LoRa/RF Configuration

The Tally Node system transmits Tally information between the Master and receivers over LoRa wireless. Proper RF settings directly affect communication range, reliability, and interference prevention.

LoRa basics#

LoRa (Long Range) is a long-range, low-power wireless communication technology with the following traits:

• Long range: with line of sight, it communicates over much longer distances than WiFi
• Low power: lower power consumption than WiFi
• Low speed: enough bandwidth to transmit Tally information (very small data)

Frequency band auto-detection#

Tally Node auto-detects the connected RF module at boot:

Channel scan#

Analyze the channel in use to find a clean channel with little interference.

Start scan#

1. 1
   Open the Broadcast page

   Open http://[master-ip]/broadcast in a browser
2. 2
   Click Start Scan

   Click the Start Scan button in the Channel Scan card
3. 3
   Check the scan range

   e.g. 850-930 MHz (varies by hardware band)
4. 4
   Monitor progress

   Wait until the scan completes

Scan results#

After the scan completes, the following information is shown:

RSSI gauge#

The signal strength of the current channel is shown as a circular gauge:

Recommended channel#

After the scan completes, the system suggests a recommended channel:

Frequency and Sync Word setup#

When changing the Master and receiver RF settings, be sure to follow this procedure.

Key warning#

Change procedure#

1. 1
   Confirm all receivers are powered ON

   All target receivers must be on and near the Master
2. 2
   Go to the Channel Settings card

   Select the Channel Settings card on the Broadcast page
3. 3
   Adjust the Frequency slider

   868MHz chip: 850-930 MHz (1 MHz steps) / 433MHz chip: 410-493 MHz. The numbers below the slider are just tick marks, not preset buttons.
4. 4
   Adjust the Sync Word slider

   Range 1-150 (0x01-0x96), default 0x12 (18). The 0x01/0x20/0x40/0x60/0x80/0x96 marks below the slider are reference points, not selectable presets.
5. 5
   Click Save Channel Settings

   Press save to send the settings
6. 6
   Wait 5-10 seconds

   Wait without interruption until applied to all receivers
7. 7
   Check the connection status

   On the Devices page, verify all receivers are connected normally

Apply delay reason#

Why it takes 5-10 seconds after a setting change:

1. Master RF module reset (about 2s)
2. LoRa packet transmission (about 1s)
3. Reception and reset on each receiver (about 1-2s each)
4. NVS save and reboot (about 1-3s)

Communication optimization#

Communication range#

The communication range depends heavily on environmental factors.

Interference prevention#

Multi-system isolation (Sync Word)#

The Sync Word is the LoRa packet identifier, used to isolate different Tally systems that share the same frequency. One system (a Master + receiver group) all use the same Sync Word; if there is another Tally system nearby, giving it a different Sync Word value prevents interference.

Setup method#

The Sync Word is entered via a slider (range 1-150 = 0x01-0x96, default 0x12). There are no separate preset buttons; just select the desired value with the slider.

Multi-system isolation example#

When running 3 Tally systems simultaneously on the same 868 MHz band, assigning each system a different Sync Word (e.g. 0x12 / 0x40 / 0x80) isolates them without collision.

Precautions on change#

• The Master and all receivers in that group must use the same Sync Word.
• Use a different value from other systems to avoid overlap.
• Follow the procedure in Frequency and Sync Word setup (all receivers ON, wait 5-10s).

Troubleshooting#

Poor connection#

Weak signal#