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RN2483 breakout (bare board)

Designed by Azzy'S Electronics
(22)
$3.00

Shipping to United States starts at $0.75

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A level shifter is available as an extra option for interfacing with 5v microcontrollers.

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Simple breakout board for RN2483/RN2903 LoRa transciever

This breakout board offers an affordable solution for makers working with the popular RN2483 and RN2903 LoRa transceivers from Microchip, widely used for LoRaWAN. The layout of this breakout board is based on the the datasheet reference designs. This board breaks out all 14 GPIO pins to a row of 0.1" pin header, and the power and serial communication pins to a second row of 0.1" pin header.

NEW Assembled Boards Available

The RN2483 and RN2903 are identical except for their transmission frequency and which world regions they are approved for use in. The RN2483 operates at 433mhz and 868mhz, and is approved for use in Europe, while The RN2903 operates at 915mhz, and is approved for use in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The markings on these breakout boards correspond to the RN2483; if using with RN2903, use the antenna marked 868mhz (the low frequency antenna is not used).

The pin layout for the serial and power pins is designed such that it can be plugged into breadboard alongside an Espruino Pico, and the pins will line up - see the Espruino RN2483 module guide for details.

We are now shipping the Rev. E version of this board, which replaces the 1206 capacitor on the top of the board (which has been found to be unnecessary) with a pair of headers exposing pins 30 and 31 (PGC and PGD) to allow for reprogramming of the on-board PIC. This version also uses V-Groove panelization, so the boards are easy to separate and have smooth edges.

Bad-silkscreen buy-1-get-1-free sale

The second-most-recent version of the board, the Rev. D, shown below, is missing much of the silkscreen on the front (as shown in below image). The boards are otherwise fine, and the pin labels are present on the bottom. These boards are available buy-1-get-1-free while supply lasts! There's no coupon code - just choose to get the Rev. D version, and you'll get twice as many as you ordered for the same price. (Note - Buy-1-get-1-free only applies to the boards themselves, not optional level shifters!)

enter image description here

Optional Level Shifter

Since many of our customers are using these with 5v microcontrollers (such as Arduino), we now offer a level shifter as an add-on. These level shifters are mass produced 4-channel bidirectional fet-based level shifters. See the diagrams below for wiring examples.

Parts List

Required:

  • RN2483 (or RN2903, depending on your region)
  • 1x8 pin 0.1" pin header (or other connector) for power and serial connections.
  • 2 SMA antenna connectors, 1.6mm/0.063" board edge launch (Only one for the RN2903, SMA connector for 433mhz on RN2493 is optional, depending on your needs). Example SMA connectors include the Linx CONSMA003.062 (available from digikey) and Adafruit part no. 1865.

Optional:

  • 1117-series (or pin compatible) 3.3v voltage regulator in SOT-223 package. The ZLDO1117G33TA is suitable if powering from external 5~12V (as are many other 1117-series regulators). For operation off a single cell LiPo battery, a 1117-series is not sufficient (too much dropout), but the AP2114H-3.3TRG is suitable in these cases (it is no
  • 2 Capacitors (if using regulator) per regulator specifications, in 0805, 1206, 6032, or Kemet E package. For example, if using the ZLDO1117G33TA or AP2114H-3.3TRG regulator, a 4.7~22uF ceramic capacitor (X5R or X7R dielectric) is suitable for both input and output.
  • 1x2 pin 0.1" pin header for programming connections
  • 1x14 pin 0.1" pin header for GPIO connections

Don't forget prototyping board!

Wiring

Wiring Diagram

Suitable Connectors

https://www.adafruit.com/products/1865

Bulk orders and Stencils

We typically have several hundred of these boards in stock. Tindie has a maximum purchase quantity of 99 boards; if you need more, message me immediately after ordering, or mention it in the order instructions, and I'll get in touch and make sure we can combine shipping.

The gerbers for the stencil (front and back) can be downloaded here: RN2483 Stencil

The boards are made in panels of 6 - if you order a multiple of 6 boards, you'll get full panels.

Why did you make it?

A number of Espruino users in Europe working with LoRaWAN requested an affordable, minimalist board design for use with the RN2483 modules. The design of these modules makes use without a purpose made breakout board virtually impossible, however, such boards were not available.

See this thread for additional background: http://forum.espruino.com/conversations/277687/

Need a breakout board for some other part with an unusual package like this? Contact me.

