Heltec Automation
Heltec is a Chengdu-based company known for ESP32 LoRa development boards. Their LoRa32 V2/V3 series is among the most affordable and widely used Meshtastic hardware.
Popular Products
| Product | MCU | Radio | Display | GPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LoRa32 V3 | ESP32-S3 | SX1262 | 0.96 inch OLED | No |
| LoRa32 V2 | ESP32 | SX1276 | 0.96 inch OLED | No |
| Wireless Stick V3 | ESP32-S3 | SX1262 | No | No |
| T114 | nRF52840 | SX1262 | No | Yes |
| HT-M01 Gateway | ESP32 | SX1276 | No | No |
| WiFi Kit 32 | ESP32 | — | 0.96 inch OLED | No |
Compatibility Notes
- V2 and V3 have different pin mappings — always select correct board in Arduino IDE
- V3 uses CP2102 USB-UART (not CH340) — install CP210x driver from silabs.com
- V3 JST battery connector polarity is standard (unlike reversed V2)
- OLED is connected via internal I2C — no external wiring needed
- All ESP32-S3 boards: Arduino, PlatformIO, CircuitPython, MicroPython supported
Common Issues
- Heltec LoRa Common Issues
- Display not working → check board variant (V2 vs V3) in Arduino IDE
- No LoRa TX → attach antenna before powering on
Getting Started
- LoRa Device Selection
- ESP32 Getting Started
- Official docs: heltec.org
Buy
Available at openelab.io — search "Heltec".