Introducing the ESPRanger. This is the first of my LoRa SDKs which has just been launched, featuring a host of sensors, all combined in a compact board which can operate from 5-60V DC.
LoRa GNSS-GPS IMU RS485 Wide Operating Voltage 5-60V SDKSupporting STEM Electronic Internet of Things & Home Automation Technology for Smart Energy Monitoring
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ESPRanger will be beta testing late September and will be available to purchase in October 2025.
Feature OverviewWhat is ESPRanger?
ESPRanger is a compact and powerful STEM Community board which is designed for LoRa (Long Range wireless communication), with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and IMU (Accelerometer and Gyroscope). Essentially a great compact Swiss-army-knife LoRa GPS Tracker and IMU project.
The purpose of ESPRanger, is to provide a very compact board which includes the below features:
Espressif ESP32-C6
- WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and Thread
EByte E22-900MM22S
- LoRa SX1262 module for 868MHz through to 915MHz
ATGM336H-5N
- High performance multi-constellation GNSS receiver for GPS, Galileo, QZSS and BDS
ST LSM6DSL
- IMU with 3D Digital Accelerometer and 3D Digital Gyroscope
Chipanalog CS48520D
- Industry Standard RS-485 interface
- TI TMP102 -Digital Temperature
- Siproin SSP9481 -5 to 60V DC SMPS for wide ranging power input, providing a stable 5V
- OnSemi NCP167BMX330 -5V to 3V3 DC SMPS
- EEPROM P24C64C -64Kbit storage -Two of these are included, one for ATGM336H and one for the ESP32-C6.
The ESPRanger board can be used in a wide range of projects and installations such as:ESPRanger is a compact and powerful STEM Community board which is designed for LoRa (Long Range wireless communication), with GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) and IMU (Accelerometer and Gyroscope). Essentially a great compact Swiss-army-knife LoRa GPS Tracker and IMU project.
- Agriculture
- Automation
- Commercial
- Drones
- Emergency Response
- Factories
- Farms
- FPV Radio Controlled Vehicles
- Greenhouses
- Homes
- Industry
- LoRa GPS Tracker
- Makers
- Mapping
- Modelling
- Off Grid Systems
- Robotics
- Scientific Research
- Security
- Shipping
- Smart systems
- Solar Farms
- STEM Education
- Surveillance
- Surveying
- Tracking
- Wind Farms
ESPRanger main MCU is the ESP32-C6 which includes a powerful radio module, opening up a range of IoT applications that include:
Wi-Fi 6- 2.4 GHz (2400 ~ 2483.5 MHz)
- 802.11ax (20 MHz bandwidth)
- 802.11b/g/n (20/40 MHz bandwidth)
- CE Max EIRP 19.81 dBm
- 2.4 GHz (2400 ~ 2483.5 MHz)
- Bluetooth LE
- Bluetooth 5.3
- Bluetooth Mesh
- CE Max EIRP 18.46 dBm
- 2.4 GHz (2405 ~ 2480 MHz)
- 802.15.4
- Thread Mesh
- CE Max EIRP 10.29 dBm
- 2.4 GHz (2405 ~ 2480 MHz)
- 802.15.4
- Zigbee Mesh
- CE Max EIRP 10.40 dBm
Zigbee and mesh are expanding in an range of home, farming and industrial applications, so will be interested to see how this develops over time.
Using a mix of Ethernet and Zigbee, installations could offer remote mesh systems, with a mix of communications technologies.
LoRa and LoRaWANThe main focus of the board was sensor flexibility and the ability to send this data to the outside world. LoRa provides a Long Range wireless communication technology.
The ESPRanger includes an EByte E22-900MM22S LoRa module, with Semtech SX1262. This module covers 850 to 930MHz, so allowing the ESPRanger to work in many countries around the World.
Example bands:
- AS923 (AS1) band (920-923 MHz) in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore
- AS923 (AS2) band (915–928 MHz) in Asia
- AU915 band (915–928 MHz) in South America
- CN779 band (779-787 MHz) in China
- EU868 band (863–870 MHz) in Europe
- IN865 band (865-867 MHz) in India
- KR920 band (920-923 MHz) in Korea
- RU864 band (864-870 MHz) in Russia
- US915 band (902–928 MHz) in North America
LoRa networks supported include TTN, Helium, Meshtastic and ChirpStack.
An U.FL antenna connector is provided to allow internal or external antennas to be fitted.
GNSSThe ATGM336H-5NR32 is a high-performance, low-power, multi-constellation GNSS module, which features 32 tracking channels to fully support positioning and navigation via Beidou (BDS
- American GPS
- EU Galileo
- Chinese BDS (Beidou)
- Japanese QZSS
- Satellite enhanced system SBAS (WAAS,EGNOS,GAGAN, MSAS)
A dedicated EEPROM has been included to allow the module to to store the almanac, which is a inventory of currently available satellites and their orbits.