Useful Resources

The Things Network is a thriving community dedicated to LoRaWAN which has a great deal of useful information available to makers experimenting with these sort of devices:The Things Network

For use with Espruino, see the Espruino RN2483 module documentation

For use with a Raspberry Pi, Michael Honaker of Beach Cities Software has written some demo code that can be valuable to help get started, available from his Github: Interfacing with C Interfacing with Python

22 reviews

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Reviewed By

good product and good shipping

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I would this product for an IoT module, I received it in less than 7 days from US to France, in a good packaging
very nice
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Reviewed By

Excellent PCB's, great value and fast shipment

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I received these boards yesterday, well within the expected delivery window. These board are of an excellent quality, look great and have a great value.
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Reviewed By

Good board, fast shipping.

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Please consider using thermal-relief pads for GND, like they are recommended in Microchip's documentation. Will make soldering much easier.
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Reviewed By

Very useful board, one suggestion for a next revision.

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
The break out board works Rev. C works very well for me.

It might be an idea to change the pinout of the serial interface in a future revision to be 1:1 compatible with FTDI cables to support even more easy prototyping.
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Reviewed By

Good quality pcb and fast shipment.

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
The board quality looks good with silkscreen and gold plated solder pads. Although definitely no rocket science a schematic somewhere would be nice.
Update: Arrrcchh must have overlooked it. There is a button with a link to the schematic! Apologies.!
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Response from the Seller

Jan. 3, 2017
Thanks - It seems people aren't finding the schematic in the "Documentation" link. I've added a copy of the schematic to the product pictures.

-Spence
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Reviewed By

Thanks

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I received the package on time. Thank you very much. I didn`t have problems with the shipping. This is a great place to buy things.
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Reviewed By

Awesome breakout

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Works perfect, easy to solder. Espruino direct compatibility is really the feature that saved my life !
Fast shipping, affordable price: A great board !
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Reviewed By

Great boards - great service`

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Great value boards and great value shipping - recommended ! Enabled me to solder my RN2483 for my LoRaWAN project. Will be ordering some more soon.
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Reviewed By

Great Seller and Product

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Great Seller and Product
Fast Shipping
Great Design
Nice Work
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Reviewed By

Specify part numbers in parts list

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
It would be helpful if the capacitor values were mentioned in the parts list. The datasheet is rather vague about actual values, saying only >= 4.7uF for the output capacitor, with a 0.05Ω ≤ ESR ≤ 0.5Ω rating. The input capacitor is even more vague: "Typically a large storage capacitor (0.05Ω ≤ ESR ≤ 0.5Ω) ...". For clarity, the 1206 is imperial, not metric.

The RF connectors are a real PITA to be sure you're ordering the correct ones the first time. There are a number of mounting styles for SMA connectors. This board needs a connector for a 0.062" thickness PCB, 0.1" between pins, in an "end launch" style. Having an actual part number would have saved a lot of time. BTW, the parts list says 2 SMA connectors are required, but actually only one is.

So how about adding some part numbers to parts list, please?

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Response from the Seller

Oct. 19, 2016
Thanks for the feedback, I've added the part numbers for two compatible SMA connectors that I've worked with (I know there are many others), as well as more specific suggestions for the capacitors for the regulators I recommend. That said, since the board is compatible with any of dozens of regulators available with a compatible pinout, I can't provide guidance for capacitor selection for all of the regulators that could be used - some of them are really picky about the regulator (hence the support for larger tantalum caps)

-Spence
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Reviewed By

Perfect

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I have bought two, it was very easy to solder the module on it.
Just add a SMA SMD connector, and an antenna obviously.
Good design :)
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Reviewed By

Well-built boards

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I'm relieved to have received my 2 well-boards in South Africa after 7 weeks' shipping. Good quality construction. I tied down the RN2483 using masking tape to solder it down, but after having soldered 2 pads, I lifted the masking tape, only to rip off one of the pads from the PCB - fortunately it was one of the ground pads. Other pads soldered without problems, except for a few shorts which I had to suck off to re-do. The second board should go better :-)

Edit: I received two Rev. C boards. One of the boards show pin labelled "NC" on the top and "RST" on the bottom (between the RTS and 3V3 pins). The photos here https://www.tindie.com/products/DrAzzy/rn2483-breakout-bare-board/ seem to show label "RST" on top of bottom of the boards, which are also labeled Rev. C...? My second board is labeled correctly...

Edit#2: second board successfully built, now I have 2 working mote's, yay!
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Reviewed By

Board to mount your RN2483 LORA module

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Neat board with provision for a voltage regulator and it has mounting holes! So many of the breakouts expect you to use a breadboard, fine for a prototype, but with a cased demo unit having a way to mount the board is essential. Modules soldered on with normal (fine) solder and fine tipped iron and I'd used liquid flux as well to ensure a good joint.

