Installation & Device Setup

Complete guide for setting up and configuring your ESP32 LoRaWAN water quality monitoring devices.

Prerequisites

Arduino IDE

For ESP32 development and code upload

Download Arduino IDE →

TTN Account

The Things Network for LoRaWAN backend

Create TTN Account →

LoRaWAN Gateway

Use public TTN gateways in your area or deploy your own

Hardware Requirements

ESP32 LoRaWAN Device:

• ESP32 Development Board (30-pin)

• Recommended:PandaByte xLoRa ESP32 →

• LoRaWAN Module (SX1276/SX1278 - 868/915 MHz)

• pH Sensor with analog probe

• TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) sensor

• DS18B20 waterproof temperature probe

• OLED Display (128×64 SSD1306, I²C)

Additional Components:

• USB Cable (Type-C or Micro-USB) for programming

• LiPo 3.7V battery + TP4056 charger (optional)

• 4.7 kΩ resistor (for DS18B20 pull-up)

• Jumper wires for connections

• Breadboard or PCB for assembly

• Waterproof enclosure (for outdoor deployment)

Arduino IDE Setup for ESP32

1. Add ESP32 Board Manager

• Open Arduino IDE → File → Preferences

• In "Additional Board Manager URLs" add:

https://dl.espressif.com/dl/package_esp32_index.json

2. Install ESP32 Boards

• Go to Tools → Board → Boards Manager

• Search for "ESP32" and install "ESP32 by Espressif Systems"

• Wait for installation to complete

3. Install Required Libraries

Go to Tools → Manage Libraries and install the following:

MCCI LoRaWAN LMIC

For LoRaWAN communication

Required

OneWire

For DS18B20 temperature sensor

Required

DallasTemperature

DS18B20 temperature library

Required

Adafruit SSD1306

For OLED display

Required

Adafruit GFX Library

Graphics library for display

Required

ArduinoJson

For JSON payload handling

Optional

4. Configure LMIC Library for Region

⚠️ Important: Region Configuration Required

BEFORE uploading code, you must configure the LMIC library for your LoRaWAN frequency region.

📍 For India Region (IN866):

Navigate to: My Documents > Arduino > libraries > MCCI_LoRaWAN_LMIC_library > project_config
Open lmic_project_config.h using Notepad or any text editor
Find the line: #define CFG_us915 1
Comment it out by adding // at the beginning: // #define CFG_us915 1
Find the line: // #define CFG_in866 1
Uncomment it by removing //: #define CFG_in866 1
Save and close the file

Other Regions:

• Europe/India: Use CFG_eu868 or CFG_in866

• United States: Use CFG_us915

• Asia-Pacific: Use CFG_as923

• Australia: Use CFG_au915

Only ONE region should be enabled at a time. Make sure all other regions are commented out.

Board Configuration

Before uploading code, configure Arduino IDE settings for your ESP32:

Board:ESP32 Dev Module

Upload Speed:921600

CPU Frequency:240MHz (WiFi/BT)

Flash Size:4MB (32Mb)

Partition Scheme:Default 4MB

Port:COM3 (or your ESP32 port)

Installation Complete!

Your development environment is now ready.

Next, review the circuit diagram to understand hardware connections, then use the code generator to create your custom Arduino sketch.

View Circuit Diagram Generate Arduino Code

Getting Started

Circuit Diagram