feat: add Heltec V3 LoRa TX beacon firmware

PlatformIO project for ESP32-S3 + SX1262 (Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3).
Transmits periodic LoRa packets matching gr-lora_sdr receiver params:
SF7, BW125kHz, CR4/5, 915MHz, sync word 0x12, CRC enabled.

Verified end-to-end: beacon TX → RTL-SDR → Docker gr-lora_sdr → decoded
"GR-MCP #N" payloads with valid CRC.
This commit is contained in:
Ryan Malloy 2026-01-30 17:27:31 -07:00
parent 4a60c2d49e
commit 6dffd936ae
5 changed files with 171 additions and 0 deletions

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.pio

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This directory is intended for project header files.
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#include "header.h"
int main (void)
{
...
}
```
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; Heltec V3 LoRa TX Beacon
; Periodically transmits LoRa packets for testing gr-mcp SDR reception
[env:heltec_wifi_lora_32_V3]
platform = espressif32
board = heltec_wifi_lora_32_V3
framework = arduino
monitor_speed = 115200
upload_port = /dev/ttyUSB0
monitor_port = /dev/ttyUSB0
lib_deps =
jgromes/RadioLib@^7.1.2
; Use UART0 (CP2102 on ttyUSB0) for Serial output — simpler than USB CDC
build_flags =
-DARDUINO_USB_CDC_ON_BOOT=0

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/*
* Heltec V3 LoRa TX Beacon
*
* Transmits periodic LoRa packets for testing gr-mcp SDR reception.
* Parameters match the gr-lora_sdr receiver defaults.
*
* Hardware: Heltec WiFi LoRa 32 V3 (ESP32-S3 + SX1262)
*/
#include <Arduino.h>
#include <SPI.h>
#include <RadioLib.h>
// Heltec V3 SX1262 pin mapping
#define LORA_NSS 8
#define LORA_DIO1 14
#define LORA_RST 12
#define LORA_BUSY 13
#define LORA_SCK 9
#define LORA_MOSI 10
#define LORA_MISO 11
// Heltec V3 power control — Vext must be LOW to power LoRa + OLED
#define VEXT_CTRL 36
// Custom SPI bus for the LoRa radio (not the default Arduino SPI pins)
SPIClass loraSPI(FSPI);
// SX1262 with custom SPI
SX1262 radio = new Module(LORA_NSS, LORA_DIO1, LORA_RST, LORA_BUSY, loraSPI);
// LoRa parameters — must match gr-lora_sdr receiver
const float FREQUENCY = 915.0; // MHz (US ISM band)
const float BANDWIDTH = 125.0; // kHz
const uint8_t SPREADING = 7; // SF7
const uint8_t CODING_RATE = 5; // CR 4/5
const uint8_t SYNC_WORD = 0x12; // LoRaWAN public sync word
const int8_t TX_POWER = 14; // dBm
const uint16_t PREAMBLE_LEN = 8; // symbols
uint32_t packet_count = 0;
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
delay(2000); // wait for USB CDC enumeration
// Enable Vext to power the LoRa radio
pinMode(VEXT_CTRL, OUTPUT);
digitalWrite(VEXT_CTRL, LOW);
delay(100);
Serial.println("=== Heltec V3 LoRa TX Beacon ===");
Serial.printf("Freq: %.1f MHz, SF%d, BW%.0fk, CR4/%d\n",
FREQUENCY, SPREADING, BANDWIDTH, CODING_RATE);
Serial.printf("Sync: 0x%02X, Power: %d dBm\n", SYNC_WORD, TX_POWER);
// Initialize custom SPI bus with Heltec V3 LoRa pins
loraSPI.begin(LORA_SCK, LORA_MISO, LORA_MOSI, LORA_NSS);
Serial.println("SPI initialized on SCK=9 MISO=11 MOSI=10 NSS=8");
int state = radio.begin(
FREQUENCY,
BANDWIDTH,
SPREADING,
CODING_RATE,
SYNC_WORD,
TX_POWER,
PREAMBLE_LEN
);
if (state != RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
Serial.printf("Radio init FAILED: %d\n", state);
while (true) { delay(1000); }
}
// SX1262-specific: set DIO2 as RF switch control (required for Heltec V3)
radio.setDio2AsRfSwitch(true);
// Use explicit header mode (default for LoRa)
radio.explicitHeader();
// Enable CRC (gr-lora_sdr expects CRC)
radio.setCRC(true);
Serial.println("Radio initialized OK, starting TX loop");
}
void loop() {
char payload[64];
snprintf(payload, sizeof(payload), "GR-MCP #%lu", (unsigned long)packet_count);
Serial.printf("[TX %lu] \"%s\" ... ", (unsigned long)packet_count, payload);
int state = radio.transmit((uint8_t*)payload, strlen(payload));
if (state == RADIOLIB_ERR_NONE) {
Serial.printf("OK (%d dBm)\n", TX_POWER);
} else {
Serial.printf("FAIL: %d\n", state);
}
packet_count++;
delay(3000); // TX every 3 seconds
}

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This directory is intended for PlatformIO Test Runner and project tests.
Unit Testing is a software testing method by which individual units of
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control data, usage procedures, and operating procedures, are tested to
determine whether they are fit for use. Unit testing finds problems early
in the development cycle.
More information about PlatformIO Unit Testing:
- https://docs.platformio.org/en/latest/advanced/unit-testing/index.html