Please note in my ratings that there is in fact no paper documentation - so I've left the rating for the boards printed notation!
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Response from the Seller

Aug. 31, 2016
That's right - in order to ensure that documentation is always up to date, as well as to lower costs and reduce our impact on the environment, we do not include paper documentation. All documentation is available online linked to from this product page. If you have any questions, or find anything missing from the online documentation, please let me know and I'll get it fixed straight away.
Thanks for your business!
-Spence
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Reviewed By

Thanks for quick delivery

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Real quick delivery and quality product... considering the fact that I live half way across the globe.
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Reviewed By

Great!

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Great little PCB, just exactly what one needs to get started with RN2483. Much better than I could ever make on my own. Fast shipping, arrived in the UK within a week.
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Reviewed By

Reaaly good

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
The PCB and the packaging are very good. Shipping was fast and the envelope reached Italy in 8 days witout problems.
I still didn't use the PCB so can tell nothing about copper quality.

M
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Reviewed By

OK

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Well serves to the purpose it was designed for. Some more docs would be fine. What to say more about a PCB ?
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Response from the Seller

April 27, 2016
What sort of additional documentation would you like to see for a product like this? I'm happy to add more information, but I'm not sure what people are looking for.

Thanks!
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Reviewed By

nice boards

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I ordered 3 boards. They came in pretty quickly and are looking very nice. I like them a lot.

Soldered each of them, although I must admit that I'm no soldering king/ queen overall three pcb soldering patches got loose pretty easily. One of them was the 868 MHz antenna center patch... So now I'm left to soldering the antenna to the RN2483 directly.

Still a very nice pcb to order.

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Response from the Seller

April 3, 2016
Hi - thanks for buying, and thanks for letting me know about your experience here

I just tried to reproduce pad lifting issues. I soldered a wire onto the pad, resting the soldering iron on the pad for far longer than usual (to simulate very poor soldering technique), and afterwards, I yanked pretty hard on the wire. I wasn't able to pull it off with any realistic amount of force.

Since you saw this on multiple boards, not just one, I'm inclined to suspect that your issue is largely one of equipment - namely your soldering iron. One of the easiest ways to lift pads is by using a soldering iron that's getting too hot (often because it's not temperature controlled). I tested this by cranking the temperature on my iron up to 850 (instead of 700) - and then, leaving the iron on the pad for a while, and then pulling on the wire, I was able to get the pad to pop off, which supports this theory. So - is your soldering iron temperature controlled? If not, I wager that's probably what caused the pads to lift. I recommend temperatures no higher than 700 when assembling boards (higher temps are great for salvaging parts from a board you don't care about).

Feel free to contact me (via messaging or email) if you have further questions on this.
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Reviewed By

Fantastic breakout boards!

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I got these for the RN2903 Microchip modules and everything soldered up and was working perfectly in no time. Thanks so much for the fast shipping :)
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Reviewed By

Fine boards, no problems

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
I am using these boards to test the modules. You can see some details here : http://www.hexnut.net/2016/02/lora-range-experiments-urban-test.html

I am happy with the boards.
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Reviewed By

Great board

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
This board is great to start playing with the RN2483 module. Easy to solder the module and easy to connect the board to other electronics. Very much recommended if you want to prototype with RN2483.
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Reviewed By

Great boards!

- RN2483 breakout (bare board)
Super neat boards, almost tailor-made after asking for them on the Espruino forum :)
DrAzzy never disappoints, always there to help out!
Thanks a bunch!
Rates to United States
Shipping Rate First item Additional items
United States Postal Service: Economy (untracked, bare boards only)
Super-economy US shipping - no tracking, bare boards and small orders only. Your boards will ship in a normal letter envelope as regular stamped mail. Delivery times vary widely (as with letters). For tracking and faster delivery, we recommend using the First Class Tracked or Priority Mail shipping options! This does not scale well to large orders - for more than 5 items, shipping via First Class Tracked is cheaper. This shipping option will be upgraded to first class tracked if you order 5 or more items and choose this option - but if this happens, you could have saved money by choosing First Class Tracked shipping.
$0.75 $0.50
United States Postal Service: First Class Tracked (recommended, cheaper than economy for 5+ items)
$2.50 $0.15
United States Postal Service: Priority Mail - Flat rate (fastest, tracked)
Domestic shipping via USPS Priority Mail - USPS advertises 1~3 day shipping time within the continental United States. This is a flat rate for any quantity of items - this is your chance to buy piles of small cheap items like my mini prototyping boards without paying extra for shipping!
$8.00 $0.00

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Quantity Price
1-5$3.00
6-29$2.50
30-59$2.25
60+$2.00