTC]

Thanks man , really helpful 👍

[@mustaphakhadouane8937]

Thank you.

[@chrisalexthomas]

I think Lora is the basis of a drone controller technology called ELRS, it uses the SX1280 chip to do the data receiving part of controller the drone and then you send the signals into the flight controller to perform the action based on the input

[@gabrielgaby5840]

Well ahead, publish your works !🎉❤

[@calvinhello5419]

Please if you don’t mind. What course did you study at Uni. This is like a mixture of electronics, robotics, etc - mechatronics it seems. Nice!

[@Optimuseq]

"The long term LoRaWAN distance world record of 832 km / 517 mi has been broken. The new record now stands at 1336 km / 830 miles." - sounds nice :)

[@taraskornuta]

The LoRa does not use encryption (AES128), but the LoRaWAN does

[@user-wh8lp5yu3b]

감사합니다(thank you)

[@Mochilinho]

What a class! Amazing

[@marktadlock5428]

I would love to see hooking up a e-ink display to receive data and display. For displaying something like weather data to a wrist mounted receiver.

[@donmcbride1984]

This is great. I love this.

[@gabrielgaby5840]

Love the Show..🎉🎉

[@chrisgeo4555]

Amazing video as always!!! Can you make a video about RS485 communication?

[@SuperTorggler]

Great video as usual. Thanks. All your examples seem to use the Adafruit module but I want to use the HopeRF module (with Pico/Pico W). Am I correct in assuming that I can use DIO0 instead of G0? What are the other DIO ports and how are they used? Thanks in advance

[@vinodtavildar]

Great 👍 which version Arduino ide you are using sir?🤔

[@Bianchi77]

Nice video, thanks :)

[@gohan3243]

Hi Bill, I just wonder what’s the purpose of the gpio0-5 pins on the module. Can we use them? Thanks 19:36

[@allanthomson4639]

thank you

[@kisssys5414]

I see little information on different frequency selection, how to set power output and how to choose the best Spread Factor. I have a number of RFM95W's in use and they work well but I would never get over a KM in range. How do you measure the output power of a LoRa board?

[@patrickjacobs9219]

I have been following your channel for a while and think it is one of the best explanations and the code that we can download. I would like some more explanation about the Heltec ESP32 v3 board in the future. I would like to control a relay from one board with push buttons on the other board. maybe you can show us a little more about that. Thank you in advance for all those beautiful videos you make. Kind regards patrick jacobs

[@bobdoritique7347]

Merci for this video.

[@abdullahX001]

How do you pair the devices for secure comms?

[@john543]

I notice the Lora boards you linked to are marked 868Mhz not 915. I thought the freq for Canada was 915

[@amoorehvs]

Thanks!

[@Dronebotworkshop]

And thank you!

[@electronicswithzee2565]

Great video and content. Can the Lora lib be used with a NRF24L01 module as well?

[@ChrisWard74]

This has got me excited for a project I want to try where the remots have GPS and track location and speed of 7.5" scale track trains at our train club giving the engineer and idea of their speed but also reporting back to the station the location and speed using LoRa. They travel through a wooded property so I'm excited to see how well it might work in the woods.

[@gregorymccoy6797]

Amazing video. I skipped the python segment; Not a fan for microntrollers. I love the info and prep this video took.

[@gabrielgaby5840]

Hello Bill, thanks for your show, invaluable, would like to know, if it's o.k. to use the R4, with Minima + wi-fi, to achieve long range connections, as you mention in your introduction to this Arduino Circuit. This Circuit is cheaper, and want to get started. Thanks again, watching your show, like going to Class. Loving it..🌹😊

[@woolfy02]

Cool project! Do you know of a guide or tutorial for something similar but, to trigger a relay on the end of it (On the receiving side).

[@wingselectronics]

Please make tutorial on NRF24L1 Module

[@neilausten9404]

The Adafruit RFM95x is expensive and hard to get in Australia. Are there any generics that would be suitable.

[@winstonsmith478]

THANK YOU for not using scrolling code windows on your web site. I absolutely HATE those because when printing, as I always do, valuable web pages to PDF from which the code can later be easily copied and pasted from, the windowed code won't be completely printed and so many sites don't allow the window to be maximized. If they allow listings to be easily copied or if one copies from the scrolling listing, each must then be stored in a subdirectory instead of ALL being accessible in a SINGLE PDF document along with descriptive text.

[@tin2001]

If you right click the effected section and go "inspect" (or inspect element on some browsers), you can usually tweak the CSS or HTML content to fix the problem.... after some practice, it takes about 30 seconds to fix most unprintable sites. Then just print to PDF (or a printer) as usual.

[@fench1234567]

Are they still working on Giga R1? Can you tell me about the pin setups and software needed to get one or more of the touch screens working on it? I have read on spec sheets about D1N, D0N, D1P, D0P, CKN, CKP + D68-D75 being the display oriented pins, but that doesn't tell me enough to know what displays and chips will work with it.

[@vaughntaylor2855]

You have some really great content and I sincerely appreciate all that you are doing to pass your knowledge and experience on. I do have a request: I have not seen on your videos and perhaps I am just over looking but would you consider adding in where you think the best place you have found to purchase the component you are showing us? Again, you are sincerely appreciated and God Bless.