Sofar I have been experimenting with LoRa and TTN using a Multitech MDot board and with a HopeRF RFM95W module connected to a Teensy, but I decided to try something else. Franz, one of the members of the TTN Nijmegen community, started experimenting with node-to-node communication using Dorji DRF1278F 433MHz modules. I’d like to support him in converting to 868MHz, so that he can post data to TTN once a gateway become available in his range.

The Dorji modules are currently among the cheapest LoRa modules available on Ebay. So some weeks ago I ordered a DRF1272F 868MHz module for about $8, which arrived this week.

The first surprise is that it has a 1.27 mm pitch header connector. The module has 13 contacts, but not all are required for the LMIC Arduino library. To make it more easy to handle, I made a custom break-out board that connects the required pins to a 2.54 mm pitch 8-pin header. Soldering the wires at 1.27 mm pitch was quite a challenge; you may want to use a magnifying glass, as those pads are tiny!

Based on the DRF1272F datasheet, the LMIC Arduino library documentation, and the Teensy pinout I connected it as follows:

 DRF1272F  |   Teensy 3.2
--------------------------
 RESET     |   nc
 DIO0      |   2
 DIO1      |   5
 DIO2      |   nc
 DIO3      |   nc
 DIO4      |   nc
 DIO5      |   nc
 3.3V      |   3.3V
 GND       |   GND
 SCK       |   13 - SCK
 MISO      |   12 - DIN 
 MOSI      |   11 - DOUT
 NSS       |   10 - CS

Please note that I did not connect the RESET and the DIO2 pin, which would be needed for FSK.

I used the following snippet of code in my Arduino sketch to specify the pin mapping:

// Pin mapping
const lmic_pinmap lmic_pins = {
.nss = 10,
.rxtx = LMIC_UNUSED_PIN,
.rst = 9,
.dio = {2, 5, 6},
};


On the software side I am using Arduino 1.6.9, the LMIC library and the same sketch that I have been using with the RFM95W module.

I had to change the Semtech radio from SX1276 to SX1272 in the arduino-lmic/src/lmic/config.h:

#define CFG_eu868 1
//#define CFG_us915 1
// This is the SX1272/SX1273 radio, which is also used on the HopeRF
// RFM92 boards.
#define CFG_sx1272_radio 1
// This is the SX1276/SX1277/SX1278/SX1279 radio, which is also used on
// the HopeRF RFM95 boards.
//#define CFG_sx1276_radio 1


Following all of this, this node is nicely sending packets to my TTN application.