An external optional plug-in CR2302 3V coin battery maybe added.
An U.FL antenna connector is provided to allow internal or external antennas to be fitted.
IMUA requested feature by some users is an on-board Digital Accelerometer and Gyroscope. The LSM6DSLTR has been included on the board.
This IMU is an always-on compact 3D device and offers low power but with excellent and extensive features.
RS-485To interfacing to other devices shich Smart Meters, Devices and Smart Batteries which have an RS-485 MODBUS interface, the ESPRanger includes a standard industry interface which allows you to collect, or control, other devices on the RS-485 bus.
This RS-485 interface could also be used to control local CCTV on remote installations, or even send data from the ESPRanger board over a single twisted pair, up to around 1,200 meters (4,000 feet), in distance. Ideal for farms and remote installations.
Board ConfigurationTwo jumpers are provided, which allow you to enable/disable the power to the GNSS and/or LoRa modules.
Outline Features and SpecificationsThe ESPRanger board main features and Outline Specifications:
BoardCompact and Flexible Proven Design
- Only 65mm x 30mm (Pi Zero size)
- Fully Populated and Tested
- Easy to interface and Program
- Board Jumpers for Easy 'No Solder' Configuration
Espressif ESP32 C6
- ESP32-C6-MINI-1U-N4 (MHF3 Antenna Connector)
- 32-bit RISC-V MCU
- Single Core MCU up to 160 MHz
- Wi-Fi 6 | 2.4 GHz | 802.11ax | 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth | LE | 5.3 | Mesh
- Thread 1.4 | 802.15.4 | Mesh
- Zigbee 3.0 | 802.15.4 | Mesh
- 4 MB Flash
- 3 UARTS
- I2C
- SPI (2xCS)
- USB (Type C)
- ADC
- User LED
TYPE C Interfaces (x2)
- ESP32-C6 USB | JTAG | Debugging | 5V Supply
- UART (esp32-c6-devkitm-1 compatible) | CH343P | Serial Monitor | 5V Supply
RS-485 CS48520D Interface
- MODBUS or Other Protocol
- Selectable 120R Load Resistor
- Up to 20Mbps (limited only by the ESP32-C6)
- Driver with Current Limiter and Thermal Shutdown Protection
- Open, Short and Idle Bus Failsafe Protection
- Optional Ground for Shielded Cable to Asymmetrical TVS Diode
- Chipanalog Half-Duplex Transceiver
- EN/TXD LEDs
24C64 EEPROM
- Memory 64kbit (8192x8)
- Parameter Settings
- Logging
- P24C64C
TMP102 Temperature
- Ambient PCB Temperature Sensor
OLED I2C Interface
- I2C Interface
- OLED I2C Connector
- Configurable Power Pins (Solder Pads)
WS2812B RGB LED
- RGB Status LED
SSP9481 Onboard SMPS Board Power Supply
- 5V From Either Type C USB
- Power taken from DC Input (4.5V to 60V)
Tactile Buttons
- Reset Button
- User Programmable Button / PGM
Development is primarily supported through Visual Studio Code (VSCode and PlatformIO) and Arduino IDE. This also includes platforms like Home Assistant via ESPHome.
A range of libraries are already available which support the devices on the ESPRanger such as the:
- ESP32-C6
- E22-900MM22S (SX1262)
- LSM6DSL
- ATGM336H
- 24C64
- TMP102
- WS2812
Code support is available in my existing GitHub code.
This is a worldwide community project and is able to be integrated in so many systems.
Further InformationAdditional information, and other technical details on this project, maybe found in the related repository pages.
Repository Folders
- Code (Code examples for Arduino IDE, PlatformIO)
- Datasheets and Information (Component Datasheets, Schematics, Board Layouts, Photos, Technical Documentation)
- Certification (Related Repository Project or Part, Certification Information)
Repository Tabs
- Wiki (Related Repository Wiki pages and Technical User Information)
- Discussions (Related Repository User Discussion Forum)
- Issues (Related Repository Technical Issues and Fixes)
We value our Customers, Users of our designs and STEM Communities, all over the World . Should you have any other questions, or feedback to share to others, please feel free to:
- Visit the related Project plus the related Discussions and Wiki Pages. See tab in each separate repository.
- Project Community Information can be found at https://www.hackster.io/DitroniX
- DitroniX.net Website - Contact Us
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DitroniX
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- LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/g8puo/
Dave Williams, Maidstone, UK.
Electronics Engineer | Software Developer | R&D Support | RF Engineering | Product Certification and Testing | STEM Ambassador
STEMSupporting STEM Learning
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